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 | Mar 21, 2011 | Performing Life
I had hoped to avoid any unwanted drama surrounding my Lancashire Chamber Orchestra concert on Saturdayday by avoiding any travel that morning. . ‘Twas not to be. A couple of hours before our dress rehearsal, I had a call from Georgina, the orchestra’s chair and...
by Kenneth Woods | Mar 15, 2011 | A view from the podium
Conductor Yakov Kreizberg has died at the unfathomable age of just 51 after a long illness. There are details on Norman Lebrecht’s blog and from his agent here. Here is an excerpt of her letter announcing his passing: It is with deep sorrow that we must announce...
by Kenneth Woods | Mar 15, 2011 | A view from the podium
Composer Aldo Clementi passed away last week at the age of 85. There have been nice tributes at The Rambler , Ravishdears and Boulezian. I came into professional contact with his music only once- we recorded two of his early works, Ideogrammi I and Ideogrammi II, with...
by Kenneth Woods | Mar 15, 2011 | A view from the podium
One of my favorite guessing games this year is “who will be the next Mahler?” The goal of this game is not to decide whether Schoenberg or Shostakovich was Mahler’s true musical heir (it’s likely they both thought they were). Rather, the question is over which...
Recent Comments