The latest CD featuring Jane Irwin is Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde

The 2010 Mahler in Manchester festival was “A sensory experience like no other,” according to The Sunday Times, not least for the Manchester Cameratas revelatory performance of Das Lied von der Erde in the scaled-down chamber version by Schoenberg.

Musicians: Jane Irwin, mezzo-soprano; Peter Wedd, tenor; Conductor, Douglas Boyd with Manchester Camerata Website

“Irwin’s reading of this last marathon-length movement [Das Abschied] is bang on the money, heartfelt and lusciously velvet of timbre…” Charlotte Gardner, ClassicFM Read More...

Tags: Jane Irwin

website

All have received handsome praise and some wonderful reviews. In the detail of this item I have restricted the reviews to four.

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Tags: Danny Driver

Danny Driver
Wigmore Hall Recital 9th July 2011

The C. P. E. Bach Sonata, in the fiery prototype classical style from the generation before Haydn, was an adventure playground of rapid-response wit, astonishing changes of direction and harmonic and structural dislocation. Driver revelled in the sheer virtuosity of the writing and, like a juggler coping with any number of slippery bars of soap, he kept the whole highly-wrought creation airborne with incredible precision and an attractive, insouciant glee. This work was written ten years before Johann Sebastian’s death.

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Musician, actor, comedian and rock 'n' roll superstar Tim Minchin hosts a Proms first - the Comedy Prom. Tim is joined by Sue Perkins, Susan Bullock (soprano), Danny Driver (piano), Kit and the Widow, Beardyman, The Boy with Tape on his Face, Doc Brown, the Mongrels, the BBC Concert Orchestra, Andrew Litton (guest conductor) and Jules Buckley (music director).

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Tags: Danny Driver

A magnificient and emotional day in Japan

In the Shinto Temple of Akama Jingu in Shimonoseki...a traditional ceremony to celebrate the wedding of Pascal & Ami...close family and special friends joined us for a beautiful and simple celebration...there was music and dance...we drank sake and clapped our hands to wake up the Gods and remind them to bring us their blessings... Read More...

Tags: Piano, Pascal Rogé

Stephen Hough who plays for us on 4th December has played five times this year, twice more than any other soloist. This is clear evidence of the respect with which the musical society holds him. Here is part of an article that appeared in the Times.

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Tags: Proms, Stephen Hough

Katrina, Jack and I witnessed a tour-de-force performance of Mendelssohn’s Octet at Òran Mór on Monday 23 June 2008. As one of the highlights of the West End Festival, the Alba Quartet and the Fejes Quartet played a wonderful and mixed programme eventually teaming up to play Mendelssohn’s Octet.

Michael Tumelty awards the performance five stars. The Alba Quartet will be playing for us next season and it will be a crime if we do not persuade the Fejes String Quartet to play in the near future.
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Tags: String Quartet

Make a date on 13 August 2008 to go through to the Usher Hall and see Claire Debono, one half of ¡Canto vivo!, signing in Handel's "Israel in Egypt"

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is reunited with baroque conductor Emmanuelle Haïm, having triumphed with their 2003 performance of Handel's Poro. The soloists are…

Soprano - Lucy Crowe, Claire Debono
Countertenor - Robin Blaze
Tenor - Mark Tucker
Bass - Matthew Brook, Henry Waddington

Tags: Claire Debono, Canto Vivo

Music societies in Scotland are strange places. I continue to be surprised by the depth of knowledge of some about artists that are on the cusp of greatness but not yet.

At Pollok House Arts society we have our fair share of people with "the knowledge". It might not get you around London but it can fair get you around some major but under recognised talent.

"Benjamin Grosvenor: teenage prodigy comes of age" is the heading from a recent article in the Telegraph. However the more I research Benjamin Grosvenor… Read More...

Tags: Benjamin Grosvenor, Piano

We are so pleased that Imogen Cooper, who has been to Pollok House Arts Society, is getting the recognition that she deserves.

Imogen Cooper's distinction as one of the most formidable musicians of her time is widely recognised. But the intellect, musicality and programming skills that she has demonstrated in her music-making in 2007 have, we feel, taken her to new levels. This award celebrates her achievements as a deeply thoughtful soloist, an inspirational keyboard director and a fastidiously accomplished chamber musician.

