Throwback Thursday
The opening bars of Mozart’s Fantasia in D minor are a gateway to an inviting sonic escape. Through the sombre arpeggios of the Andante, the weeping Adagio, the fiery Presto, all the way to the final resolution of the Allegretto, one is left surprised, seduced and seeking more. It
Reviews
The Artie’s were back with a bang last month, arriving in India for four recitals in Mumbai and Pune as part of their 21st season of the bi-annual Festival. Most of the musicians have been here before including the outstanding Olivier Patey – principal clarinettist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Know Your Composer
The composer has long been seen as a symbol of divine order. But his music has an unruly obsession with God. “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” The words of the Psalm look bright on the page, but the music pulls them into
Know Your Composer
An American Original Growing patriotic and nationalistic fervor had virtually inundated all aspects of European society by the middle of the nineteenth century. These political stirrings of national identify and pride not only found their way into all forms of artistic expression, they also found their way across the Atlantic.
Music Education
Composer John Pitts explains the creative process behind the Indian raag compositions for piano solo in his new book “How to Play Indian Sitar Raags on a Piano” So, please indulge me with this imaginary scenario: 1) A sitar player in India who also happens to love European classical music.
Features
The death of English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Professor Stephen Hawking on 14 March shook the world. Last year, to celebrate his 75th birthday, his Cambridge college – Gonville & Caius – commissioned composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad to write a
Interviews
As the students of the NCPA Special Music Training Programme return from their first concert on foreign shores, Marat Bisengaliev talks to us about the future of the programme. Interviewed by Cynthia Lewis The year 2018 is an important one for the NCPA Special Music Training Programme. The programme was
Reviews
A 4 year old girl sits cross-legged on the floor with a photo album nestled in her lap. She pays no attention to the picture on the cover – a turquoise blue lake with snow white swans gracefully floating on it. She impatiently opens the album and winds up the tiny
Interviews
Nikhil Sardana: How does it feel to be celebrating 175 years of Musée Musical and continuing the chairman, Mr MH Das’ legacy forward? Sachin Das: I feel very honoured and privileged. At the same time, I also feel it is a huge responsibility to carry forward this legacy which we
Reviews
Robin Ticciati/Scottish Chamber Orchestra J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D Copland: Clarinet Concerto Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’ Maximilano Martín, clarinet 22 March 2018 Usher Hall, Edinburgh In what continues to be a sterling showcase of all of the talents in the Scottish
Music Education
This philharmonic orchestra comprises 31 DJs playing records and zero musical instruments. In honour of Japan’s annual “Record Day”, which celebrates the moment LPs were first released in 1948, audio brand Technics assembled a rather eccentric orchestra, made up entirely of DJs with turntables. The orchestra, which calls itself
Music Education
Singers have a better handle than most when it comes to mastering foreign languages. Rolled R’s, umlauts, they do it all. For singers whose mother tongue is English, there are a few common traps that come up when they’re asked to sing in any of the other common