On Sunday night, BBC Radio 3 will broadcast my hour-long documentary In Search of Gustav Mahler, an old-fashioned piece of radiocraft that tries to create a sound picture from Mahler’s locations, using the voices of living individuals whose lives were changed by his music.
You can hear it at 21.30, after the Proms concert, and streamed online for a week.
But here’s the fun stuff: On the R3 website, producer Jeremy Evans has posted video out-takes of me on Mahler location and at work with our participants. You can hear a scholar discussing comic rituals at Viennese funerals and see how Mahler did his schoolwork. There should also be an audio clip of a jam session I had with Uri Caine, exploring subliminal Jewish influences in Mahler’s work.
Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tnwp. Enjoy.
If you’d like to order the book, click here.
On Sunday night, BBC Radio 3 will broadcast my hour-long documentary In Search of Gustav Mahler, an old-fashioned piece of radiocraft that tries to create a sound picture from Mahler’s locations, using the voices of living individuals whose lives were changed by his music.
You can hear it at 21.30, after the Proms concert, and streamed online for a week.
But here’s the fun stuff: On the R3 website, producer Jeremy Evans has posted video out-takes of me on Mahler location and at work with our participants. You can hear a scholar discussing comic rituals at Viennese funerals and see how Mahler did his schoolwork. There should also be an audio clip of a jam session I had with Uri Caine, exploring subliminal Jewish influences in Mahler’s work.
Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tnwp. Enjoy.
If you’d like to order the book, click here.
The new controller of BBC Radio 4, one of the key roles in British civilisation, is to be the little-known Gwyneth Williams, formerly of the BBC World Service and, prior to that, editor of the high-prestige Reith Lectures.
Ms Williams beat such high-profile contenders as Front Row presenter Mark Lawson and business editor Robert Peston, both favoured by the outgoing controller, Mark Damazer. Peter Barron, one of Newsnight now with Google, was a staff pick.
Here’s the official c.v:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/worldservice/gwynethwilliams.shtml
She looks like another serious thinker, which can only be good for the brand,
The new controller of BBC Radio 4, one of the key roles in British civilisation, is to be the little-known Gwyneth Williams, formerly of the BBC World Service and, prior to that, editor of the high-prestige Reith Lectures.
Ms Williams beat such high-profile contenders as Front Row presenter Mark Lawson and business editor Robert Peston, both favoured by the outgoing controller, Mark Damazer. Peter Barron, one of Newsnight now with Google, was a staff pick.
Here’s the official c.v:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/worldservice/gwynethwilliams.shtml
She looks like another serious thinker, which can only be good for the brand,
The BBC will dedicate a Proms concert in his memory. Glyndebourne, where he conducted Cosi fan tutte only last month, will commemorate him tonight. Sir George Christie, past director of Glyndebourne, said: ‘The passion he brought to his performances – which he tempered with scholarly research – combined with his devotion to and belief in the composers whose works were entrusted to him and his baton set him apart from the others. He never imposed himself between the audience and the composer and this in turn commanded total devotion to and belief in him. He embraced a huge spectrum of the repertory, but it was his performances of Handel, Mozart and Janá?ek which stick most adhesively in my memory….and he was an enchanting man.’
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic recalls his ‘outstanding interpretations’ on record of the nine Beethoven symphonies, while the Scottish Chamber Orchestra remembered a relationship of 20 years in which he showed ‘almost unparallelled mastery of music across a huge range of styles and periods.’
Tony Faulkner, record producer, pays tribute here to his ‘inexhautible energy’ and to the amount that everyone who worked with Charles Mackerras learned from this delightful artist and man.
The BBC will dedicate a Proms concert in his memory. Glyndebourne, where he conducted Cosi fan tutte only last month, will commemorate him tonight. Sir George Christie, past director of Glyndebourne, said: ‘The passion he brought to his performances – which he tempered with scholarly research – combined with his devotion to and belief in the composers whose works were entrusted to him and his baton set him apart from the others. He never imposed himself between the audience and the composer and this in turn commanded total devotion to and belief in him. He embraced a huge spectrum of the repertory, but it was his performances of Handel, Mozart and Janá?ek which stick most adhesively in my memory….and he was an enchanting man.’
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic recalls his ‘outstanding interpretations’ on record of the nine Beethoven symphonies, while the Scottish Chamber Orchestra remembered a relationship of 20 years in which he showed ‘almost unparallelled mastery of music across a huge range of styles and periods.’
Tony Faulkner, record producer, pays tribute here to his ‘inexhautible energy’ and to the amount that everyone who worked with Charles Mackerras learned from this delightful artist and man.
Sir Charles Mackerras, who has died aged 84, was a nice man and near-neighbour. We would exchange a sunny wave and an occasional chat on morning walks along Hamilton Terrace.
