This week we learned of the death of a legendary Russian conductor, Yuri Temirkanov, at the age of 84. Temirkanov enjoyed extended stints as principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and also the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. You can read in detail about his critical reception at the Gramophone website, but to complement it, here is a playlist of recordings loaded with his repertoire specialities from his home country:
Published post no.2,000 – Sunday 5 November 2023
Yesterday we learned the very sad news of the death of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho at the age of 70. Saariaho blossomed as a unique voice in 20th and 21st-century classical music, her music notable for its picturesque qualities and colourful, often exotic instrumentation.
Thankfully a good deal of her work has been recorded by the ever-enterprising Ondine Records, who put this playlist together in celebration of her 70th birthday earlier in the year:
Meanwhile you can watch Vista, one of Saariaho’s most striking recent orchestral works, in the performance below with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Susanna Mälkki
by Ben Hogwood
Yesterday the sad passing of pianist Menahem Pressler was announced, at the ripe old age of 99.
Pressler was a true great, a founding member and ever-present in the great Beaux Arts Trio. The playlist compiled below can only give a glimpse of his greatness, but it hopefully gives an idea of his musicality, technical ability and awareness. The trio by Haydn included here is a delight – the Beaux Arts recorded all of his trios – but elsewhere there is much to enjoy:
Here is a nod in the direction of a particularly imaginative playlist from Shida Shahabi. Not many collections of music span more than 500 years, but this one does – from Hildegard von Bingen and Josquin to My Bloody Valentine, Popul Vuh, Arthur Russell and Low.
The mix is part of Adam Wiltzie‘s Introverted but Willing to Discuss Drones playlist series.
You can read more about it on the 130701 website, with a short interview with Shahabi – and you can listen to it below.
It gives us great pleasure to welcome pianist Sarah Beth Briggs as a guest curator for the Arcana playlist.
Sarah releases her new album Variations on Friday 24 March, a collection of works in the form by Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Brahms. It complements a discography for AVIE that already boasts The Austrian Connection and discs of works for piano solo by Schumann and Brahms, and piano trios by Gál and Shostakovich as part of the Briggs Piano Trio.
We asked her for a blend of her current listening and one piece inspired by the Variations album – and I think you’ll agree she has come up with something rather special in the form of Edmund Rubbra’s rare but strikingly original orchestration of Brahms’ Variations on a theme of Handel. Here it is in the only available current recording, conducted by Neeme Järvi:
As to her current listening, Sarah gives us a trio of very fine chamber works from the 19th century, Beethoven and Schubert to be precise, and the music of Hans Gál, finally emerging into the public consciousness – his very fine Cello Concerto:
We end with peerless jazz, the Oscar Peterson Trio and their wonderful Night Train
Our grateful thanks to Sarah – do have a listen on the Spotify link below:
Arcana.fm 