Blogs

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The Soul of the Composer: Simone Menezes’ Metanoia Project
Metanoia, a change in one’s way of life resulting from penitence or spiritual conversion, can be considered one of the interesting offshoots of the whole COVID period. If we redefine it away from spiritual matters and make it “transformations in
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The Lost Art of the Composer-Conductor
It is not only the essence of music which has evolved over the centuries, but also the manner in which it has and is being created, produced and performed — its medium. As music became more and more complex, its
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A New Year and a ‘New Normal’ for Live Concerts?
The word “normal” has shifted in meaning over the past nearly two years of the covid pandemic. For concert halls and opera houses, and other arts venues such as galleries and exhibition spaces, “normal” now has a variety of meanings,
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Conductors 3/3: Behind the Baton
For musicians, trading off stories about conductors is the water-cooler-iest form of water cooler gossip. Tales of incompetence abound, and those who are lucky enough to gain approval are spoken of with respect and appreciation. To an audience, conducting seems
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On My Music Desk……
Allegretto in C minor, D. 915 – Franz Schubert
Following my article about Schubert’s Drei Klavierstucke, here is another piano work which I feel is unfairly overlooked and rarely performed, perhaps simply because of its brevity and apparent simplicity. Yet Schubert packs an expressive punch and offers the pianist
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Instrumental Discrimination
If one had to name, from the top of the mind, what the most well-known instruments are, the result would probably be the following: the piano, the guitar and the violin. I have already written about how the piano and
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We Will Remember (We Can’t Forget): Paul K. Joyce
Commemorating all NHS workers who lost their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic In early 2021, the British Medical Association (BMA) opened applications for a commission that would commemorate the lives lost of those who worked for Britain’s National Health Service
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The Next Operatic Stars
Five Promising Young Singers That You Should Watch Out For in 2022
Once again, it is time for the annual pick of the most promising opera singers of the new year. But first, like any good stock picker, we need to take account of how last year’s winners fared. Stock pickers would
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