Podcast appearances and mentions of jessica duchen

This week journalist and author Jessica Duchen joins Holly Baker to talk about her new book Myra Hess - National Treasure, which is out now on Kahn & Averill.  Extracts of music on the podcast come from the album 'Myra Hess - The complete solo and concerto studio recordings' on APR Records

Playwright Ishy Din on his new play, Champion inspired by the 1977 visit of celebrated boxer, Muhammed Ali, to South Shields. Art historian Frances Spalding and curator Eleanor Bradley on artist Sheila Fell - the subject of a major exhibition at Tullie Museum and Art Gallery. As a new biography of concert pianist Dame Myra Hess is published, its author Jessica Duchen, and Adam Gatehouse, artistic director of the Leeds International Piano Competition, discuss Dame Myra's distinctive playing style and how it compares to playing styles of today.Presenter: Nick Ahad Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Today's episode features a conversation with Josu de Solaun as he describes the new heights and depths of artistic expression he experienced in studying the Taubman work with Edna Golandsky. Josu was not injured when he came to the Taubman approach. He wanted to understand what he did well at the piano and to discover his limitations in order to play with more freedom, power, speed and artistic expression. https://www.josudesolaun.com/In the 2023 edition, the ICMA jury expressed: "Josu de Solaun is one of the most impressive discoveries of the past decade. Not only is he a technically impressive pianist, but his interpretative imagination also knows no limits. His interpretations ideally reflect De Solaun's ability to engage with works symbiotically and at the highest energy levels. Free of aesthetic dogmas, the pianist creates cosmoses of a solitary nature."He is also the sole Spanish pianist to win first prizes at the José Iturbi (2006) and George Enescu (2014) international piano competitions since their inception in 1980 and 1958, respectively. Esteemed pianists like Elisabeth Leonskaja (1964) and Radu Lupu (1967) have previously won the Enescu Competition.In 2019, President of Romania Klaus Iohannis appointed him Officer of the Order of the Cultural Merit of the Republic of Romania, acknowledging his artistic work and promotion of George Enescu's music—whose complete works for piano he recorded under the NAXOS label—and Romanian musical culture globally.Josu, trained by Salvador Chuliá and pianists María Teresa Naranjo and Ana Guijarro in Spain, later studied in New York under pianists Nina Svetlanova and Horacio Gutiérrez, enabling him to exhibit his musical artistry in various forms. Further studies in New York included composition with Giampaolo Bracali and conducting with Robert Isaacs and David Gilbert, along with chamber music with Robert Mann (Juilliard Quartet) and Isidore Cohen (Beaux Arts Trio).Jessica Duchen of BBC Music Magazine praised: "De Solaun allows the expression to lead at all times, no matter how intense the virtuosity. There is always an elastic vitality in his interpretations, a warm and intimate approach to his phrasing, and a beautiful, sweet tone."Justo Romero in Scherzo declared: "It is difficult to imagine a more powerful and creative pianism. De Solaun is one of the most interesting virtuosos of the contemporary keyboard. Spanish and non-Spanish. A vigorous, wise pianism, of refined workmanship and great musicality. We are before a true colossus of the piano, a true virtuoso, in the old style, who makes use of his resplendent technique and the extroverted dramatic, his strong artistic nature to conjugate versions that combine brilliance and effusiveness, fire and delicacy, always with an intense pianistic foundation, all with naturalness, strength, power, sonorous opulence, and intense expressive sense."The Golandsky Institute's mission is to provide cutting-edge instruction to pianists based on the groundbreaking work of Dorothy Taubman. This knowledge can help them overcome technical and musical challenges, cure and prevent playing-related injuries, and lead them to achieve their highest level of artistic excellence.Please visit our website at: www.golandskyinstitute.org.

Classical music is packed with weird and wonderful musical terminology. Steve Wright speaks to author and critic Jessica Duchen about the meaning and stories behind some of music's most common terms.   This episode is sponsored by Bang & Olufsen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ahead of the release of Maestro, Bradley Cooper's long-awaited film about Leonard Bernstein, Sara Mohr-Pietsch talks to the conductor and composer's daughters - Jamie and Nina - about their parents' relationship, listening to music with their father as children, and how it feels to see their lives recreated on screen. Sara is joined by critics Jessica Duchen and Lillian Crawford who share their thoughts, among other things, about Bradley Cooper's conducting of Mahler's Second Symphony in Ely Cathedral - a central scene in the film. Sara talks to American/Canadian composer Linda Catlin Smith about a new recording of her chamber works by long-time collaborators Thin Edge New Music Collective. Linda has become a leading voice in Canadian musical culture and she tells Sara about her love of spacious and sparse music, and how stepping away from her composition to weed or wash-up can inspire new ideas. Tomorrow's Warriors is an organisation which has supported and nurtured young musicians in jazz for over 30 years, including artists such as Soweto Kinch, Nubya Garcia, Moses Boyd, Shabaka Hutchings and recent Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective. Sara meets its co-founders, Gary Crosby and Janine Irons, to talk about how Tomorrow's Warriors began, how they've gone on to have such a big impact on the UK jazz scene, and the vital need for young people to have access to musical experiences.

