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Showing posts from April, 2006

Googling the Goldbergs

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The internet is a wonderful and extraordinary world. Google ‘goldberg variations’ if you will. At the time of writing there were 580,000 results (nearly 3 times as many as for Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, and over twice as many as for his 9th symphony). From Richard Egarr's notes for his new recording of the Golbergs played on a reproduction Ruckers instrument voiced with quill, tuned to musicologist Bradley Lehman's 'Bach temparement' , and including all the repeats, plus the rarely heard 14 Canons on the Ground from the Goldberg Variations, BWV 1087. These were discovered in 1974, and Egarr plays both voices in the canons using double-tracking. The sound, from the Dutch venue of the Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente in Te Haarlem, is demonstration quality. The CD set includes an abbreviated version of Richard Egarr's excellent notes, you can read the full version online at the Harmonia Mundi website, including details of the tuning system used, via this link . An

About 50% musical forgery

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Back in December I ran an exclusive story that an uncompleted Elgar sketch of a sixth Pomp and Circumstance March has been discovered, and that Anthony Payne was en route to completing it. Yesterday BBC Proms Controller Nicholas Kenyon announced that the highlight of the 2006 Proms season will be ..... the first performance of Anthony Payne's completion of Elgar's sketch for a sixth Pomp and Circumstance March. Payne said the new march was about "50% Elgar and 50% me... when I do it, I feel I am getting under his skin, like an actor taking on a role" . I repeat Paul Hindemith's words in his 1952 book A Composer's World :" You are not permitted to sell unsanitary macaroni or mustard, but nobody objects to your undermining the public's health by feeding it musical forgeries." Image credit - Soundandvision.com . Image owners - if you do not want your picture used in this article please contact me and it will be removed. Report broken links, missi

Musical chauvinism and inconsistency ...

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Norman Lebrecht's latest tirade accuses English composers of 'chauvinism, amateurishness and bumbling inconsistency.' I wonder when Norman last listened to Beethoven's Wellington's Victory, Op. 91 ? Image credit - Euskalnet : Image owners - if you do not want your picture used in this article please contact me and it will be removed. Report broken links, missing images and other errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk If you enjoyed this post take An Overgrown Path to Wagner downloads and Beethoven cycles

New music scores with free downloads

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Free MP3 downloads of classical music receive much attention , but a pioneering project using free downloads has been overlooked, and it may just be an important tool for contemporary composers as it offers free downloads of scores of specially commissioned new works. New Music is a series of pieces for choir and organ specially commissioned from young composers by Choir & Organ magazine. In each bi-monthly issue a composer is profiled together with an analysis of his new composition. Unlimited copies of the composition can then be downloaded as pdf files from the Choir & Organ website via this link . The current magazine (May/June 2006) offers Chimera for organ by Matthew Martin, and the Antiphon to Mary by Basil Athanasiadis is also available. Control of intellectual property ownership is attempted by the licensing small-print which says: 'New Music scores are available under license to be printed free of charge for a period of six months, after which time copies m

Bring forth new life - Chernobyl 26th April 1986

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It was a night spent in the basement of a burnt out building. People injured by the atomic bomb took shelter in this room, filling it. They passed the night in darkness, not even a single candle among them. The raw smell of blood, the stench of death. Body heat and the reek of sweat. Moaning. Miraculously, out of the darkness, a voice sounded: "The baby's coming!" In that basement room, in those lower reaches of hell, A young woman was now going into labor. What were they to do, Without even a single match to light the darkness? People forgot their own suffering to do what they could. A seriously injured woman who had been moaning but a moments before, Spoke out: "I'm a midwife. Let me help with the birth." And now life was born There in the deep, dark depths of hell. Her work done, the midwife did not even wait for the break of day. She died, still covered with the blood. Bring forth new life! Even should it cost me my own, Bring forth new life! by Sadako K

