Gramophone: Video of the Day: VOCES8 and the National Children's Chorus perform 'Homeward Bound'
A truly ethereal sound from a combined choir of over 300 singers
Three minutes of solace is on offer in today's Video of the Day from the National Children's Chorus of the United States. The three hundred strong choir is joined by the internationally-acclaimed VOCES8 in a performance of Homeward Bound from a concert this July at the St John's Smith Square in London.
Gramophone
By Jonathan Whiting
A truly ethereal sound from a combined choir of over 300 singers
Three minutes of solace is on offer in today's Video of the Day from the National Children's Chorus of the United States. The three hundred strong choir is joined by the internationally-acclaimed VOCES8 in a performance of Homeward Bound from a concert this July at the St John's Smith Square in London.
Watch here.
Gramophone: Video of the Day: Weiyin Chen performs Mozart at London Fashion Week
Pianist and fashion designer brings the worlds of music and haute couture together
Today's video of the day takes us to London Fashion week where pianist and designer Weiyin Chen gave a piano recital with a couture twist. The international pianist performed at the ballroom at the Savile Club in Mayfair surrounded by a total of nine concert gowns designed by Chen herself based on each of the works in the recital. Between each piece she changed into the gown that represented the relevant work.
Gramophone
Pianist and fashion designer brings the worlds of music and haute couture together.
Today's video of the day takes us to London Fashion week where pianist and designer Weiyin Chen gave a piano recital with a couture twist. The international pianist performed at the ballroom at the Savile Club in Mayfair surrounded by a total of nine concert gowns designed by Chen herself based on each of the works in the recital. Between each piece she changed into the gown that represented the relevant work.
Read more here.
Gramophone: Video of the Day: Marc-André Hamelin plays Ives
Marc-André Hamelin performs 'Alcotts' from the Concord Sonata
Marc-André Hamelin has recorded Charles Ives's Concord Sonata on two occasions, the first recording (for New World Records) was singled out for praise by Philip Clark in his overview of the available recordings of the work for Gramophone, writing: 'Hamelin’s technique can take him places other pianists can’t reach'.
Gramophone
Marc-André Hamelin performs 'Alcotts' from the Concord Sonata
Marc-André Hamelin has recorded Charles Ives's Concord Sonata on two occasions, the first recording (for New World Records) was singled out for praise by Philip Clark in his overview of the available recordings of the work for Gramophone, writing: 'Hamelin’s technique can take him places other pianists can’t reach'.
Read more here.
Gramophone: Video of the Day: Video of the Day: Flautist Jennifer Grim plays Julia Wolfe's Oxygen
Oxygen for 12 flutes, multitracked and performed by Jennifer Grim
Flautist Jennifer Grim's latest album Through Broken Time was born out of a desire to raise the voices of underrepresented composers through her time working on the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of the National Flute Association. Each work on the album holds special significance to Jennifer and today's Video of the Day brings an essence of urban modernism, marking the importance of New York in Jennifer's development as an artist.
Oxygen by Julia Wolfe was originally commissioned by the US's National Flute Association as a flute ensemble piece. For the album, Jennifer recorded each of the piece's twelve parts across piccolo, flute, alto and bass flute. Recording over 3 hours of music to cover and layer all the parts, the piece proved to be a mammoth undertaking.
Gramophone
By Hattie Butterworth
Oxygen for 12 flutes, multitracked and performed by Jennifer Grim
Flautist Jennifer Grim's latest album Through Broken Time was born out of a desire to raise the voices of underrepresented composers through her time working on the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of the National Flute Association. Each work on the album holds special significance to Jennifer and today's Video of the Day brings an essence of urban modernism, marking the importance of New York in Jennifer's development as an artist.
Oxygen by Julia Wolfe was originally commissioned by the US's National Flute Association as a flute ensemble piece. For the album, Jennifer recorded each of the piece's twelve parts across piccolo, flute, alto and bass flute. Recording over 3 hours of music to cover and layer all the parts, the piece proved to be a mammoth undertaking.
Read more here.
Gramophone: Video of the Day: Sandbox Percussion & Matt McBane
Sandbox Percussion & Matt McBane perform 'Groundswell' from their latest album 'Bathymetry', released on November 4, which draws on various strains of classical minimalism and modern electronic music production
Grammy-nominated percussion quartet Sandbox Percussion’s latest collaboration with composer Matt McBane introduces the world of analog synthesizer through their album, Bathymetry, released on 4 November. It draws on various strains of classical minimalism and modern electronic music production, taking influence the world of YouTube ASMR(autonomous sensory meridian response) and ambient modular synth.
Gramophone
Sandbox Percussion & Matt McBane perform 'Groundswell' from their latest album 'Bathymetry', released on November 4, which draws on various strains of classical minimalism and modern electronic music production
Grammy-nominated percussion quartet Sandbox Percussion’s latest collaboration with composer Matt McBane introduces the world of analog synthesizer through their album, Bathymetry, released on 4 November. It draws on various strains of classical minimalism and modern electronic music production, taking influence the world of YouTube ASMR(autonomous sensory meridian response) and ambient modular synth.
