Tag Archives: Beethoven

review of the year – 2016

Posted on January 24, 2017 by vhk10

And what a year it was. I sang in the Three Choirs Festival Chorus. I sang lots of choral masterpieces (and Carmina Burana) for the first time. I made my débuts in several new venues, sang before a member of … Continue reading →

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The Missa Solemnis is singable

Posted on November 24, 2016 by vhk10

So the great day finally came round, and I got to sing the Missa Solemnis with Gloucester Choral Society and the Bristol Ensemble in Gloucester Cathedral. I wrote earlier of the particular difficulties of performing this piece. It wasn’t Beethoven’s … Continue reading →

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‘some of the most demanding work in the repertoire for bassoon’

Posted on October 1, 2016 by vhk10

So says the Wikipedia article on Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. Bassoons? Does the writer of this realise what the chorus sopranos are asked to do?! This is a work where you can’t tell by looking at a vocal line whether it … Continue reading →

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an organist’s wedding and two Festival concerts

Posted on June 9, 2016 by vhk10

There was just too much going on on May 21st. I had been due to sing a concert in Reading but asked to be released from it when I realised there were enough sopranos and some unrepeatable events going on … Continue reading →

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Igor Levit at the Wigmore Hall

Posted on November 24, 2015 by vhk10

I was in London and this looked the most interesting concert. Others in the family had heard Igor Levit at the Proms recently and I got one of the last few tickets for the recital of three works including variations. … Continue reading →

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Three Proms

Posted on September 10, 2015 by vhk10

Between us we went to three Promenade concerts. Firstly Prom 9 – the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Leif Ove Andsnes conducting and playing Beethoven’s 1st and 4th piano conceros and Stravinsky’s Apollon Musagète, which went down well with those in … Continue reading →

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Turkish marches and children’s toys

Posted on January 16, 2015 by vhk10

Central Europe fought the Turk but appropriated some of his music in the form of the ‘Turkish march’. Some famous examples of this have enjoyed a fresh outing by being played on electronic gadgets of one sort or another. Beethoven’s … Continue reading →

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Mozartfest 2014 (2): Padmore/Emersons/Vertavo

Posted on December 1, 2014 by vhk10

There’s been a lot of music around (what a good thing) so it’ll be a whistle-stop tour through some of the other concerts we went to. Mark Padmore has performed at the Mozartfest before, and I will soon be sharing … Continue reading →

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Mozartfest 2014 (1): Imogen Cooper and a twang from the Sitkovetskys

Posted on November 30, 2014 by vhk10

While the International Music Festival struggles, the Bath Mozartfest is thriving (and now described by its chairman as ‘Bath’s premier music festival’). Part of the reason for this is the well-established relationships with certain leading performers and groups, plus some … Continue reading →

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The Kinshasa band

Posted on September 29, 2014 by vhk10

The Kinshasa Symphony Orchestra, founded 20 years ago, visited the UK for a four-concert tour. We were invited to join them for the final concert in Bristol, in the finale of Beethoven 9. They brought their own strong choir with … Continue reading →

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