Never an assertive personality, Charlie was often underrated by orchestral musicians and had a wretched time as chief conductor of English National Opera in the 1970s. But the musical results spoke for themselves.
His achievements, in my view, are twofold. He was the first, after Neville Marriner, to seek fusion between period-instrument practice and modern orchestras, achieving wonderfully transparent Mozart and Beethoven performances, especially with his last ensemble, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He had been due to work with them this summer at the Edinburgh Festival (he was also down to conduct a Viennese Night at the BBC Proms the week after next and, never a narrow mind, he was irrationally fond of Gilbert and Sullivan.)
His greatest breathrough, though, was to introduce Janacek to the English-speaking world. A fluent Czech-speaker after studies in Prague with Vaclav Talich in 1947, he joined the Sadlers Wells Opera in London and, in 1951, conducted the first Katya Kabanova outside continental Europe. It paved the way for Rafael Kubelik to conduct Jenufa at Covent Garden and for Mackerras himself to record the complete Janacek operas with a stellar cast on Decca.
It took Katya another 40 years to reach the Met but by then most of Janacek was being staged the world over and Charlie’s contribution was near-forgotten. It could be said that he did more for Janacek than anyone other than Max Brod, his original German translator.
To bring a great composer back to life is more than most conductors can ever hope to do. Charles Mackerras did that, and we should be eternally grateful for his courage and persistence. He will be eulogised as Australia’s greatest conductor (which he was) but the greatness of Mackerras was the ease with which he overcame the barriers between nations, languages and periods in the history of music. He was truly a citizen of the world.
Charles Mackerras, born Shenectady, New York, 17 November 1925; died London, 14 July 2010
Sir Charles Mackerras, who has died aged 84, was a nice man and near-neighbour. We would exchange a sunny wave and an occasional chat on morning walks along Hamilton Terrace.
Never an assertive personality, Charlie was often underrated by orchestral musicians and had a wretched time as chief conductor of English National Opera in the 1970s. But the musical results spoke for themselves.
His achievements, in my view, are twofold. He was the first, after Neville Marriner, to seek fusion between period-instrument practice and modern orchestras, achieving wonderfully transparent Mozart and Beethoven performances, especially with his last ensemble, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He had been due to work with them this summer at the Edinburgh Festival (he was also down to conduct a Viennese Night at the BBC Proms the week after next and, never a narrow mind, he was irrationally fond of Gilbert and Sullivan.)
His greatest breathrough, though, was to introduce Janacek to the English-speaking world. A fluent Czech-speaker after studies in Prague with Vaclav Talich in 1947, he joined the Sadlers Wells Opera in London and, in 1951, conducted the first Katya Kabanova outside continental Europe. It paved the way for Rafael Kubelik to conduct Jenufa at Covent Garden and for Mackerras himself to record the complete Janacek operas with a stellar cast on Decca.
It took Katya another 40 years to reach the Met but by then most of Janacek was being staged the world over and Charlie’s contribution was near-forgotten. It could be said that he did more for Janacek than anyone other than Max Brod, his original German translator.
To bring a great composer back to life is more than most conductors can ever hope to do. Charles Mackerras did that, and we should be eternally grateful for his courage and persistence. He will be eulogised as Australia’s greatest conductor (which he was) but the greatness of Mackerras was the ease with which he overcame the barriers between nations, languages and periods in the history of music. He was truly a citizen of the world.
Charles Mackerras, born Shenectady, New York, 17 November 1925; died London, 14 July 2010
Just in case you thought that British television was dying of an excess of originality, the independent company Channel 4 News has copied the BBC in appointing a culture editor, as distinct from an arts corespondent to upgrade its creative profile.
Where the BBC replaced the excellent Razia Iqbal with the flailing Will Gompertz, C4 have introduced an arts filmmaker from Melvyn Bragg’s disbanded South Bank Show team. Matthew Cain has a nose for a story and the skill to turn it around. He may be an arts insider but, despite the SBS tendency for celebration, he can be expected to apply scrutiny to some of the shadowier corners of the industry, which Gompertz cannot. It’s a good appointment.
The only regret is that C4 has dropped its veteran arts correspondent Nick Glass, who covered the waterfront with commitment and expertise – whenever the dumb-down clucks on the network allowed him a sliver of airtime. I hope he finds something better to do.
Just in case you thought that British television was dying of an excess of originality, the independent company Channel 4 News has copied the BBC in appointing a culture editor, as distinct from an arts corespondent to upgrade its creative profile.
Where the BBC replaced the excellent Razia Iqbal with the flailing Will Gompertz, C4 have introduced an arts filmmaker from Melvyn Bragg’s disbanded South Bank Show team. Matthew Cain has a nose for a story and the skill to turn it around. He may be an arts insider but, despite the SBS tendency for celebration, he can be expected to apply scrutiny to some of the shadowier corners of the industry, which Gompertz cannot. It’s a good appointment.
