For opera-lovers – the Gulbenkian Theatre is showing live relays from Covent Garden over the next few months.
Wednesday 20 Feb – Eugene Onegin
Monday 29 April – Nabucco
Monday 27 May – La Donna del Lago
Monday 24 June – Gloriana
Here’s the stellar Renee Fleming in the famous ‘Letter Scene’ from Eugene Onegin, to whet your appetite.
More details on the Gulbenkian website here, or see the individual links above.
Via The Guardian, here’s conductor Antonio Pappano giving a masterclass on a Verdi aria: a short lesson in the importance of singing consonants in Italian, the continuity of line, and pacing dynamic change; filmed as part of a behind-the-scenes day in the life of Covent Garden.
Fascinating for singers and conductors alike.
The new What’s On online diary of musical events has just gone live this morning, with details of all the musical events between now and July.
From the grandeur of the Colyer-Fergusson Cathedral Concert to the intimacy of the Chamber Choir Crypt Concert, music embraces a range of events, including celebrations of Mozart and, in his centenary year, Benjamin Britten. The University Concert and Big Bands come together for From Bond to Basie, and we’re also launching a new series of ‘Watch This Space’ gigs on the new foyer-stage, which includes live jazz.
There are also visits from several local orchestras and choirs, and later on in June, we’ll be celebrating the end of the academic year with ‘Summer Music,’ about which details will emerge in April.
Check out all the events on the online diary here.
Welcome back.
It’s been an action-packed final week; from Thursday through to Sunday, many of the University’s musicians were involved in rehearsing for, and performing in, the Gala opening concerts on Saturday and Sunday; the University Carol Service took place in Canterbury Cathedral on Monday night; there was a ‘Winter Wonderland’ lunchtime concert at which the Estates Team Choir made its debut yesterday; and finally Carols Round the Christmas Tree yesterday night.
We’re still recovering, both from the number of events in so short a time, but also from the heady success of the formal opening of the wonderful Colyer-Fergusson music building. You can see extensive photographs from the entire weekend on our special Pinterest board here.
The weekend saw two works premièred: one with the Chamber Choir by your loyal correspondent, the other with Concert Band in James Rae’s Platform One, which you can read about on their blog, ‘On The Beat’ here.
The Chamber Choir sang at the University Carol Service in Canterbury Cathedral on Monday night; find out how they got on in a feature over on the choral blog, Cantus Firmus, here.
Wednesday’s festive lunchtime concert saw music from the Cecilian Choir, the Canterberries, and the debut performance from the Estates Team Choir; read about how it went (and there’s even some footage too…) on Cantus Firmus here.
And finally, members of the University community and friends gathered in the chilly night to bid a musical farewell to the term at ‘Carols Round The Tree.’
We’re taking a break for Christmas, but will be back again in the New Year to report on all the events we’re lining up for next term through to the week-long Summer Music in June; it’s going to be an exciting period. Festive good wishes to all our readers: see you in January.
Bravo to everyone involved.
See all the buzz over the entire forty-eight hour period on the Twitter trend #cfbgala here, with tweets and photos galore.
It’s the Gala weekend, and the final rehearsal is due to start shortly.
Keep up with all the action and photos from the weekend by following the #cfbgala trend on Twitter.
Ahead of the start of the celebratory Gala weekend of concerts tomorrow, here’s the combined forces of the University Chorus and Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal last night.
See you all tomorrow and Sunday.
The musical world has lost two giants this week; British composer Jonathan Harvey has died at the age of seventy-three, and American jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, aged ninety-one.
Harvey, who has suffered from motor-neurone disease for some time, will be remembered as the composer of music, often clothing instrumental and orchestral textures in a tapestry of electronics, that maps new worlds of deeply spiritual and sonic, almost mystic, contemplation, nowhere more so than in one of my favourite pieces, one of his very late works, Messages.
From the eletronics-and-bells of Mortuos plango, vivos voco to later works such as The Madonna of Winter and Spring which cracks open like Stravinsky’s Rite, or the meditative breathing ensemble in Tranquil Abiding, Harvey’s music combines a deep religious sense (his outlook embraced both Christianity and, later, Buddhism) with a unique musical language, one with a wonderful ear for ravishing sounds. (There’s a very moving interview with The Guardian‘s Tom Service that appeared in January this year, which you can read here).
Dave Brubeck will forever be remembered for Take Five, a recording graced with the liquid tone of saxophonist Paul Desmond. Classically trained, his music invested jazz in the 50’s and 60’s with classical techniques, including a mischevious delight in unusual time-signatures.
Here’s the band making 7/8 popular in Unsquare Dance:
Both will be much missed.
