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 | May 30, 2019 | Headlines, Mahler, Music and Media, News and Reviews
Thanks to John Quinn from Seen and Heard International for this lovely and comprehensive review of last night’s epic Orchestra of the Swan concert with April Fredrick, soprano. Read the whole thing here. “The concert opened with one of Mozart’s...
by Kenneth Woods | Feb 17, 2013 | A view from the podium
I just conducted Bruckner’s Second Symphony for the first time a few days ago- even many of the most pro-Bruckner opinion makers seem to think that only his symphonies from the Fourth onward are worth doing, and the often over-zealous defences of the early symphonies...
by Kenneth Woods | Mar 21, 2011 | A view from the podium
Perfection It’s a powerful word. Can it apply to music? Should it? Even when it does, is it the point? Is perfect music inherently better music? I don’t think a performance can be perfect. Technically flawless- yes. Magical- yes. Perfect? No. All too often, the price...
by Kenneth Woods | Jan 12, 2010 | Mahler, Mahler- Performer's Perspective, Nuts and bolts
“Is Mahler’s music more difficult to conduct than that of other composers?” When I was asked this question just the other day it was by no means for the first time. It is not hard to understand why a listener might suspect that Mahler’s music is harder to conduct than...
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