The only regret is that C4 has dropped its veteran arts correspondent Nick Glass, who covered the waterfront with commitment and expertise – whenever the dumb-down clucks on the network allowed him a sliver of airtime. I hope he finds something better to do.
Kirill Karabits, the go-ahead young conductor in Bournemouth, is welcoming survivors of the Chernobyl disaster, close to his Ukrainian home town, to his forthcoming concerts.
Shocking as it is to hear that a new generation of children is being treated for the aftereffects of Soviet negligence 24 years ago, it is warming to know that they are not forgotten.
Details in the press release, below;
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra hosts Chernobyl children at free schools concert
Over 4,000 local schoolchildren to perform song celebrating 200 years of Bournemouth
On 13th and 14th July, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra will perform four schools concerts in Poole, presented by the BSO/J.P. Morgan Children’s Composer, Paul Rissmann. Over 4,000 schoolchildren from schools across Dorset, Poole and Bournemouth will attend the concerts free of charge.
At the Wednesday afternoon concert the audience will include a group of children aged just 10-12 from the Russian town of Belarus, a country still affected by the Chernobyl nuclear fallout, who are in Poole on a recuperative holiday. This has a special resonance for Kirill Karabits, the BSO’s Principal Conductor, who is originally from Kiev, only some 50 miles from the children’s home town. When he heard that the group, who speak no English, were to come hear the orchestra play, he recorded a special video welcome in Russian, to be played to them before they hear the concert.
BSO Community Musician Andy Baker will meet the children in the morning to lead a workshop on the music that is to be played. One piece he will explain to them is an interactive song, B200, written by Paul Rissmann with the help of Year 4 pupils at Muscliff Primary School, which celebrates the bicentenary of Bournemouth. Schools across the county have been learning the words and music and will perform the song accompanied by the full orchestra.
Jacky Thorne, BSO’s Head of Communications said, “The BSO is delighted to be making such an important connection with Chernobyl, and looks forward to performing its renowned school concerts to so many young people in Dorset.“
For further information, please contact Helen Tweedy at Albion Media
020 7495 4455 helen@albion-media.co.uk
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra: http://www.bsolive.com/
Chernobyl Children Life Line: http://www.ccll.org.uk/ho/
Albion Media: http://www.albion-media.co.uk/
Editors’ Notes
Concert Details
Tuesday 13th July
10:15 & 13:30
The Lighthouse, Poole
Wednesday 14th July
10:15 & 13:30
The Lighthouse, Poole
Kirill Karabits, the go-ahead young conductor in Bournemouth, is welcoming survivors of the Chernobyl disaster, close to his Ukrainian home town, to his forthcoming concerts.
Shocking as it is to hear that a new generation of children is being treated for the aftereffects of Soviet negligence 24 years ago, it is warming to know that they are not forgotten.
Details in the press release, below;
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra hosts Chernobyl children at free schools concert
Over 4,000 local schoolchildren to perform song celebrating 200 years of Bournemouth
On 13th and 14th July, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra will perform four schools concerts in Poole, presented by the BSO/J.P. Morgan Children’s Composer, Paul Rissmann. Over 4,000 schoolchildren from schools across Dorset, Poole and Bournemouth will attend the concerts free of charge.
At the Wednesday afternoon concert the audience will include a group of children aged just 10-12 from the Russian town of Belarus, a country still affected by the Chernobyl nuclear fallout, who are in Poole on a recuperative holiday. This has a special resonance for Kirill Karabits, the BSO’s Principal Conductor, who is originally from Kiev, only some 50 miles from the children’s home town. When he heard that the group, who speak no English, were to come hear the orchestra play, he recorded a special video welcome in Russian, to be played to them before they hear the concert.
BSO Community Musician Andy Baker will meet the children in the morning to lead a workshop on the music that is to be played. One piece he will explain to them is an interactive song, B200, written by Paul Rissmann with the help of Year 4 pupils at Muscliff Primary School, which celebrates the bicentenary of Bournemouth. Schools across the county have been learning the words and music and will perform the song accompanied by the full orchestra.
Jacky Thorne, BSO’s Head of Communications said, “The BSO is delighted to be making such an important connection with Chernobyl, and looks forward to performing its renowned school concerts to so many young people in Dorset.“
For further information, please contact Helen Tweedy at Albion Media
020 7495 4455 helen@albion-media.co.uk
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra: http://www.bsolive.com/
Chernobyl Children Life Line: http://www.ccll.org.uk/ho/
Albion Media: http://www.albion-media.co.uk/
Editors’ Notes
Concert Details
Tuesday 13th July
10:15 & 13:30
The Lighthouse, Poole
Wednesday 14th July
10:15 & 13:30
The Lighthouse, Poole
