by Kenneth Woods | Mar 18, 2021 | A view from the podium
James Levine was not a great man with a single tragic flaw. He was an almost completely horrible person, with a single, tragic talent. Ever since I heard the news, I’ve had a voice on one shoulder screaming “don’t write about James Levine.” And on the other shoulder,...
by Kenneth Woods | Mar 15, 2021 | A view from the podium
If you love Elgar, you’ll want to catch the English Symphony Orchestra’s Virtual Concert with Raphael Wallfisch, Elgar Re-Imagined. Available from the 19th of March here. This essay was commissioned by Erato for the recently released recording of these...
by Kenneth Woods | Feb 16, 2021 | A view from the podium, Piano, pianists and pianism
Gunnar Johansen was a legendary figure in my home town of Madison, Wisconsin. He retired from the University of Wisconsin in 1976, when I would have been seven, so he was practically the stuff of legend throughout most of my youth (we never met). He died in...
by Kenneth Woods | Jan 17, 2021 | A view from the podium
Why 7 is the symphony’s lucky number? While there are far fewer 7th symphonies than 2nds or 3rds, one very rarely encounters a sour seventh. Perhaps it’s just a result of the fact that with six previous attempts, most would-be composers of 7ths have either given up or...
by Kenneth Woods | Dec 23, 2020 | A view from the podium, News and Reviews
A perceptive response to Matthew Taylor’s two most recent symphonies and his stunning Romanza for String from Paul Conway in the latest edition of Musical Opinion. Matthew Taylor – Symphonies 4 and 5, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, English...
by Kenneth Woods | Oct 30, 2020 | A view from the podium
I pity pianists and I pity singers. The rest of us have the luxury of choosing the instrument which best allows us to express ourselves. I found my cello, a somewhat motley Italian instrument made in the 1600’s but with a ‘modern’ (ie 100-year-old) top in 1991. Within...
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