Harpsichord magic from Don Angle

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'I always found his Bach to be scandalously empty of whatever musicality, crammed with fantastic and meaningless inventions. And I'm not mentioning the articulation nor the phrasing' - Harpsichordist Scott Ross on Glenn Gould . Ross, who gave us the heavenly Scarlatti sonatas that I wrote about recently, was sparing with praise for his peers, although he did acknowledge a debt to Kenneth Gilbert. But there was one harpsichordist Scott Ross admired unreservedly, and amazingly that player has never recorded any baroque music. To find out why Ross admired Don Angle (photo above) so much listen to these three samples of his playing -and prepare to be amazed: * * * * * Scott Ross resources On An Overgrown Path include * If you only buy thirty-four CDs this year - buy these .... . * The perfect ethical, and musical, Christmas present * * Visit Don Angle's web site via this link . Audio clips from Don Angle's Harpsichord Magic at amazon.com. Image credit - Trinit

Above Oblivion's Tide there is a Pier

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Above Oblivion's Tide there is a Pier And an effaceless "Few" are lifted there - Nay - lift themselves - Fame has no Arms- And but one smile-that meagres Balms by Emily Dickinson Now playing : Aaron Copland's exquisite 12 Poems of Emily Dickinson (1944-1950) sung by the much-missed Susan Chilcott , who died of cancer in 2003 aged just forty, with Iain Burnside piano ( Black Box 8012510742 ). Copland's 1950 setting of Dickinson's poetry was pioneering and used early inaccurate editions, but that scarcely matters. About the cycle, the composer (below) wrote modestly: 'The poems centre about no single theme but they treat of subject matter particularly close to Miss Dickinson: nature, death, life, eternity. Only two of the songs are related musically, the seventh and the twelfth. Nevertheless, the composer hopes that, in seeking a musical counterpart for the unique personality of the poet, he has given the songs, taken together, the aspect of a song cycle&#

New Chicago classical music blog

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Hi - I’m writing to let you know about a new classical music blog and online community -- Chicago Classical Music: http://www.chicagoclassicalmusic.org The site was created by a consortium of Chicago-area music groups, including Ravinia, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Musicians, Chicago Sinfonietta, Chicago Opera Theater, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Music of the Baroque and Grant Park Music Festival. Executive staff members from each organization contribute to the blog. Other features include a calendar of upcoming performances; forums for discussing classical music, swapping tickets and finding rideshares; online chats with other members and special guests; and reviews and articles submitted by readers. The site is free, though registration is required to create a personal profile and submit reviews. Chicago Classical Music is still in its early stages, and we’re officially in pilot mode through July under the auspices of the Arts & Business Council of Chicago. But we’r

And classical music is in crisis ....

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Vanessa-Mae tops young rich list Singapore-born violinist Vanessa-Mae Nicholson is the wealthiest young entertainer in the UK, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2006. In the latest annual guide to the richest people born or living in the UK, published on Sunday, Ms Nicholson's wealth is estimated at £32m. Also featuring in the top 10 of richest entertainers aged under-30 are the four members of the rock band Coldplay. Led by singer Chris Martin, each member of the group is said to be worth £25m. Both Vanessa-Mae and Coldplay sell millions of albums around the world. In second place among the young entertainers is Kiera Chaplin, the 23-year-old Belfast-born granddaughter of comic actor Charlie Chaplin. RICHEST YOUNG ENTERTAINERS 1. Vanessa-Mae - £32m 2. Kiera Chaplin - £30m 3. Guy Berryman - £25m 4. Jon Buckland - £25m 5. Will Champion - £25m 6. Chris Martin - £25m 7. Karen Elson & Jack White - £20m 8. Orlando Bloom - £14m 9. Daniel Radcliffe - £14m 10. Kate Winslet - £12m

Bach and modern technology

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The parcel was half a metre high, cube-shaped and wrapped in shiny red paper. It stood next to his breakfast plate: tied with large wreaths of gold tassel and addressed in a scrolled script of suitably baroque loops and curves. 'Not another one! ' said Bach, shoving it aside and reaching for the marmalade. Down the Initials' end of the table young CPE, JC and WF were squabbling about the future of late Baroque, throwing crusts at each other to settle whether the advent of digital technology would elevate contrapuntal writing to ever-greater heights or render it obsolete. CPE was accused of clinging to outmoded harmonic practices; JC's Early Classicism would lead only to base salon music, came the spirited reply. WF looked on gravely and said nothing. He was the eldest of Bach's Initials and all his brief life, had been subjected to the full weight of parental expectations. Even at such an early age, he knew sorrow. Breakfast over, Bach turned to his unopened par

