Four of John Dowland’s greatest recordings
The Consort of Musicke/Rooley Decca E452 5632 A one-stop shop for Dowland’s major works in 12 authoritative discs. Complete Lute Music Nigel North (Lute) Naxos 8.504016 Supple, sensitive and warmly…
Six of the finest classical music arrangements
Handel’s Acis and Galetea, arr. Mozart This ‘pastoral opera’ is a work I’ve loved since my early teens, and to come across a rescoring by Mozart a few years ago…
Who exactly is Paul Mealor?
Who is Paul Mealor? Paul Mealor is a Welsh composer who has written an extensive output of music, much of it for accompanied and unaccompanied chorus. However, Paul has also…
Encore! Encore! An Hour of the Most Beautiful Classical Guitar in the World
When it comes to encores, most musicians like to slate in a guaranteed crowdpleaser to send the audience out on a high. Conventional wisdom holds that an encore should…
Sibelius: Exploring a Life Through 10 Masterful Compositions
‘The English like vogues for this and that. Now it’s Sibelius, and when they’re tired of him they’ll boost up Bruckner and Mahler.’ Frederick Delius’s remark, made in the early 1930s, turned out to be…
‘Hallelujah’ By Native American Brothers Is Just What You Need
‘Inka Gold’ is some of the most relaxing and enjoyable music you could ever hear. Featuring the laid-back sound of the classical guitar and the pan flute, Oscar and Santiago…
The Best Recordings of Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic
Mahler: Symphony No. 10 Warner Classics ‘One feels profoundly grateful to Rattle for his part in bringing alive this intriguing symphony.’ Ravel: Mother Goose Warner Classics ‘Rattle’s first recording of Mother…
The Genius of Beethoven: The Math Behind Music
Almost all the biggest math enthusiasts I’ve known have also loved classical music, especially the work of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Of course, as San Francisco Symphony music director Michael Tilson Thomas once…
How a Marching Band Rocked Classical Music
Bach and Beethoven, two classical composers, have been present in performances for three centuries. Many musical groups have played them and offered their own interpretation of the works. This fall,…
Dennis Brain: Pioneering the Solo Spotlight for the French Horn in the Limelight
Dennis Brain dies instantly at 6am on Sunday 1 September, when his Triumph TR2 sports car leaves the road in wet weather, close to the de Havilland aircraft factory at…