György Ligeti: on the 100th anniversary of his birth, we celebrate the Hungarian-Austrian composer and the 2023 Proms performances of his work - music which was famously used by filmmaker Stanley Kubrick in The Shining and A Space Odyssey. Pianist Danny Driver, and music critic, author and librettist Jessica Duchen join Tom to discuss. Plus we review La Cage Aux Folles - the musical story of a gay couple running a drag nightclub, and new Italian film L'immensita, starring Penelope Cruz - about a young girl in 70s Rome who yearns to be a boy, Our reviewers are theatre critic David Benedict, and writer, editor and podcaster Thea Lenarduzzi. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Emma Wallace

Beethoven's love life has long fascinated music scholars primarily because so little is known about it despite some tantalising clues. In his new book, Why Beethoven, music critic Norman Lebrecht, identifies the dedicatee of Beethoven's well-loved melody Für Elise, while Jessica Duchen has written a novel, Immortal, which provides one answer to the question, who was Beethoven's “Immortal Beloved”? Both join Front Row to discuss why their explorations bring us closer to the composer. Garry Lyons on his new play Blow Down at Leeds Playhouse, written to mark the demolition of the iconic cooling towers at Ferrybridge Power Station. It's based on stories collected from people in Knottingley and Ferrybridge in Yorkshire. Blow Down will go on tour with performances in theatres and community centres across Yorkshire and the North East. A new film about Mahatma Gandhi and his assassin Nathuram Godse has caused some controversy in India. Gandhi Godse Ek Yudh (War of Ideologies) imagines a world in which Gandhi survived and went on to debate with Godse, a premise that some have found offensive. Director Rajkumar Santoshi discusses the reaction to his film and BBC journalist Vandana Vijay explains why there's increased sensitivity around some movies in India at the moment. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Emma Wallace

Emerging playwright Tim Foley is in the distinctive position of having won a prize for every play of his that has been staged. He joins Front Row to discuss his third play, Electric Rosary – a sci-fi exploration of religion and science in the company of a group of nuns and a robot - which has just opened at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. Based on the graphic novel by Alice Oseman, Heartstopper is the new Netflix LGBTQ+ drama set in a British high school about teen friendship and young romance. Jack Remmington is in the studio to review. Music critic and author Jessica Duchen picks out some of the highlights in the Proms 2022 season and gives us her thoughts on the programme. Viola player Lawrence Power performs live.

Korngold's Die tote Stadt forms an exciting part of Longborough's summer 2022 festival. In this episode, Korngold experts Jessica Duchen and Michael Haas teach us more about this remarkable composer. With musical extracts from pianist Charles Matthews. This talk was recorded at an event for Longborough members. Thanks to Stuart Essenhigh on trumpet in the introduction. Find out more about Longborough Festival Opera at lfo.org.uk

It was a call from Dame Esther Rantzen for choirmaster Gareth Malone to bring the nation together under his metaphorical baton that has inspired Gareth’s latest choral idea – The Great British Home Chorus. He talks to Katie about the challenge of creating a virtual choir from amateurs and professionals at a time when we are all being told to keep our distance from each other. The contralto voice used to have a regular presence on opera, recital, and choral stages across this country but in recent decades there seems to be have been a concerted effort to excise this particular voice category with singers, directors, agents, and teachers all turning away from the deep tones this voice can provide in favour of higher and brighter voices. Music critic and writer Jessica Duchen, and founder-director of the Kinder Choirs of the High Peak and a former professional contralto Joyce Ellis, discuss why contraltos have been frozen out and whether it’s time they came in from the cold. The Creative Industries Federation are calling for a Temporary Income Protection Fund for the many hundreds of thousands of freelancers in the creative sector who have seen their contracted work vanish overnight in the wake of the Coronavirus crisis. CEO Caroline Norbury discusses why her organisation wants the government to act now. To celebrate the first day of Spring, Radio 4 has commissioned poets to write new poems marking the arrival of the new season which listeners will be able to hear throughout the day. On Front Row, award-winning poet, playwright, and performer Louise Wallwein will be premiering her new poem. Presenter: Katie Popperwell Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Over the course of four years (excluding 2021) British pianist Christian Blackshaw will be performing the complete cycle of Mozart’s piano sonatas on the composer’s birthday, 27 January. In conversation with music critic and author Jessica Duchen, join Christian to explore the sonatas in this Wigmore Hall podcast. The pair talk about what makes the cycle of piano sonatas special, how Christian has developed his programmes, and how much he feels the importance of being able to communicate Mozart’s spirit in the music (period instrument or not). We fantasise about how Mozart’s life and musical relationships might have been had the composer lived to 70 years old or more, and the musical reflections of tragedy following his mother’s death in Paris.

