Category Archives: Playlists

In appreciation – Johnnie Walker

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by Ben Hogwood Photo (c) Yui Mok/PA

Sunday 27 October was a pretty momentous day on BBC Radio 2, for it marked the last broadcast in the 58-year career of DJ Johnnie Walker.

Walker was a Sunday afternoon companion to many, myself included, over the last 15 years. His two-hour programme Sounds of the 70s was a national institution, a place where people could forget about the forthcoming week and enjoy some quality music along with their chores, car journeys or dinner preparations.

It was the last in a long line of broadcasting assignments for Walker, who also fronted Radio 2’s Rock Show – a natural move for a figure steeped in rock music ever since he arrived on the scene on one of the pirate ships in the 1960s.

By way of a small ‘thank you’, here is a playlist in tribute to Johnnie, with many thanks for the music he introduced me to, and also recognition of the music he played that I already loved. It’s a small portrait of a broadcasting legend, but – like his programmes – is put together with a great deal of affection for his craft.

Published post no.2,346 – Tuesday 29 October 2024

Playlist – Charles Ives (born 20 October 1874)

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by Ben Hogwood

This month we mark 150 years since the birth of American composer Charles Ives in Connecticut, on 20 October 1874.

Ives is a fascinating and often divisive figure, revered by some yet derided by others. Perhaps because of that his music does not enjoy a great deal of concert hall exposure, but once you begin to explore his output a huge range of music awaits your ears.

No doubt, his music is not for anybody – but if you listen to the playlist below, you will see just what an imaginative composer he was, so much so that his music continues to inspire and even baffle to this day, in the best possible way!

My own Ives watershed came courtesy of the Variations on America, an often outrageous set of variations on the tune behind the British National Anthem, played by the impish organist Simon Preston. Ives said that playing the pedal part on the organ was “as much fun as playing baseball” – a quote that embodies his open and often humourous approach to music. I also had the honour of playing cello in a performance of General William Booth Enters Into Heaven, an eventful and ultimately touching scene for voice and orchestra.

Hymn tunes, folk sources, complex note systems, innovative textures – all these qualities and more are found in the Symphony no.4 alone, while shorter pieces such as The Unanswered Question and Central Park In The Dark show an uncanny ability for mind-opening scene setting.

The message is definitely that the more time you spend with Ives, the more his music reveals. Try it and see how you get on!

Published post no.2,339 – Tuesday 22 October 2024

In appreciation – Leif Segerstam

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by Ben Hogwood

“It is with the deepest sadness that we share the passing at the age of 80 of this extraordinary and great musician from pneumonia on the 9th October 2024 after a short illness. We were privileged to work for and be trusted by him for many years and although his spirit will live on we will miss him greatly.”

This tribute to Finnish conductor Leif Segerstam from his manager, Patrick Garvey, illustrates just how popular he was – and the conductor’s page on the website is now filled with a tribute to his artistry as a conductor and composer.

Arcana pays tribute with a short playlist of Finnish music conducted by Segerstam, including excerpts from a fascinating set of ballet scores by Sibelius reviewed by Arcana back in 2015. The playlist includes Segerstam’s own Symphony no.12 – one of more than 370 that he completed.

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1962ee6f-fa1c-4488-8c34-0916b636ade6

Published post no.2,328 – Friday 11 October 2024

In appreciation – Rohan de Saram

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by Ben Hogwood

At the end of September we heard of the sad death of pioneering Sri Lankan / British cellist Rohan de Saram, at the age of 85.

As this obituary in the Strad indicates, de Saram was a key figure in contemporary music, holding the position of cellist with the Arditti Quartet from 1979 until 2005, as well as premiering a number of new solo works. The short playlist below gives an indication of his solo recordings, from a cycle of Bach suites to work by Dallapiccola:

Published post no.2,324 – Monday 7 October 2024

In appreciation – Antonio Meneses

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by Ben Hogwood

In the last few days we have heard of the sad news of the death of cellist Antonio Meneses at the age of 66. There is a fitting tribute to Meneses in an obituary by The Strad magazine, but we wanted to pay tribute in the form of a playlist of some of his finest recordings.

The sequence, which you can listen to below, includes solo Bach – the Solo Cello Suite no.1 – followed by Brahms‘s Cello Sonata no.1 and the Mendelssohn Song without Words Op.109, with pianist Gérard Wyss. Meneses made some very fine recordings for the AVIE label, of which Gaspar Cassadó‘s Solo Cello Suite was one – and this is followed by a short illustration of his time as cellist in the Beaux Arts Trio, a lovely movement from Dvořák‘s Dumky Trio.

Finally we get to hear Meneses in the orchestral arena, with a recent recording made for Naxos of the Villa-Lobos Fantasia for cello and orchestra, and one of his most famous recordings, the Brahms Double Concerto with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Berliner Philharmoniker under Herbert von Karajan:

Published post no.2,262 – Tuesday 6 August 2024