This Requiem captures life at the edge, its continuance uncertain
mainFrom the Lebrecht Album of the Week:
…. a hypertense new recording by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and its Lithuanian music director Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla. Unlike many respectful English performances I have heard, this one reflects life at the edge, its continuance uncertain, its faith flickering to extinction. You are unsure from one bar to the next which way the world will go. It is the least English interpretation I have ever encountered, and all the better for that. Mirga stretches rubato to the point of transparency and admits hints of atonality. Does she sense the composer’s mixed feelings?
More here.
In The Critic.
More languages to follow.
A good example here of a CD cover where the name of the cond. is printed rather larger than the name of the composer or piece – and you practically need a Holmes-style magnifying glass to see it’s the CBSO.
There is a noble precedent for this approach; the Victorian conductor-composer/impresario Louis-Antoine Jullien advertised one of his latest compositions with a playbill like this:
The Lord’s Prayer
Words by Jesus Christ
MUSIC COMPOSED AND CONDUCTED BY JULLIEN
She’s a recent signing to DG; this is her second CD. Everyone knows she’s the CBSO’s conductor in succession to Andris Nelsons – so what’s the problem? Perfectly reasonable way to attract listeners to the early Britten piece.
the british project
BY NIGEL & BORIS
That old fraud von Carry on always had his name bigger than the composer, it is a trend probably originating from US in which garish TV presenters make themselves more important than the folk they interview.
They forget they are just picture frames nothing more.
Here is a good example of how someone should interview and not make themselves more important than the subject. If TV presenters and conductors could learn from Dave Allen.
Dave Allen in search of the great English eccentric.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RX1fMWkims
Yes Dave Allen never makes himself more important than the folk he chats to. I cannot abide modern TV chat show hosts.
Let’s face it. She’s kind of hot. Has anyone else noticed the profusion of soloistic eye candy on YouTube? This is the future of classical music, not some long-dead old guy. That’s what sells an album now: It’s cover.
Work it, babe. Work it.
(N.B. Do you find this post noxiously sexist? Oh, well: That’s reality for ya.)
It’s only a half-hour long. Is there another work on the disc?
It’s one of these quick cyber releases of our time. Not really worth anything.
Priced accordingly.