The Russian pianist has been an Artist in Residence at Wigmore Hall for the 2018/19 Season. Novelist and classical music writer Jessica Duchen discusses with Alexander Melnikov the varied and demanding programming behind his residency and adapting his style between fortepiano and modern piano. They take a look back at Melnikov's education, his musical influences and collaborations, including that with fellow pianist Andreas Staier, and some more unusual interests in his life… did you know he has a pilot's licence?

Ahead of her 70th Birthday Concert at Wigmore Hall, Dame Emma discusses chamber music and her career with Jessica Duchen. She will perform at the Hall on Thursday 28 February alongside long-term musical associates as well as a younger generation of artists she believes will play an important role in the future of early music.

Highlights from the week, including Jessica Duchen, Vienna Piano Trio and Benjamin Appl.

Silver Birch – a newly-commissioned community opera about the toll war takes on soldiers and their families – will be premiering at High Wycombe's Garsington Opera festival this weekend (28-30 July). Ahead of that Judi Herman spoke to novelist and journalist Jessica Duchen, who has written the libretto for composer Roxanna Panufnik’s score. The performance features the poetry of Siegfried Sassoon and, in fact, Sassoon's great-nephew Stephen Bucknill is singing in the production. Also amid the 180-strong company, two are members of the armed forces and 50 of them are primary school children. Eight-year-old soloist Maia Greaves plays Chloe, the younger sister of the two soldiers at the heart of a story set in the present day, with echoes of the Great War provided by Sassoon’s poetry.

Conductor Rafael Payare and classical music writer Jessica Duchen in conversation ahead of the Philharmonia's concert on Thursday 9th March, which included Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No.1 in D, Op. 19 featuring violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann and Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances, Op.45.   

Scan through the websites and social media feeds of many orchestras, music festivals and concert halls and you'll notice a common theme: youth and sex appeal, especially when it comes to soloists. But it's more specific than that: Alluring young female violinists are everywhere – and brooding male conductors (or guitarists) with artfully-groomed stubble aren't far behind. These musicians may well be talented and accomplished but their prominence also raises some questions: Is there room for less attractive soloists? And, as with Hollywood, do older women get shut out of opportunities? Jessica Duchen, a classical music & dance journalist for The Independent newspaper and other publications, tells host Naomi Lewin: "I've heard some fantastic female pianists who might be overweight or they don't happen to look like supermodels, and they don't have the careers that they could. They literally do not." Duchen recently interviewed a cellist who said that colleges and conservatories are favoring attractive performers in the admissions process. "I find this quite a disturbing thought," Duchen said. Andrew Ousley, the head of the classical marketing and promotion company Unison Media (and formerly of Warner Classics), doesn't believe there's an epidemic of style trumping substance. While he admits that "sex appeal certainly can allow success to be amplified to a greater scale, it might be an oversimplification to say it's one of the main marketing tools that promoters use." But Jessica Hadler, director of artist programs at Concert Artists Guild, which manages and promotes rising classical performers, says that if an orchestra is presented with two equally accomplished soloists, it will likely hire the more attractive of the two. She frequently coaches artists on matters of wardrobe and styling – and fields occasional complaints from venues about artists' choice of attire. Whether attractive soloists' presence in concert halls is by design or happenstance – and whether it's a good or bad thing for the future of classical music – is an ongoing debate. But a question emerges: How many of them will have the sticking power of Martha Argerich and Mitsuko Uchida? Duchen notes that "what somebody does at 50 or 60 is probably going to be a lot more interesting and mature and insightful than what somebody does at 22. It does seem to me that weeds out the sheep and the goats, if you like." Listen to the segment above, look at the slideshow below, and tell us what you think in the comments: are standards of style changing on concert stages?

Jessica Duchen compares recordings of Chopin's four Ballades and makes a recommendation