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Tags: Piano, Imogen Cooper

International violinist Ruth Waterman played for us a couple of seasons ago. Now we find that she has turned her hand to writing and by all accounts it is a fascinating and extraordinary story.

When Swan Lake Comes to Sarajevo
A Musician Journeys into the Aftermath of War

“A brave and extraordinary story . . . this book is a revelation” Anna Ford

War is always with us, and so is peace. This book is about the peace that comes after a war. It is one woman’s account of her experiences in the new country of Bosnia as guest conductor of a remarkable little orchestra, the Mostar Sinfonietta.

Publisher: Canterbury Press Norwich (30 April 2008) Read More...

Two violinist, four pianists, two cellists and an ensemble all set to do a bit of Russian at Paxton House. Ani Batikian, who will be playing for us at Pollok House later in 2008/09 season is one of the many talented musicians that will be entertaining us at Paxton House with a tightly-packed programme of 7 concerts celebrating Russian musical genius. Read More...

Tags: Ani Batikian, Music Festivals, Violin

If you do nothing else this Summer, make a date to schlep over to East Neuk as there is a musical treat to be heard - listening to Llyr Williams play as only Llyr can, at the East Neuk Festival. Last September we were so fortunate to hear Llyr play at Pollok House Arts Society.

Of course while there you should take in a couple of more concerts. Oh! Decisions, decisions - the Skampa Quartet or Sheila Chandra? Read More...

Tags: Llyr Williams, Music Festivals, Piano

Pollok House Arts Society was blessed with a wonderful concert from Cédric in November 2007. Scotland is to be blessed with another performance (actually two) from Cédric Tiberghien (Piano). On Friday 18 July he will be playing at Paxton House, Borders just a few miles from Berwick.

I mentioned two performances because on the very next evening, Saturday 19th he plays alongside another young musical genius - Alina Ibragimova (Violin).

More information at Music at Paxton. Read More...

Tags: Cédric Tiberghien, Music Festivals, Piano, Violin

Little did we know that only a few days before singing at Pollok House Arts Society, Clara Mouriz was a winner at the 7th Handel Singing Competition. We all know she is an artist to watch but it is nice to have the Times confirm this.

…this year's Audience Prize of £250 went to the Spanish mezzo-soprano Clara Mouriz. Hers is a classy act: a light, agile mezzo of great charm and elegant intelligence…
The Times

Also of note is that two of the adjudicators are past PHAS artists - John Mark Ainsley and Michael Chance. Read More...

Tags: Song, Competitions, Clara Mouriz

Harmonia Mundi has just released a new CD by Cédric Tiberghien - BRAHMS. Piano Concerto no.1. Haydn Variations

“[Tiberghien] is wonderfully restrained in music that is often hammered to death; he launches the finale with irresistible elan, and achieves a genuine sense of poetry in the slow movement”
The Guardian, 11 January 2008 Read More...

Tags: Cédric Tiberghien, Piano

Danny Driver, who played for us in our 06/07 season is turning out to be a champion for an almost unknown British composer - York Bowen, In doing so he has managed to get himself into the November/December edition of International Piano Magazine.

He has recorded Bowen's 3rd & 4th Piano Concertos with the BBC Scottish Symphony conducted by Martyn Brabbins, The CD will form part of Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series and will be released in the Autumn of 2008.

It is also interesting that another artist to perform at Pollok House, Stephen Hough, has also recorded works by York Bowen. Read More...

Past performer at Pollok House Art Society wins "The Artist of the Year Award" - as voted for by Gramophone readers - was presented to pianist Angela Hewitt. The other nominees were Sir Simon Rattle, Valery Gergiev, Gerald Finley, Veronique Gens and Steven Isserlis. The Editor's Choice Award - given by Gramophone editor James Inverne - went to Gerald Finley's Stanford Songs of the Sea with BBC NOW, conducted by Richard Hickox (his fifth Gramophone award) and released by Chandos.
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Tags: Angela Hewitt, Piano