Classical Buzz
Birthdays on the Tube: 3-9 JanuarySunday, 03 January 2010
An ongoing series celebrating musicians' birthdays. |
theartsdesk an essential site of 2009: BBC Radio 5 LiveFriday, 01 January 2010
theartsdesk received a New Year's gift last night when we were given a significant accolade from BBC Radio 5 Live. In Web 2009 with Helen and Olly, the station's podcasters and self-styled "internet obsessives" Helen Zaltzman and Olly Mann recognised theartsdesk as one of the five "essential sites of 20... Read more... |
Boxing Day Bloat: theartsdesk recommendsSaturday, 26 December 2009
The morning after the day before has dawned. If you're not inclined to join the shopping queues, theartsdesk is happy to suggest alternatives. Our writers recommend all sorts of cultural things you could get up to in the next week. Read more... |
A Merry Little Christmas Eve: theartsdesk recommendsThursday, 24 December 2009
As we all have only one shopping day left, theartsdesk hopes to make Christmas Eve a little easier by offering a few enlightened recommendations. From our writers on new and classical music, opera and ballet, film and comedy, here is a list of CDs and DVDs that we hope will enhance your 11th-hour shopping experience. Happy Christmas from all at theartsdesk.
DVDs |
Birthdays on the Tube, 13-19 DecemberSaturday, 12 December 2009
A continuing series celebrating musicians' birthdays. 16 December 1899: Noel Coward, sharing a birthday with Beethoven, an early English rapper of the silk polka dot dressing gown and cigarette holder school. {youtube width="400" height="300"}vdEnxNog56E{/youtube} Read more... |
The Cultural Highlights of the Decade, BBC OnlineFriday, 11 December 2009
This week the BBC News online magazine is running a Portrait of the Decade. Each day has brought a consideration of the words, the events, the people, the objects and, today, the cultural highlights of the decade. I was invited to consider those highlights. Read more... |
Birthdays on the Tube, 29 November-5 DecemberSaturday, 28 November 2009
An ongoing series celebrating musicians' birthdays. 2 December 1982: Britney Spears is 27. There is some resistance to Britney hereabouts, so I thought I'd post a version of "Toxic" sung acoustically by Galia Arad to demonstrate that she does have some terrific songs. If Galia - who with her cousin Lail, should become much better known in... Read more... |
Birthdays on the Tube, 15-21 NovemberSunday, 15 November 2009
A continuing series celebrating musicians' birthdays. |
2009 Classic FM Gramophone Awards, Dorchester HotelFriday, 02 October 2009
The term "Awards Ceremony" can strike terror into the stoutest of hearts, but hats off to the masterminds of the 2009 Classic FM Gramophone awards. Their shindig at the Dorchester was enjoyable, educational, and even intermittently hilarious (and for the right reasons). Mathieu Herzog, viola player with France's Quatuor Ebène who carried off the lusted-after Recording Of The Year award for their disc of Debussy, Ravel and Fauré, even ran Antoine "Eurotrash" de Caunes... Read more... |
4.30 am. Encounter with GergievTuesday, 15 September 2009
Outside it’s snowing in the pale and spectral city of St Petersburg. Inside it’s 4.30 am and we’ve been drinking for several hours in a restaurant next to the Mariinsky Theatre when Valery Gergiev, for many the world’s greatest conductor and with a reputation as a wild man, suggests now would be the best time for an interview with him. Read more... |
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