Music to my ears
What the classical world has been listening to this month
Will Todd Composer
I’ve become slightly obsessed by the
John Wilson Orchestra’s performance of Miklós Rózsa’s Ben Hur theme tune at the BBC Proms in 2013. The piece lives very much in the genre of huge symphonic film scores and is phenomenal in every respect, from the fanfares and brass writing in general to the way that, despite beginning thunderously, it still manages to keep building constantly for threeand-a-half minutes. I find myself sitting in complete awe of the orchestral timbres and compositional skill.
One piece I turn to regularly is Lutos awski’s Third Symphony. I first encountered it when I was a student, at which point I’d not heard that much non-tonal music. He’s such an interesting composer because he crosses from a neoclassical sensibility to a very atonal one in his middle period, and then back towards a kind of applied tonality later on. The Third Symphony nods toward tonality while still having these astonishing atonal and aleatoric textures. I love the sound of it and enjoy studying the score. CRITIC’S CHOICE
Geoff Brown
The album that has recently given me the most joy has been Mahan Esfahani’s recording of Bach’s early keyboard Toccatas (Hyperion). You tend to think of harpsichords as timid creatures, the sound always kept on a leash. Not here: Esfahani’s new modern instrument, inspired by 18th-century models, roars with a force and depth perfectly keyed to the power of his interpretations. Then there’s the music itself… A wonderful indulgence!
'I find myself sitting in awe pf miklós Rózsa's orchestral timbres and composition skill'
I listen to a lot of live jazz concerts on Youtube, and there’s a jazz pianist called Monty Alexander whose playing I love. At his heart he was a blues player, but he had this extraordinary facility across the whole jazz genre. A performance I’ve been watching has been Monty Alexander’s Harlem-kingston Express where, as opposed to playing in his usual trio format, he had two bass players, two percussionists and a guitarist. The added elements make everything more funky and rhythmically complex.
And also…
I’ve always been a massive cricket fan, both as a player and spectator, and I’m particularly thrilled about the rise in profile of the women’s game. A number of women’s Twenty20 matches have been played at a ground close to where I live in Guildford, so I’ve had the chance to see stars such as Natalie Sciver in action.
The Bach Choir’s disc of Will Todd’s ‘Lights, Stories, Noise, Dreams,
Love and Noodles’ is out this month (Signum Classics)
Rowan Pierce Soprano
Featured in Les Musiciens du Louvre and Marc Minkowski’s Une Symphonie Imaginaire album, ‘Entrée de Polymnie’ from Rameau’s Les Boreádes is a stunning example of French Baroque. The scoring is just exquisitely colourful and rich, with a heart-breaking optimism throughout, and there’s an irresistible rise and fall to the melody. The sobbing wind instruments are so human, too, and the playing is just beautiful.
Listening to Purcell’s Curtain Tune (From Timon of Athens) played by violinist Bjarte Eike and Barokksolistene on The Alehouse Sessions album will cure anyone of the idea that 17th-century music is boring! It’s a complete contrast to the Rameau – this is pure optimism, tapping into the power
of Purcell’s ground bass. It’s full of life, rhythm and fun. If you get the chance, experiencing this group live is even better.
Billy Joel’s Goodnight my
Angel is a bit of a sentimental indulgence. When I was 17, I played Sleeping Beauty in a pantomime in my home town, Saltburn-by-the-sea, and my mum, who was playing the Queen, had to sing this to me as I lay asleep on stage. I don’t think I got through one performance without a tear. Growing up, I made a lot of music with my family and in the community, and this song takes me straight back to that time.
And also…
As a child, I was a season ticket holder at Middlesborough FC’S Riverside Stadium, in the glory days of Juninho and Ravanelli. I still love keeping up with football in the North East and really enjoyed the documentary More than a Manager about former Newcastle Utd manager Bobby Robson’s life. Robson remained true to his roots, and knew exactly how to motivate a team that was convinced it had lost at half-time. Rowan Pierce sings in ‘A Night at the Museum’ at the Oxford Lieder Festival, 20 October Joseph Moog Pianist
My fascination with Scriabin, especially his orchestral works, was born when I was about ten years old. I went to a rehearsal of my dad’s orchestra, and they rehearsed the Poem of Ecstasy. I was mesmerised. Now I’ll lie in bed and listen to this recording by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Pierre Boulez through my headphones, and it takes me into a different world. Boulez understands Scriabin’s cosmos. The instrumentation and colours are so complex and fragile. He brings it all out. It’s a stunning recording.
Cory Henry is a genius when it comes to jazz, gospel and funk. He’s so versatile and so gifted at harmonising and re-harmonising famous tunes. He’s originally an organist and I think he comes from gospel, mainly. The album Gotcha Now is still on the jazz side of things, and it was recorded live at Rockwood Music Hall in New York. It’s great fun to listen to and there are so many surprising twists and turns.
The French-cypriot pianist Cyprien Katsaris is mostly known for his transcriptions and arrangements, which he’s fantastic at, and as a virtuoso. But his Mozart is refreshing, sparkling and daring. And his recording features his own cadenzas as alternatives to the originals. He’s so good at imitating the style and he has really changed my perspective on Mozart. We know today that Mozart must have been very impulsive, and this comes across perfectly – the Piano Concerto No. 15 in B flat, KV 450 is among my favourites.
And also…
My dad recorded the film The
Big Store on a video tape when my sister and I were small kids, and it’s a lovely souvenir from my childhood. Every time I watch it, it makes me laugh even though it’s so old – from 1941.
It’s a very simple story about a department store owner who has died and left it to his nephew and another relative. There are the bad guys who want to create intrigue, and the Marx Brothers are the detectives. It’s about money making the world go round, and that hasn’t really changed.
Joseph Moog’s new recording, ‘Heaven and Hell’, is out on
Onyx on 11 October