Mahler songs mark Chernobyl anniversary

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Early in the morning of 26th April 1986 two explosions destroyed reactor no. 4 at the Soviet nuclear power station at Chernobyl in Ukraine, and started the chain of events that led to the world's worst nuclear power accident. There will be many events next week to mark the twentieth anniversary of this terrible disaster, but few will be as courageous, or as deserving, as the Benefizkonzert zum 20. Jahrestag der Reaktorkatastrophe in Tschernobyl concert in Berlin on 24th April. The sheer audacity of IPPNW Concerts is breathtaking. In partnership with the Berlin Philharmonic Society they have booked the famous Philharmonie Hall in Berlin, and have persuaded a distinguished line-up of musicians including Grammy winning baritone Thomas Quasthoff , and the orchestra of the Hanns Eisler Academy to donate their services. The programme is movingly appropriate, Gustav Mahler's lament for dead children Kindertotenlieder , and Franz Schubert's Octet D803 played by the Scharoun

The real piano man

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From : illtemperedclavier Sent : 18 April 2006 17:10:48 To : overgrownpath@hotmail.co.uk Subject : [On An Overgrown Path] 4/18/2006 05:10:37 PM Many thanks for this wonderful post on Michel Petrucciani , which I missed the first time. Any and all writeups of great or neglected pianists are always welcome here. Bravo. I would love to see which classical pianists you feel never got as much appreciation as they should have. Follow An Overgrown Path to The real 'Piano Man'

Bark's St Matthew Passion

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From Saturday's Washington Post review of Helmut Rilling's performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion with the National Symphony Orchestra. Unfortunately, during some of the most extraordinary moments of the score -- from the beginning of the trial right up to and including Christ's crucifixion -- one heard a strange wailing from the balcony. As it happened, it was a seeing-eye dog, which eventually quieted down or was removed -- a noble beast, to be sure, but its steady whimpering made for bizarre counterpoint with music of such exalted lamentation. The concert, most likely without canine descant, will be repeated tonight at 8. Thanks to Garth Trinkl for the heads-up, but don't blame the headline on him. Image credit - Musichouseshop.com . Image owners - if you do not want your picture used in this article please contact me and it will be removed. Report broken links, missing images and other errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk If you enjoyed thi

What was on Hitler's iPod?

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'He was genuinely convinced that he had an infallible musical ear. Heinz Lorenz suggested, 'My Führer, you ought to give a concert in the Great Hall. After all, you could afford to invite the best German musicians, Gieseking, Kempff, Furtwängler and so on. You don't go to the opera or the theatre any more, but you could listen to music. It wouldn't strain your eyes either'. Hitler rejected the idea. 'No, I don't want to trouble such artists just for me personally, but we could play a few records.' A thick book listed all the records that the Führer owned. There must have been hundreds of them. The wooden panelling of the wall turned out to be a cupboard holding records, with a built-in gramophone that was invisible till the cupboard doors were opened. The black discs stood in long rows, labelled with numbers. Bormann operated the gramophone. Hitler nearly always had the same repertory played: Léhars operettas, songs by Richard Strauss, Hugo Wolf and Ri

The life-enhancing Passion story

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The only thing that matters is the life-enhancing unfolding of the Passion story told by the greatest master of them all, Bach, and our chance, performers and audience alike, to share in this wonder and be changed by it. I measure a year's life on this day. Involvement in this piece forces me to ask questions of myself; what was my feeling last year compared with today? What have I learned about myself during these twelve months? How have I changed, if at all? Have I developed as a musician? The only honest answer I can give myself is to admit that there has been change. Whether for 'good' or 'bad' no longer concerns me. I am grateful for the fact that I am not standing in the same place. Certain things have altered; some things are quite obvious to me, such as the increasing feeling of peace and stability; I am beginning to look at myself with much more compassion after having driven myself relentlessly for a quarter of a century; perhaps this too was necessary a

