Our Choices
The BBC Music Magazine team’s current favourites
Jeremy Pound Deputy editor
Hurray for toast. A quick mid-work nip down to the kitchen on a Friday morning coincided with Radio 3 playing the orchestral version of Saint-saëns’s Une nuit à Lisbonne. In just three minutes or so, this gorgeous barcarolle vividly captures a calm evening in the Portuguese capital, the Atlantic waves lapping up against the sea wall. Toasted up, I headed back to my desk and downloaded the recording by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Neeme Järvi. Alice Pearson Cover CD editor
While checking out the works of Dvoˇrák’s son-inlaw Josef Suk for a future BBC Music Magazine cover CD, I discovered one of Suk’s later works, the symphonic poem The Ripening. Rather appropriately for these times, it’s a musical depiction of the triumph of life through tragedy. The elaborate, late-romantic soundworld makes quite heavy listening at times but it’s well worth the effort, especially when played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Jiˇrí Bˇelohlávek. Michael Beek Reviews editor
Having really missed popping into one of my favourite local venues, it was great to visit St George’s Bristol virtually as part of The Polyphonic Concert Club. The subscription series has partnered with a handful of UK concert halls to present performances from some great artists over recent weeks. I’ve just enjoyed watching pianist Isata Kanneh-mason (pictured right) play Clara Schumann and Coleridge-taylor on the venue’s fabulous Steinway. Freya Parr Digital editor and staff writer After a particularly peaceful earlymorning swim at Clevedon Lake,
I revisited Tenebrae’s recording of Judith Bingham’s heart-wrenching choral piece The Drowned Lovers. Written as a partner work for Stanford’s The Blue Bird, it plunges into watery depths, pairing the solo mezzo’s spinning top line with a rippling eight-part choir, which creates the effect of waves crashing against the shore. Hopefully my fellow swimmers just thought my tears were from salt in my eye… Lucy Chaudhuri Online assistant Feeling the need to mark the anniversary of my last live performance, I’ve been ensconcing myself in old choral favourites. Deep in the rabbit hole, I happened upon Tenebrae’s Russian Treasures, which features little-known gems alongside familiar repertoire. Rachmaninov’s Rejoice, O Virgin is a particular delight and had me reminiscing with my partner about the choir we met in.