Latest stories
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New Music Book Publications - 5th July 2021
5th Jul 2021by James Longstaffe
Books on composers including Benjamin Britten and Ernest Moeran; a re-evaluation of how to write music history; an exploration of the importance of operettas in early twentieth-century Viennese life; analyses of musicals including Spamalot and The Music Man; and collections of essays on the drum kit and music in video games.
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Andris Nelsons conducts symphonies by Shostakovich
25th Jun 2021by James Longstaffe
The latest instalment in the Boston Symphony Orchestra's cycle of Shostakovich symphonies juxtaposes the First and Fifteenth Symphonies, alongside expressive performances of the Fourteenth Symphony and the Chamber Symphony in C minor.
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New Music Book Publications - 21st June 2021
21st Jun 2021by James Longstaffe
Several books on Beethoven including a paperback edition of Laura Tunbridge's award-winning volume focusing on nine pieces from the composer's output; a biography of opera singer, Maria Callas; an examination of the ways in which Ravel's music is often described as magical and illusory; the first comprehensive biography of Ivor Gurney; and a handbook to forging a career as a conductor.
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New Music Book Publications - 7th June 2021
7th Jun 2021by James Longstaffe
The official guide to the 2021 BBC Proms; a collection of letters to and from Gerald Finzi; a biography of Ravi Shankar; a consideration of the importance of liturgy and music during the reign of Louis XIII; an examination of the role that music played in the writings of E.M. Forster; a subversive history of music from the point of view of social outcasts; ideas on teaching composition in the secondary classroom; and an exploration of the musical history of modern Black Britain.
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András Schiff performs piano concertos by Brahms
4th Jun 2021by James Longstaffe
The Hungarian-born pianist is joined by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment for a recording of Brahms's two piano concertos that strips away performance traditions to present refreshingly original accounts of both works, full of detail and character.
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New Music Book Publications - 24th May 2021
24th May 2021by James Longstaffe
A biography of Russian composer, Nikolay Myaskovsky; the memoirs of Austrian conductor, Franz Welser-Möst; an updated edition of Ted Gioia's classic history of jazz; a critical companion to motets of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries; an analysis of the shepherd's melody from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde; an examination of the historical role of the clarinet; and an intrepid tale of the booming sound of the foghorn.
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Vasily Petrenko conducts Russian and Austrian symphonies and orchestral works
21st May 2021by James Longstaffe
A double bill from the Russian-British conductor, with the Oslo Philharmonic performing symphonies by Prokofiev and Myaskovsky, and tone poems by Zemlinsky and Schreker with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
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New Music Book Publications - 3rd May 2021
3rd May 2021by James Longstaffe
Books on composers including Berg, Fauré, and Gluck; a study of musical polystylism in the final decades of the Soviet Union; an exploration of choral singing in Ancient Greece; an examination of the ways in which Baroque composers notated tempos in their scores before the invention of the metronome; an account of Chinese street music and its impact on the local community; and several books celebrating the eightieth birthday of iconic musician, Bob Dylan.
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François-Xavier Roth conducts Beethoven's Eroica Symphony
23rd Apr 2021by James Longstaffe
Les Siècles and François-Xavier Roth return to the music of Beethoven with a dramatic, illuminating account of the Third Symphony, coupled with an energetic performance of an overture by Méhul.
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New Music Book Publications - 19th April 2021
19th Apr 2021by James Longstaffe
An examination of the appeal and power of music in times of crisis; an exploration of how the musical press in France affected the notion of a "canon" of works; a discussion of the interaction between music and its listeners in the digital age; a biography of the early life of Bob Dylan; and a collection of iconic covers from the Blue Note label.
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New Music Book Publications - 5th April 2021
5th Apr 2021by James Longstaffe
Volumes on composers such as Brahms, Charles Ives, and Arthur Sullivan; an analysis of the depictions of musical instruments found on a sumptuous piece of Elizabethan furniture; examinations of Jewish music in Germany after the Second World War and of the effect that jazz had on Europe after World War One; a history of how the human species has listened to music through the ages; and a paperback edition of Philip Clark's biography of Dave Brubeck.
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New Music Book Publications - 22nd March 2021
22nd Mar 2021by James Longstaffe
A new paperback edition of Roger Scruton's exploration of Wagner's Parsifal; an examination of methods in music research; a social history of folk song in England; an analysis of musical infrastructures; a handbook of algorithmic music; and a discussion of the ways in which French composers channeled their trauma into their music after the First World War.
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New Music Book Publications - 8th March 2021
8th Mar 2021by James Longstaffe
A psychological analysis of legendary opera singer, Maria Callas; a study of the songs of Fanny Hensel; an exploration of Lutheran themes present in the music of Bach; an examination of ten conductors' annotated scores of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony; a new edition of Nicholas Cook's classic introduction to music; and handbooks on music and philosophy, and community music.
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Osmo Vänskä conducts Mahler's Tenth Symphony
5th Mar 2021by James Longstaffe
The Minnesota Orchestra and their Music Director give a tumultuous, emotional account of Mahler's final, unfinished symphony, in the performing version by Deryck Cooke.
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New Music Book Publications - 22nd February 2021
22nd Feb 2021by James Longstaffe
An introduction to Western musical notation; a new translation of Richard Wagner's essays on the art of conducting; a biography of blues singer, Bessie Smith; an encyclopedia of historical performance practice; a look behind the scenes at the Ballets Russes; a guide to piano fingering; a study of concert life in nineteenth-century America; an exploration of music in Ancient Greece; and the history of the ballad singer in Georgian and Victorian London.
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Beginner Violins from Hidersine
15th Feb 2021by James Longstaffe
Hidersine has been at the forefront of bowed instrument maintenance and care ever since their foundation in 1890. We take a look at their range of beginner violins.
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New Music Book Publications - 8th February 2021
8th Feb 2021by James Longstaffe
An examination of how Bizet's Carmen became one of the most popular operas; a companion to Schubert's Winterreise; the effect that Mahler's Eighth Symphony has had since its premiere; the history of London theatre music from Purcell to Handel; an unpacking of the myths surrounding American blues performers; and an illustrated history of musicals.
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Andris Nelsons conducts Bruckner's Second and Eighth Symphonies
5th Feb 2021by James Longstaffe
The Gewandhausorchester and Andris Nelsons continue their Bruckner cycle with sublime, lyrical performances of the Second and Eighth Symphonies.
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John Wilson conducts English music for strings
29th Jan 2021by James Longstaffe
Sinfonia of London and conductor John Wilson present their latest stunning album of music for string orchestra by Britten, Bridge, Berkeley, and Bliss.
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Introducing Edgware by BBICO
28th Jan 2021by James Longstaffe
Hannah Williams, Brand Manager of Edgware by BBICO, introduces us to their range of sustainable, eco-friendly maintenance products for woodwind and brass instruments.