by Kenneth Woods | May 3, 2022 | Mahler, Mahler- Performer's Perspective
It’s that time of year again, when we can feel the rapid approach of Colorado MahlerFest. Here are some of my thoughts about this year’s festival. The committed Mahlerians in our audience this week will already know that Mahler toyed with the idea of a...
by Kenneth Woods | Apr 3, 2022 | A view from the podium
The worst rental materials I’ve ever been sent where those the Krenek Double Concerto for Violin and Piano, part the Krenek Piano Concertos project that the English Symphony Orchestra did for Toccata Classics with the stupendous Mikhail Korzhev in 2016-17. They...
by Kenneth Woods | Mar 21, 2022 | Nuts and bolts
Feature Article by Colin Clarke A fair amount of the music of Steven R. Gerber has been covered in the Fanfare Archive, including the First Symphony and Viola Concerto (Chandos, Fanfare 24:2), and a possibly difficult to find Koch disc from over 20 years ago featuring...
by Kenneth Woods | Mar 8, 2022 | A view from the podium
Several years ago, I met a composer named Donald Fraser. Arranger Donald Fraser and conductor Kenneth Woods following the world premiere of the Piano Quintet, a 2015 Classical Music Magazine Premiere of the Year It turns out his wife Bridget was the executive...
by Kenneth Woods | Jun 8, 2021 | A view from the podium
4th June 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: eso@eso.co.uk What: ESO Digital Concert – Composer Portrait: Adrian Williams When: 7:30pm GMT Friday 11th June 2021 Where: www.eso.co.uk/composerportrait-adrianwilliams ...
by Kenneth Woods | May 10, 2021 | A view from the podium
Ken speaks to the legendary David Matthews, ESO “John McCabe Composer-in-Association” 2017-9 about his orchestration of the Elgar String Quartet, the art of arranging and orchestration, Mahler and his own music. The performance of the Elgar premieres on...
by Kenneth Woods | May 8, 2021 | A view from the podium
5th May 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: eso@eso.co.uk What: ESO Digital Concert – Elgar String Quartet When: 7:30pm GMT Friday 14th May 2021 Where: www.eso.co.uk/elgar-reimagined-2 English Symphony Orchestra...
by Kenneth Woods | Mar 28, 2021 | A view from the podium
I once conducted a concert which started with Dvorak’s great orchestral triptych- Nature, Life and Love. It reminded me of what is wrong with classical music. Dvorak wrote the 3 parts of this work as a carefully interconnected whole- together, they form a sort...
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 21, 2021 | News and Reviews
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