by Kenneth Woods | Jun 9, 2008 | A view from the podium, Music and Media
Here is a recent piece from the Western Mail, based mostly on an interview I did with them a few weeks ago. Current Arts Council of Wales guidelines only support funding commissions of new music if it is for dance. Keith Griffin, of music umbrella body Ty Cerdd,...
by Kenneth Woods | Jun 6, 2008 | A view from the podium
Rest in peace, Bo Diddley, one of the true inventors of rock ‘n’ roll, an original and ingenious guitarist and about the hardest groovin man ever to walk the earth. I saw Bo Diddley in about 1991 at the Madison Rib Fest- not a venue worthy of a living legend, but...
by Kenneth Woods | May 30, 2008 | A view from the podium
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m not going to explain…...
by Kenneth Woods | May 28, 2008 | A view from the podium
I find May to be the strangest time of year for me professionally, as it hangs in this netherworld between the concert-season/school-year and the summer-festival season. In fact, one often experiences the cognitive dissonance of doing a summer festival in early May,...
by Kenneth Woods | May 24, 2008 | A view from the podium
We don’t do reviews here at Vftp (part of my “glass houses” policy), but I thought the odd concert report might allowable. Most musicians and music lovers have their own version of “the list.” That is the list of performers you want to catch before they or you die....
by Kenneth Woods | May 23, 2008 | A view from the podium, Favorite posts, Nuts and bolts, Performing Life
I’ve recently been following a somewhat heated discussion of the attacca- the musical practice of joining two movements of a multi-movement work without pause. Surprisingly, many musicians cannot seem to agree on the definition of an attacca. In fact, the true...
by Kenneth Woods | May 20, 2008 | A view from the podium
Terrible news in Berlin. Knowing all too well the toll that fire and fire fighting can take on instruments, music and archives, I fear not only for what the orchestra has lost, but what the world may have lost. UPDATE- Somewhat more encouraging news from the...
by Kenneth Woods | May 20, 2008 | A view from the podium
Well- the classical world has finally caught on to the sheer power of naked. Hot on the heels of my naked recital post and related commentary, tonight on Channel 4’s “How To Look Good Naked,” the conductor and musicians of Stratford’s Orchestra of the Swan...
by Kenneth Woods | May 19, 2008 | A view from the podium
“Otto Klemperer, Sir Adrian Boult, Carlo Maria Giulini and Walter Legge made up the panel which awarded James Loughran the first prize of the televised final of the Philharmonia Conducting Competition in 1961. They seem as gods on Olympus in comparison to the...
by Kenneth Woods | May 19, 2008 | A view from the podium
I am now home from a memorable week at the Ischia Chamber Music Festival. What a joy it was to set aside the baton and pretty much any and all responsibility for decision making and organization and just be a cellist for a week! Our final concert on Thursday consisted...
by Kenneth Woods | May 14, 2008 | A view from the podium, Performing Life
I’m a bit sad that the ferociously intense schedule here at the Ischia Festival has made it impossible for me to write more often, as it has been a very interesting and memorable week. First, for all my friends who had thought about coming here as participants, I can...
by Kenneth Woods | May 11, 2008 | A view from the podium
From the webstie- alfredschnittke.com...
by Kenneth Woods | May 9, 2008 | A view from the podium
Jen, over at Adventures of an Idaho Violist, has my post of the day on the perils of “wearwotchulike” gigs. Most gigs are great, because I can just slap on some black clothing, and be done with it, with little to no thought required. But something...
by Kenneth Woods | May 9, 2008 | A view from the podium, Performing Life
Day one of my visit to the Ischia Chamber Music Festival is nearly over. I swear, I do not seek extra adventure and uncertainty simply to keep the blog more captivating for readers, but some days it does seem as though someone in the producers’ office of the series...
by Kenneth Woods | May 7, 2008 | A view from the podium
Ischia Chamber Music Festival Concerts Program Villa Arbusto, Lacco Ameno – May 11, 13, 16, 2008 – 9 pm May 11, 2008 – 9 pm M. Arnold – Piano Trio, op. 54 A. Schnittke – String Trio Y. Linkola – Piano Trio W.A. Mozart –...
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