Podcast appearances and mentions of Peter Maxwell Davies

durée : 00:44:33 - En pistes, contemporains ! du dimanche 16 mars 2025 - par : Emilie Munera - Cette semaine focus (entre autres !) sur quelques nouvelles versions d'œuvres phares des années 1970 : Tavener, opéra en deux actes de Peter Maxwell Davies, Another Look pour choeur et orgue de Philip Glass, et De la nuit, pièce fragmentaire et ironique pour piano seul de Salvatore Sciarrino - réalisé par : Céline Parfenoff

durée : 00:44:33 - En pistes, contemporains ! du dimanche 16 mars 2025 - par : Emilie Munera - Cette semaine focus (entre autres !) sur quelques nouvelles versions d'œuvres phares des années 1970 : Tavener, opéra en deux actes de Peter Maxwell Davies, Another Look pour choeur et orgue de Philip Glass, et De la nuit, pièce fragmentaire et ironique pour piano seul de Salvatore Sciarrino - réalisé par : Céline Parfenoff

durée : 00:44:33 - En pistes, contemporains ! du dimanche 16 mars 2025 - par : Emilie Munera - Cette semaine focus (entre autres !) sur quelques nouvelles versions d'œuvres phares des années 1970 : Tavener, opéra en deux actes de Peter Maxwell Davies, Another Look pour choeur et orgue de Philip Glass, et De la nuit, pièce fragmentaire et ironique pour piano seul de Salvatore Sciarrino - réalisé par : Céline Parfenoff

In deze week van Kalm met Klassiek hoor je voor een tweede maal vijf klassieke slaapliedjes. We gaan dus vrolijk verder op de toon van vorige week. Vandaag wordt er een persoonlijke ode gebracht aan alle mensen met de voornaam Lucy. Deze 'Lullabye for Lucy' van componist Peter Maxwell Davies vormt niet alleen voor alle Lucy's, maar voor alle luisteraars een heerlijk muzikaal rustpunt. Wil je meer Kalm met Klassiek? Ga naar npoklassiek.nl/kalmmetklassiek (https://www.npoklassiek.nl/kalmmetklassiek). Alle muziek uit de podcast vind je terug in de bijbehorende speellijst (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6YgSfm1Sux7CroiJvzeUdx?si=f0f254ee8f4048e7). 

Order The Memory Palace book now, dear listener. On Bookshop.org, on Amazon.com, on Barnes & Noble, or directly from Random House.The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that's a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you'd like to directly support this show, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. I have recently launched a newsletter. You can subscribe to it at thememorypalacepodcast.substack.com. Music Two versions of Good Morning Melody by Lullatone. Peter Maxwell Davies plays his own composition, Farewell to Stromness. Dominique Dumont plays Gone for a Wander

Beim diesjährigen Opernfestival von Aix-en-Provence ist sie ein echter Hingucker: die Neuproduktion „Songs and Fragments“ von Barrie Kosky. Luis Jachmann hat sich in Südfrankreich die spannende Zusammenführung der „Eight Songs for a Mad King“ von Peter Maxwell Davies und der „Kafka-Fragmente“ von György Kurtág angeschaut.

SynopsisToday's date in 1934 marked the birthday of the late British composer Peter Maxwell Davies. Now, his name is spelled D-A-V-I-E-S, so most Americans tend to pronounce it “Day-VEES,” even though “Davis” is the common British pronunciation.Once, when Davies was in the U.S., a British journalist called a Las Vegas hotel where the composer was staying and asked to speak to Peter Maxwell Davis. The receptionist said there was no one there by that name. Asked to spell the name, the British journalist did. “Oh, Day-vees!” said the receptionist. “Sorry, there is no one registered by that name either.” It turned out the hotel computer had compressed Maxwell Davis into “Mavis” and that was how he was registered. He found the whole incident so amusing that he wrote an orchestral tone-poem entitled “Mavis in Las Vegas,” fantasizing that somehow he had a female alter-ego in that city, perhaps earning her living as a high-kicking Vegas showgirl.In addition to the whimsical “Mavis in Las Vegas,” Maxwell Davies often composed music often inspired by the bleak Northern land- and seascape of the Orkney Islands—an atmosphere as far removed from the Vegas Strip as you can imagine.Music Played in Today's ProgramPeter Maxwell Davies (b. 1934) Mavis in Las Vegas BBC Symphony; Peter Maxwell Davies, cond. Collins 1524