Professional politicians and amateur musicians

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As Condoleezza Rice prepares us for possible US action against Iran it is disappointing to see so many people swallowing the spin about the US Secretary of State's musical activities. History has proved that politics and music don't mix. British prime minister Edward Heath was one who tried, and Richard Ingrams summed up the results rather well: Conductor unbecoming - Edward Heath was hugely proud of his musical abilities, an estimation not shared by all Heath has had very kind obituaries and I would only quarrel with the Guardian's veteran music critic Edward Greenfield, who said that as far as his music was concerned, he was 'impervious to criticism'. In the musical world, Heath's cack-handed attempts to conduct an orchestra, a very difficult thing to do, were the subject of much mirth. When I made some disparaging remarks in this column on his musical abilities, he responded with a furious letter, listing all the orchestras he had conducted. It did not see

I am the power-assisted light of the world

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For almost 300 years parishioners have simply climbed a ladder to light the 24 candles that sit in a chandelier in Wymondham Abbey . But like many things now deemed to be a health and safety hazard, that tradition has come to an end - at a cost of £6000 (US$10800). Instead of wobbling on top of a ladder several feet above the ground, technology has taken over, with a pulley system and electric motor installed so the striking brass chandelier can be lowered for maintenance and lighting. This Easter weekend the public will see it lit for the first time in two years after work on the project was finally completed, see photo above. Churchwarden, Bruce Wilson, said there was no record of anybody being hurt in the past, but they had to comply with a risk assessment carried out. "We either had to stop using it or comply with the regulations, so we have to have this motor costing £6000. "If you look from the church's point of view, £6000 can be so much better spent, it's a c

Music rises from the ruins of Berlin

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During the terrible Allied air-raids on Berlin on the night of 23rd November 1943 the old Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the city centre was destroyed. The design for a replacement church by the architect Prof. Egon Eiermann surrounded the ruins of the old church tower with a new tower and a separate contemporary place of worship. The new church, which we visited last year , was consecrated in 1961 and is made of concrete, steel and glass. The construction uses a double shell to give acoustic isolation from the busy traffic outside. One of the most striking features is the extensive use of stained glass inspired by Chartres Cathedral , and created by the French artist Gabriel Loire in Chartres. The new church and tower use 21,292 panes of stained glass. The picture above shows the figure of Christ suspended above the altar against the background of stained glass. The figure is the work of Munich sculptor Karl Hemmeter, and was created after the original more contemporary des

Watch Michel Petrucciani video online

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Back in January 2005 I wrote about legendary jazz pianist Michel Petrucciani (right), and that article remains high in my 'popular pages' listing after fifteen months. Since writing that piece Overgrown Path reader Andrew Nathan and I have been tracking down Petrucciani video footage, and just this week Andrew came up with an absolute gem that is available free on Google video. In my original article I wrote that Michel Petrucciani was a 'pianistic genius' , and it is no coincidence that he is buried in the Pierre Lachaise cemetery in Paris alongside Chopin. This 38 minute video with excellent sound (and a bonus guest appearance from the gorgeous Charlotte Rampling ) is not just essential viewing for jazz fans, it should be watched by all students of the piano - whatever their discipline. Just click here to view this important document. (The video is not hosted by On An Overgrown Path , this is a link to an external site). And to set the video into context here is m

I am a camera - St Tropez 1967

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'Those long lecture-free days in France were tailor-made for Nick to practice his guitar. That's what people remember about him during those months leading up to what became known as the Summer of Love . Jeremy Mason recalls going to a bookshop with Nick and buying a copy of Baudelaire's poems Les Fleurs Du Mal ( Flowers of Evil ). They read Dostoevsky and Rimbaud . And they had a cheap old gramophone for which Nick bought a copy of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos , a work which he was always keen to have around and which may have just been the last piece of music he heard before he died seven years later. His earliest outings with the guitar were as a busker. Simon Crocker joined him on harmonica a few times in the streets of Aix and even, on a couple of occasions, near the chic harbour area of fashionable St Tropez.' The words above are from Trevor Dann's superb new biography of singer-songwriter Nick Drake who died in 1974, aged just 26. Nick Drake was in St