GRAMOPHONE: From Where I Sit – May 2021
Each Sunday morning whilst awaiting the BBC’s news round-up from Andrew Marr (an erstwhile editor of mine) I generally catch the end of Gary Lineker and his pundits reviewing the week’s football. Now I’m no expert on…
GRAMOPHONE: From Where I Sit – April 2021
It has often been said that over the last half-century or so orchestras have begun to sound more and more alike. As the instruments themselves have grown in sophistication, evolved to be more flexible and capable of…
GRAMOPHONE Review: Flowers For Mrs Harris – Chichester Festival Theatre Cast Recording
This gorgeous piece by Richard Taylor (music and lyrics) and Rachel Wagstaff (book) is a great example of how the musical has evolved in recent years and how much the worlds of opera and musicals can impact…
GRAMOPHONE: From Where I Sit – March 2021
A recent conversation with Vasily Petrenko once again brought home to me just how much at odds our impressions of Russian music can be when shared with those closer to its source. We were discussing his recent…
GRAMOPHONE: From Where I Sit – February 2021
When it was first proposed that we might expand the Music Theatre content in Gramophone to include musicals and other less easily definable forms of music drama the question arose as to where they should be placed…
GRAMOPHONE Review: Sondheim – Anyone Can Whistle (Studio Cast Recording): Maria Friedman, Julia McKenzie, National Symphony Orchestra/Edwards
I smell a collector’s item. This cracking recording of Stephen’s Sondheim’s second Broadway show as composer/lyricist, Anyone Can Whistle – complete down to every last dance break and entrance and exit cues – was recorded at Abbey…
GRAMOPHONE Review: Sleeping Beauty – A Dramatic Symphony: Baltic Sea Philharmonic Orchestra/Järvi
Sleeping Beauty – A Dramatic Symphony? Alarm bells start to ring. One of the greatest classical ballets in the repertoire – some might say the greatest – surely needs no reinvention. And however well you think you…
GRAMOPHONE: From Where I Sit – January 2021
During the best part of the last year we’ve come to appreciate, indeed rely upon, the technology, endeavour, and resource that has kept the music coming through lockdown after lockdown and seen a comparatively new phrase become…
GRAMOPHONE: From Where I Sit – December 2020
Like many I was thoroughly absorbed by John Bridcut’s touching film about Bernard Haitink – The Enigmatic Maestro. Not entirely sure about the title because what you see is surely what you get with Haitink: a decent,…
GRAMOPHONE Review: Britten Sinfonia da Requiem – City of Birmingham Symphony/Gražinytė-Tyla Orchestra
Capitalising on Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and the CBSO’s ‘Record of the Year’ triumph at this year’s Gramophone Awards this purely digital release – a growing trend – gives notice of a two-CD release (scheduled for March next year)…