The absence of women conductors at the world’s top orchestras is no longer news, but it stands out more every year, as women scale male bastions in business, sports and entertainment. Of the 20 largest orchestras in the U.S., only the Baltimore Symphony has a woman music director: Marin Alsop, who last month made history as the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms concert in its nearly 120-year history. In New York this season, women conductors are noticeably scarce, their scheduled appearances countable on one hand. A similar male-to-female ratio can be found in London. But that’s not to say that there's a lack of women conductors in the field. Recently, the British journalist and author Jessica Duchen compiled a list of more than 100 women conductors. “It’s quite clear to me that there are plenty of women conductors but they’re just not getting the top gigs,” she tells host Naomi Lewin in this podcast. Many of the women on Duchen’s list are not recent college graduates or newcomers, but mid-career conductors, well at the point where a major podium is theoretically in reach. Some, like the conductor and harpsichordist Emmanuelle Haïm, have found that the niche of early-music remains an easier entry point. “Early music is more of a collaborative effort,” said Haïm (right), who this Saturday conducts her ensemble, Le Concert d’Astrée, at Lincoln Center's White Light Festival. “Therefore you shock fewer people maybe in that field.” By contrast, when faced with 19th century masterworks, the principal of male power is deeply ingrained in the conductor mythology. “If I had gone that path it would have been much harder for me to conquest those bastions." Some recent, highly-publicized remarks suggest that prejudice is alive and well in the business. The young Russian conductor Vasily Petrenko told a Norwegian newspaper, perhaps ironically, that orchestras simply play better for men, and that “a sweet girl on the podium can make one’s thoughts drift towards something else.” And Bruno Mantovani, the head of the Paris Conservatory, recently made headlines when he said in a radio interview that conducting is too demanding for women: “The profession of a conductor is a profession that is particularly physically testing. Sometimes women are discouraged by the very physical aspect – conducting, taking a plane, taking another plane, conducting again. It is quite challenging.” Duchen believes that this reflects wider obstacles in music schools and conservatories. “Several of the women conductors that I have interviewed say they were deliberately deterred at college level,” she said. “There were people at the institutions where they wanted to study who actively tried to put them off.” Charlotte Lee, a vice president and artist manager at IMG Artists, sees less evidence that sexism is widespread in the classical music business, and believes that hiring boils down to questions of supply and demand. “I don’t feel that female conductors tend to get hired or not hired based solely on anything other than their talent,” she said. “The artistic programmers that I work with, at least, tend to hire you based on your talent.” While many in the classical music business prefer not to talk about gender prejudice, Lee and Haïm both acknowledge that double standards exist. Orchestras have been known to ask woman conductors to change their hairstyle or tone down a style of dress. But Haim believes there are deeper societal questions at work too. “Behind a great man, there is always a great woman – or another great man,” Haim said. “It’s somebody helping out. As a woman, it’s more difficult because it puts the man accompanying you in a difficult position. Socially speaking they are looked at as weird.” Lee believes classical music will ultimately be forced to keep in step with society at large. “As time goes on we’ll have fewer firsts in general,” she said. “I should hope in 10 years we won’t be having this conversation.” Listen to the full discussion above and tell us below what you think: has there been adequate progress for women conductors?

Donald Macleod charts the life and work of Gabriel Faure. He's joined by the composer's biographer Jessica Duchen, pianist Billy Eidi, and the leading authority on Faure's music, Jean-Michel Nectoux.

Jessica Duchen with a personal recommendation from recordings of Faure's Cello Sonata no.2

With Mark Lawson. Edward VIII: The Plot to Topple a King is a new TV drama/documentary which tells the story of Archbishop Cosmo Gordon Lang, played by David Calder. He believed that Edward VIII's love for Wallis Simpson made a mockery of all that he stood for, and so assembled a group of grandees to oust the King. AN Wilson reviews. Trainspotting screenwriter John Hodge discusses his first play, Collaborators, which recently won the Olivier Award for Best New Play. Collaborators focuses on an imagined encounter between Joseph Stalin and playwright Mikhail Bulgakov. Hodge discusses the differences between writing for stage and screen. Klaus Heymann, the founder of the bargain classical music label Naxos, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, is joined by music critic Jessica Duchen to reflect on how his label revolutionised the music industry, whether there is a downside to affordable recordings and if the record business has a profitable future. Producer Nicki Paxman.

Jessica Duchen with a personal recommendation from recordings of Korngold's Violin Concerto

"He wanted it to be something that's consoling and helpful. It's the end of their lives where they can rest in peace". World renowned choral conductor Sir David Willcocks, shares his personal reflections on the Faure Requiem alongside those for whom the music has comforted and inspired. Known for its peaceful and hopeful nature the Faure Requiem has been called 'The lullaby of death'. Whilst Gabriel Faure himself never spoke directly about what inspired his interpretation of the Requiem, author and biographer Jessica Duchen has speculated that it may have been born out of his experience as a soldier during the Franco-Prussian war. In this edition of Soul music, personal stories of conflict and deliverance are shared from across the decades. Reaching from the beaches of Normandy to the plains of Afghanistan and into the skies of Salisbury. Faure composed the first version of the work, which he called "un petit Requiem" with five movements, of which the Pie Jesu and In Paradisum have become arguably the most popular. "Everything I managed to entertain by way of religious illusion I put into my Requiem, which moreover is dominated from beginning to end by a very human feeling of faith in eternal rest.".