SynopsisThese days, when “Modern Music” is on the program, a sizeable chunk of the concert hall audience might start nervously looking for the nearest exit—but that wasn't always the case.On today's date in 1882, a 21-year old American composer and pianist named Edward MacDowell took the stage in Zurich, Switzerland, to perform his “Modern Suite” for piano at the 19th annual conference of the General Society of German Musicians, a showcase for new music whose programs were arranged by none other than Franz Liszt.Liszt had met MacDowell earlier that year, and when MacDowell sent him the music for his “Modern Suite” for solo piano, Liszt asked the young composer to play it himself at the Society's conference in Zurich.The success of his First “Modern Suite” lead to the creation of a Second, and both were published a year later by the Leipzig firm of Breitkopf & Hærtel. These two suites were the first works of MacDowell to appear in print, and launched his career as one of the major American composers of the late 19th century.Music Played in Today's ProgramEdward MacDowell (1860 - 1908) First Modern Suite, Op. 10 James Barbagallo, piano Naxos 8.559011On This DayBirths1836 - Brazilian opera composer Antonio Carlo Gomes, in CampinasDeaths1937 - American composer George Gershwin, age 38, in Hollywood, following an operation on a cystic brain tumorPremieres1882 - MacDowell: "Modern Suite" No. 1 for Piano, in Zurich, with composer as soloist1921 - Gershwin: musical revue, "George White's Scandals of 1921," at the Liberty Theater in New York City1996 - James MacMillan: "The World's Ransoming" (English horn Concerto), at the Barbican in London, by soloist Christine Pendrill with the London Symphony, Kent Nagano conducting2003 - Peter Maxwell Davies: "Naxos Quartet" No. 2, at the Pittville Pump Room, Cheltenham (UK), as part of the Cheltenham International Festival by the Maggini Quartet;Others1798 - In the nation's capital of Philadelphia, President John Adams signed an Act of Congress establishing the United States Marine Band (The original "32 drummers and fifers" assisted in recruiting and entertained residents)1885 - First concert of the Boston "Promenade" Orchestra (later dubbed the Boston "Pops") at the old Music Hall in Boston; Adolf Neuendorff conducts;1922 - Opening concert of the Hollywood Bowl, with German conductor Alfred Hertz at the podium1940 - Leonard Bernstein's first appearance as conductor of a professional orchestra, leading a performance of Wagner's Act I Prelude to "Die Meistersinger" with the Boston Pops at an open-air Esplanade Concert1998 - "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band, America's oldest professional musical organization, marks its 200th anniversary Links and Resources On composer Edward MacDowell On the MacDowell Colony

Inspired by David Attenborough's Wild Isles series, Tom Service goes in search of music that reflects British wildlife and wilderness, and our relationship with it. From the songs of Henry Purcell written whilst wolves still roamed the British Isles to orchestral representations of composers like Hamish MacCunn, Grace Williams and Ralph Vaughan Williams, and the score for Wild Isles itself, written by the Oscar nominated film composer George Fenton. But perhaps truly wild music isn't music written about wild places: perhaps it's music which has a wildness of spirit, of process, or of uncontrollably organic construction, music that releases the untamed and the untameable, by composers like Peter Maxwell Davies, Brian Eno, and Chris Wood. But where do the real sounds of nature fit into all this – the sounds of birdsong, bacteria, and fungi…? Our witness today is the award-winning author and naturalist Mark Cocker. Producer: Ruth Thomson

