William Grant Still News
American composer
Commemorations 2025 (Birth: William Grant Still)
- oboe
- opera, symphony
- United States of America
- conductor, composer, oboist, film score composer
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2024-03-26
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2024-03-25 03:30:00
Dvořák: Cello Concerto et al. (CD Review)
by Karl NehringCello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, B. 191; Klid (Silent Woods), Op. 68, B 182; Rondo in G minor, Op. 94, B. 181; Romance in F minor, Op. 11B. 39; Mazurek in E minor, Op. 49, B. 90. Zara Nelsova, cello; Ruggiero Ricci, violin; St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; Walter Susskind, conductor VOX-NX-3034CDAntonin Dvořák’s Cello Concerto is a work that is dear to many music lovers. It is filled with beautiful melodies that appeal to both the head and the heart, making it one of those pieces that can serve as a wonderful way to introduce those unfamiliar with classical music into its spellbinding realm. When I received this recording for review, I tried to remember which recording if the work I had first acquired back in the mid-1970s when I began to become seriously interested in classical music, but drew a blank. However, I vividly remember hearing the work in […]
2024-03-23 09:49:00
Writing Italian-influenced music in the depths of Northamptonshire: organist William Whitehead on the music of English Baroque composer George Jeffreys
Solomon's Knot at Kirby HallThe Baroque collective, Solomon's Knot's recent disc on Prospero Classical [see my review] showcased the music of the almost forgotten 17th-century English composer George Jeffreys, revealing him as a remarkable talent, writing Italian-influenced music in the depths of darkest Northamptonshire during the Civil War. Born around 1610 and living until 1683, his lifetime coincided with a complex piece of English history; for most of his life he worked for Lord Hatton, much of the time at Hatton's seat of Kirby Hall in Northamptonshire. For the recent recording, featuring 16 pieces by Jeffreys, Solomon's Knot included organist William Whitehead for recording sessions at Kirby Hall (now in the care of English Heritage). I recently chatted to William about Jeffreys' and his music, and how the recording came about, as well as touching on William's passion project, the Orgelbuchlein project, a modern-day completion of Bach's youthful collection of chorale […]
2024-03-21 10:16:00
The Queen of Spades, Deutsche Oper, 20 March 2024
PIQUE DAME von Pjotr I. Tschaikowskij, Premiere am 9. März 2024 in der Deutschen Oper Berlin, copyright: Marcus LieberenzCountess (Doris Soffel) and Hermann (Martin Muehle)Hermann – Martin Muehle Tomsky – Lucio Gallo Prince Yeletsky – Thomas Lehman Chekalinsky – Chance Jonas-O’Toole Surin – Kyle Miller Chaplitsky – Andrew Dickinson Narumov – Artur Garbas Master of Ceremonies – Jörg Schörner The Countess – Doris Soffel Lisa – Maria Motolygina Pauline – Karia Tucker Governess – Nicole Piccolomini Masha – Arianna Manganello Children’s commander – Sofia Kaspruk Little Hermann – Aleksandr Sher Little Lisa – Alma Kraushaar Stage piano – Jisu Park Old servant – Wolfgang SiebnerDirector – Sam BrownDesigner – Stuart NunnChoreography – Ron HowellVideo – Martin EidenbergerLighting – Linus FellbornAssistant directors – Constanze Weidknecht, Silke SenseDramaturgy – Konstantin ParnianChildren’s Chorus of the Deutsche Oper (director: Christian Lindhorst)Chorus of the Deutsche Oper (director: Jeremy Bines)Statisterie, and Opernballet of the Deutsche OperSebastian […]
2024-03-21 03:30:00
Lavinia Meijer: Winter (CD Review)
[…] before closing her album with another piece by Philip Glass, this time with lyrics by Suzanne Vega, sung here by the female vocal quintet Wishful Singing. Oddly enough, those lyrics are not included in the CD booklet; in fact, the booklet contains very little other than basic track information, production credits, and a poem by Ms. Meijer. More information bout the music and artists, or at least a photo or two, would have been welcome. Still, Winter is a splendid release.
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