48. Ravel - trying not to be profound... and failing; his Piano Concerto
Maurice Ravel wanted his Piano Concerto to be lighthearted and brilliant, and not aim at profundity or at dramatic effects... and then wrote one of the most beautiful slow movements there is! Listen h...
8 Jul 20204min
47. A boy, his animal friends, a wolf and a bit of 'politics' - perfect young family entertainment!
One of the great pieces of music for children, Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev. Vanessa [7] loved this and is demanding repeat hearings, and I'm embarrassed at having resisted it so long... Music here...
1 Jul 20204min
46. Global connections - How the Indonesians inspired a whole new style of 'western' music
When the organisers of the Paris Universal Exposition in 1889 invited gamelan players from Indonesia they introduced French composers to a whole world of new and exciting possibilities and a new direc...
26 Jun 202014min
45. Beethoven's under-rated genius: Symphony No. 8 [part 2]
If there's such a thing as an underrated Beethoven Symphony, it's this - his 8th. Short, punchy, joy-filled, playful, brilliant! This is the intro to the 2nd half of the piece. Total listen time - 15 ...
24 Jun 20203min
44. Beethoven's under-rated genius: Symphony No. 8 [part 1]
If there's such a thing as an underrated Beethoven Symphony, it's this - his 8th. Short, punchy, joy-filled, playful, brilliant! Music here: https://youtu.be/9-f3iKeUJm4 or here on Spotify: https://sp...
24 Jun 20206min
43. Lockdown haircut for me, and a trip to the Barber for us all!
Fabulous and fun singing from Rossini's Barber of Seville in honour of my first haircut in the hands of a 7 year old (and in tribute to my friends growing magnificent lockdown beards)! Music here, wit...
19 Jun 20202min
42. Wedding music - but not as we know it!
There are some pieces of music that everyone knows - Wagner's Wedding March is one - and then it turns out to be quite different in its original setting. Music here: https://youtu.be/_7Su2qPT_P0 or he...
17 Jun 20203min
41. Mozart mixing elegance with fun
I love this movement from Mozart's 5th - and last - violin concerto, written to play himself, at the age of 19. It's elegant and sophisticated and then wild and free. It's a great piece for a dance a...
15 Jun 20203min
