My music Archives an exclusive Classical Music e-Magazine Sun, 17 Nov 2024 05:30:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 Night Sounds: Tamayo Ikeda: Fauré and Chopin: Le Nocturne https://interlude.hk/night-sounds-tamayo-ikeda-faure-and-chopin-le-nocturne/ https://interlude.hk/night-sounds-tamayo-ikeda-faure-and-chopin-le-nocturne/#respond Sun, 17 Nov 2024 16:20:10 +0000 https://interlude.hk/?p=132407 Inspired by night, the Nocturne first came into our musical language in the 18th century, but the idea of a night-time work comes from the ancient church, where ‘nocturn’ was the last of the seven prayers of the day. Held

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]]> https://interlude.hk/night-sounds-tamayo-ikeda-faure-and-chopin-le-nocturne/feed/ 0 In Love With the Bard: Vaughan Williams’ Stratford Works https://interlude.hk/in-love-with-the-bard-vaughan-williams-stratford-works/ https://interlude.hk/in-love-with-the-bard-vaughan-williams-stratford-works/#respond Sun, 03 Nov 2024 16:06:57 +0000 https://interlude.hk/?p=131481 For the summer season in 1912 and for three weeks in the Spring of 1913, Ralph Vaughan Williams was invited to Stratford-upon-Avon to compose incidental music and conduct for the Shakespeare productions. Vaughan Williams was invited by Sir Frank Benson,

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]]> https://interlude.hk/in-love-with-the-bard-vaughan-williams-stratford-works/feed/ 0 Tension and Anger: The Quartet Music of Paul Henley https://interlude.hk/tension-and-anger-the-quartet-music-of-paul-henley/ https://interlude.hk/tension-and-anger-the-quartet-music-of-paul-henley/#respond Sun, 27 Oct 2024 16:05:52 +0000 https://interlude.hk/?p=131959 A new recording on Ulysses Arts of the string quartets of British composer Paul Henley’s String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2 is a far cry from Goethe’s imaginary discussion between 4 intelligent people. This isn’t a rational discussion but rather

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]]> https://interlude.hk/tension-and-anger-the-quartet-music-of-paul-henley/feed/ 0 Searching for a Button, Searching for Life: George Benjamin’s Picture a Day Like This https://interlude.hk/searching-for-a-button-searching-for-life-george-benjamins-picture-a-day-like-this/ https://interlude.hk/searching-for-a-button-searching-for-life-george-benjamins-picture-a-day-like-this/#respond Sun, 13 Oct 2024 16:35:35 +0000 https://interlude.hk/?p=131491 English composer George Benjamin (b. 1960) started working with British playwright Martin Crimp (b.1956) in 2006, resulting in four operas: Into the Little Hill (2006), Written on Skin (2012), Lessons in Love and Violence (2018), and Picture a Day Like

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]]> https://interlude.hk/searching-for-a-button-searching-for-life-george-benjamins-picture-a-day-like-this/feed/ 0 Grigory Sokolov’s Purcell and Mozart https://interlude.hk/finding-an-audience-grigory-sokolovs-purcell-and-mozart/ https://interlude.hk/finding-an-audience-grigory-sokolovs-purcell-and-mozart/#comments Sun, 08 Sep 2024 16:44:37 +0000 https://interlude.hk/?p=130718 In his new 2-CD recording for Deutsche Grammophon, pianist Grigory Sokolov (b. 1950) gives a very thoughtful recording of two musical giants who rarely appear on the same program together: Henry Purcell and Mozart. Better known in Europe than in

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]]> https://interlude.hk/finding-an-audience-grigory-sokolovs-purcell-and-mozart/feed/ 1 Darkness and Light: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 https://interlude.hk/darkness-and-light-tchaikovskys-symphony-no-5/ https://interlude.hk/darkness-and-light-tchaikovskys-symphony-no-5/#respond Sun, 01 Sep 2024 16:00:25 +0000 https://interlude.hk/?p=130605 The music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) has come in and out of favour over the decades – listeners love his ability to tell stories in music. Then they tire of what seems to be the superficial aspects of his

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]]> https://interlude.hk/darkness-and-light-tchaikovskys-symphony-no-5/feed/ 0 The Oldest Epic: Robert Saxton’s Scenes from the Epic of Gilgamesh https://interlude.hk/the-oldest-epic-robert-saxtons-scenes-from-the-epic-of-gilgamesh/ https://interlude.hk/the-oldest-epic-robert-saxtons-scenes-from-the-epic-of-gilgamesh/#respond Sun, 28 Jul 2024 16:58:32 +0000 https://interlude.hk/?p=129278 The Epic of Gilgamesh comes from the civilization of ancient Mesopotamia. The story has come down to us in a set of tablets written in cuneiform from ca 2100–1200 BC. There are two major versions: the Old Babylonian, of which

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]]> https://interlude.hk/the-oldest-epic-robert-saxtons-scenes-from-the-epic-of-gilgamesh/feed/ 0 Fit to Commemorate a Queen: Stanford’s Te Deum https://interlude.hk/fit-to-commemorate-a-queen-stanfords-te-deum/ https://interlude.hk/fit-to-commemorate-a-queen-stanfords-te-deum/#respond Sun, 21 Jul 2024 16:05:33 +0000 https://interlude.hk/?p=129274 Written for the Leeds Festival and given its premiere on 6 October 1898, the Te Deum by Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924) brought opera to the English choral tradition. Written to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the accession to the throne

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]]> https://interlude.hk/fit-to-commemorate-a-queen-stanfords-te-deum/feed/ 0 Death Goes Modern: Bruce Leto, Jr.’s Mood Poems https://interlude.hk/death-goes-modern-bruce-leto-jr-s-mood-poems/ https://interlude.hk/death-goes-modern-bruce-leto-jr-s-mood-poems/#respond Sun, 07 Jul 2024 16:01:35 +0000 https://interlude.hk/?p=129256 American pianist Bruce Leto, Jr., took inspiration from his teacher at Haverford College, Curtis Cacioppo in creating his first album, Mood Poems. In working with Cacioppo, Leto says he was able to not only improve his musicality but also how

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]]> https://interlude.hk/death-goes-modern-bruce-leto-jr-s-mood-poems/feed/ 0 Orchestral Minimalism: Joe Hisaishi as Symphonist https://interlude.hk/orchestral-minimalism-joe-hisaishi-as-symphonist/ https://interlude.hk/orchestral-minimalism-joe-hisaishi-as-symphonist/#respond Sun, 30 Jun 2024 16:24:28 +0000 https://interlude.hk/?p=129249 Mamoru Fujisawa (b. 1950), known professionally as Joe Hisaishi, is best known for his film work, having composed the scores for most of the animations created by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, including Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986), My

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