An initial single ‘Groundswell’ is available to watch below, scored for two drum sets (panned left and right), Moog analog synthesizer, vibraphone, and tam-tam. Over the track’s 7 minutes, according to the artists ‘two big waves of sound are formed as layers of interlocking patterns of cycling polymeters build up and then recede in an ecstatic meditation’.
Read more here.
Gramophone: The icarus Quartet perform Big Things by Michael Laurello
Watch a behind-the-scenes studio film from the half piano/half percussion ensemble
Today’s film comes from the icarus Quartet, who invite you inside the studio to see the creation of their title track, released as a single, from their new debut album 'Big Things'.
Gramophone
Watch a behind-the-scenes studio film from the half piano/half percussion ensemble
Today’s film comes from the icarus Quartet, who invite you inside the studio to see the creation of their title track, released as a single, from their new debut album 'Big Things'.
‘The original version of Big Things was one of the first pieces I composed using a process of recording and improvisation, rather than traditional notation,’ writes its composer Michael Laurello.
Read more here.
Gramophone: Anne Akiko Meyers on her new album, 'Shining Night'
Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers's new album, 'Shining Night' takes listeners on a musical journey through the passing of a day - via Villa-Lobos, Bach, Leo Brouwer and even Elvis - and features a number of duets with guitarist Jason Vieaux.
Gramophone
The violinist offers a musical journey through the day, much of it in the company of guitarist Jason Vieaux
Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers's new album, 'Shining Night' takes listeners on a musical journey through the passing of a day - via Villa-Lobos, Bach, Leo Brouwer and even Elvis - and features a number of duets with guitarist Jason Vieaux. She talks to Gramophone's Editor Martin Cullingford about how she developed this wonderful programme.
Read more here.
Gramophone: Video: 'Music Without Borders', with Yo-Yo Ma, Long Yu and Michael Stern
On January 21, 2022, the sixth annual Youth Music Culture Guangdong (YMCG) hosted a gathering of musician friends for a virtual panel called 'Music Without Borders: Musicians and Music for the Present and the Future,' led by host Zhai Jia.
Gramophone
In a fascinating discussion Yo-Yo Ma, Long Yu and Michael Stern reflect on the meaning of music creation, performance, and listening
On January 21, 2022, the sixth annual Youth Music Culture Guangdong (YMCG) hosted a gathering of musician friends for a virtual panel called 'Music Without Borders: Musicians and Music for the Present and the Future,' led by host Zhai Jia.
With renowned guests joining from four cities across the world – Yo-Yo Ma in Boston; Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra (GSO) Music Director and Chairman of the YMCG Artistic Committee Long Yu in a quarantine hotel; celebrated conductor Michael Stern in Kansas City; and members of the YMCG Orchestra, GSO President Mr Chen Qing, conductor Jing Huan, and others in Guangzhou – the discussion centres around the meaning of music creation, performance, and listening.
Read more here.
Gramophone: Figaro in the City: Mozart as a television series
When I had the initial idea to salvage a concert version of the Marriage of Figaro, Paris was just coming out of its first confinement period. Springtime was bursting out, we no longer needed to fill out forms to leave our homes and while all performing venues were closed, the prevalent feeling in the streets was that the time had come to find imaginative ways to keep music alive. I had just spent a month re-reading Magic Mountain, and coming down from the heights of the sanatorium, I felt an urge to find a way to refit our project to adapt to the challenges of the day.
Gramophone
David Stern
A young cast, imaginative filming - how the project came about. Watch the first episode for free
When I had the initial idea to salvage a concert version of the Marriage of Figaro, Paris was just coming out of its first confinement period. Springtime was bursting out, we no longer needed to fill out forms to leave our homes and while all performing venues were closed, the prevalent feeling in the streets was that the time had come to find imaginative ways to keep music alive. I had just spent a month re-reading Magic Mountain, and coming down from the heights of the sanatorium, I felt an urge to find a way to refit our project to adapt to the challenges of the day.
Read more here.
Gramophone: Video exclusive, Arvo Pärt's Estonian Lullaby played by Anne Akiko Meyers
Pärt's new arrangement of his Estonian Lullaby for violin and piano is performed by Anne Akiko Meyers and Reiko Uchida
Gramophone
Pärt's new arrangement of his Estonian Lullaby for violin and piano is performed by Anne Akiko Meyers and Reiko Uchida
We are pleased to present the world premiere recording of a new version of Arvo Pärt's Estonian Lullaby for violin and piano.
Commissioned and performed by Anne Akiko Meyers (with pianist Reiko Uchida) this premiere recording also boasts an animation produced in collaboration with Shazka Studios:
Meyers's recording of the Estonian Lullaby will be released by Avie Records on May 8 and is available to pre-order here: https://orcd.co/9edvjq4