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Even Elgar couldn't play the trombone | Tom Service

Not that Elgar himself could ever have mastered his own trombone parts: contrary to popular belief – OK, "popular" in Elgar-scholarship circles, at least – Elgar took up the instrument as a young boy, and was thought to have been a half-decent player. ...

From TOM SERVICE, The Guardian Music,  20 Nov 2009

Related Topics: YMCA

Gareth Davies: How Mahler changed my life

Tomorrow night at the Barbican, the London Symphony Orchestra play Mahler's 10th Symphony, in Deryck Cooke's completion of the piece, conducted by Daniel Harding, who, just like his mentor Simon Rattle, has made this symphony a central part of his ...

From TOM SERVICE, The Guardian Music,  19 Nov 2009

Related Topics: London Symphony Orchestra,  Simon Rattle

Classical music belongs to the people | Tom Service

Playing to the people ... Conductor Daniel Barenboim and his classical youth orchestra in the West Bank. Photograph: Rula Halawani Apologies for the invisiblog so far this week – delivering the University of York's Cantor Modern Art Lecture on Tuesday ...

From TOM SERVICE, The Guardian Music,  12 Nov 2009

Related Topics: Daniel Barenboim

The verdict on the Pope's new album

Alas, the Pope's much-heralded new Christmas album, Alma Mater, isn't quite what it seems. Fans of the pontiff hoping to hear his geriatric tones belting out a big tune will be sorely disappointed, and less devout music lovers, curious to hear his ...

From TOM SERVICE, Guardian Unlimited,  11 Nov 2009

Related Topics: Nirvana (musician)

Boxer Nikolai Valuev is a classical music heavyweight | Tom Service

Please activate cookies in order to turn autoplay off The Russian man-mountain is boxing's only known classical fan. Which piece should he choose to accompany his entrance to the ring? Beast from the east ... and fan of Chopin: Nikolai Valuev. ...

From TOM SERVICE, The Guardian Music,  6 Nov 2009

Related Topics: Nikolai Valuev,  David Haye

Party hard with the Calder Quartet | Tom Service

Whether they're performing with Thomas Adès, Andrew WK or David Letterman's house band, the Calder string quartet are blazing exciting new ground In Stockholm on Sunday, the Calder Quartet played the most insightful and moving performance of Thomas ...

From TOM SERVICE, The Guardian Music,  4 Nov 2009

Related Topics: David Letterman,  John Cage,  Fred Frith

Classical music for children: Radio 3's choice | Tom Service

Classic FM has announced its Children's Hall of Fame. Now Roger Wright, the controller of Radio 3, has sent me a rival list – and it contains some great music for all ages Tom Hulce as Mozart in Amadeus: former child prodigy and inspiration to the ...

From TOM SERVICE, The Guardian Music,  3 Nov 2009

Related Topics: Tom Hulce

Who is kids' favourite classical composer - and why?

Lucky old Prokofiev: he seems to be the man with the tunes closest to the bosom of the nation's youth. In a line-up of mostly hyper-romantic pictorialism, melodies that tell a story are the winners in this poll by Classic FM to find the classical music ...

From TOM SERVICE, The Guardian Music,  2 Nov 2009

Related Topics: Harry Potter

Ethel Smyth – a wrecker with a cause

Jailed for her activities in the Suffragette movement, composer Ethel Smyth had no problem putting her beliefs into action. Surely a reappraisal of her work and legacy is long overdue March of the women … a suffragette protest in London, 1911. ...

From TOM SERVICE, Guardian Unlimited,  28 Oct 2009

Related Topics: The Wreckers (musician),  BBC,  Thomas Beecham

Alex Ross's The Rest is Noise falls silent

The site that inspired hundreds of classical music blogs is no more. Fortunately Alex Ross continues his notes on music in Unquiet Thoughts Alex Ross and his book The Rest Is Noise. Photograph: Lisa Carpenter The Rest is Noise is no more – long live ...

From TOM SERVICE, The Guardian Music,  19 Oct 2009

Related Topics: Alex Ross,  John Dowland

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