Almost-daily ramblings, photos and links
M7w9TxZI6m8ebekfVL3FyWuRo1.mp3 (download) Click here to download: M7w9TxZI6m8ebekfVL3FyWuRo1.mp3 (149 KB) Trad music in McGann’s, Doolin
http://bit.ly/aGZK Fascinating piece on Glenn Gould and his futuristic use of technology.
I’ve been listening to John Elliot Gardiner’s recent CD recording of Brahms’ 2nd Symphony and it’s really grown on me. I like his authentic performance approach and his sensible, stripped down reading of the work. Yet for all its lack of excess, it still manages to sound very fresh and light (perhaps that’s the reason why). Although it took me a while to adjust, I’ve come to really like the string sound of the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique (think of Gardiner’s Bach recordings and you’ll know what I mean...
So much for awareness of green issues among young people in Ireland.
Salvatore Sciarrino is a composer whom I’ve always been intrigued by, and someone I want to hear more of. When you come across a YouTube user with a name ‘Scriabinwasmydad’ you know you’re onto something good. I’m not sure if I should be really linking to this as it’s clearly a commercial recording but my goodness, what a piece, and what a performer. The piece, by the way, is his 6th Nocturne - sounds like it would give Chopin a run for his money any day!
Last night I went to a superb concert of mostly Kevin Volans’ music given by the Crash Ensemble at the Project Arts Centre. The concert was a great success and included three pieces by Kevin, one of which was a new work specially written for Crash. The other three composers programmed were chosen by Volans - Jonathan Nangle, Simon O’Connor and Jennifer Walshe - each very different but all having studied with Volans. Every time I go to a Crash concert, I always come away thinking how far Irish composition has come...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/apr/08/prs-youtube-spotify-roy... The stand-off between YouTube and Britain’s music societies – which led to the Google-owned site taking down music videos for British users over arguments about royalty payments – is still…
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/class... Planning a Proms season that pleases everyone is the great impossible of artistic programming.