Synopsis The thick historical novels of the 19th century French writer Alexandre Dumas, Sr. are packed with some fact and a lot of fiction. Chapter 22 of "The Three Musketeers," for example, set during the 17th century reign of King Louis XIII, begins as follows: "Nothing was talked of in Paris but the ball which the aldermen were to give to the king and queen in which their Majesties were to dance the famous 'La Merlaison' — the favorite ballet of the king. Eight days had been spent preparing for the important evening. The city carpenters erected risers for the guests; the hall would be lit by two hundred huge candles of white wax, a luxury unheard of; and twenty violins were ordered, the price for them double the usual rate, since they would be playing all night." In this case, Dumas was referencing a real event. On today's date in 1635, at Chantilly castle, a gala ballet premiered. It depicted in stylized dance the Louis's favorite activity: hunting the blackbird ("la merlaison" in French). The choreography, the costumes, and music were all created by the King himself—who also danced several of the lead roles. It got a rave review in the press of the day. If there were any critics, we suspect Cardinal Richelieu, the dreaded power behind the throne in Dumas's novel—and in real life—had them hauled off and "dealt with." Ah yes, it's good to be King. Music Played in Today's Program Louis XIII Roi de France (1601 - 1643) Ballet de la Merlaison Ancient Instrument Ensemble of Paris; Jacques Chailley, conductor. Nonesuch LP H-71130 On This Day Births 1835 - Austrian composer and conductor Eduard Strauss, in Vienna; He was the youngest son of Johann Strauss, Sr.; 1864 - Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist Johan Halvorsen, in Drammen; 1901 - American composer Colin McPhee, in Montréal, Canada; 1926 - American composer Ben Johnston, in Macon, Ga.; 1928 - American composer Nicolas Flagello, in New York City; Deaths 1842 - Italian composer Luigi Cherubini, age 81, in Paris; 1918 - French composer Lili Boulanger, age 24, in Mezy; 1942 - Austrian composer Alexander von Zemlinsky, age 70, in Larchmont, N.Y.; Premieres 1807 - Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 (first public performance), in Vienna, at a benefit concert conducted by the composer; 1885 - Franck: symphonic poem "Les Dijinns" (The Genies), in Paris; 1897 - Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1 (Gregorian date: Mar. 27); 1908 - Ravel: "Rapsodie espagnole" (Spanish Rhapsody), in Paris; 1911 - Scriabin: Symphony No. 5 ("Prometheus: Poem of Fire"), in Moscow, conducted by Serge Koussevitzky and with the composer performing the solo piano part (Julian date: Mar. 2); 1981 - Stockhausen: opera "Donnerstag, aus Licht" (Thursday, from Light), in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala; This is one of a projected cycle of seven operas, each named after a day of the week; 1994 - Peter Maxwell Davies: "Chat Moss" (the name of a quagmire in Lancashire) for orchestra, in Liverpool by the orchestra of St. Edward's College, John Moseley conducting; 2000 - Corigliano: "Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan," at Carnegie Hall, by soprano Sylvia McNair and pianist Martin Katz; An orchestrated version of this song-cycle premiered in Minneapolis on October 23, 2003, with soprano Hila Plitmann and the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Robert Spano; Others 1895 - Italian tenor Enrico Caruso, age 22, makes his operatic debut at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples, singing the lead tenor role in Domenico Morelli's comic opera "L'Amico Francesco." Links and Resources On Louis XIII

Welkom terug bij een nieuwe aflevering van Kalm met Klassiek, dé podcastserie voor je dagelijkse momentje rust. ‘The Queen', dat is het thema van deze week van Kalm met Klassiek. En met ‘The Queen' wordt natuurlijk de onlangs overleden Queen Elizabeth II bedoeld. Queen Elizabeth II had verschillende hofcomponisten, die de titel ‘Queen's Master of Music' mochten dragen, waaronder Peter Maxwell Davies. Hij componeerde een werk met de titel Farewell to Stromness. In 2005 werd deze muziek opnieuw populair, door de huwelijksceremonie van Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall: Camilla. Deze populaire versie voor orkest hoor je in deze aflevering van Kalm met Klassiek. 

Synopsis In 1970, British composer Peter Maxwell Davies moved to the remote and rugged Orkney Islands off the northern coast of Scotland. At first, he said, the natives thought he was just some weirdo from the south, and the more Puritanical islanders would pray the might find a more respectable means of earning a living than writing music. But over time Davies and the islanders got used to each other. The composer found inspiration in the landscape and legends of the area, while the community warmed to the fact that the newcomer found them so fascinating. In 1978, Davies attended a neighbor's wedding, which inspired a musical work he called “An Orkney Wedding with Sunrise.” “It is a picture postcard,” said Davies, “We hear the guests arriving, out of extremely bad weather. This is followed by a processional and first glass of whiskey. The band tunes up and we get on with the dancing, which becomes ever wilder, until the lead fiddle can hardly hold the band together. We leave the hall into the cold night. As we walk home across the island, the sun rises to a glorious dawn.” “The sun,” Maxwell Davies concluded, “is represented by the highland bagpipes, in full traditional splendor.” Despite its local color, “An Orkney Wedding with Sunrise” was actually an AMERICAN commission from the Boston Pops, who gave its premiere on today's date in 1985, with John Williams conducting. Music Played in Today's Program Peter Maxwell Davies (1934 - 2016) — An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise (George MacIlwham, bag-pipes; Royal Philharmonic; Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, cond.) Collins 1444

Synopsis For their February 2013 cover story, the editors of BBC Music Magazine, came up with a list of the 50 most influential people in the history of music.  Bach was on it, as you might expect – but so was Shakespeare. Any music lover can see the logic in that, and cite pieces like Mendelssohn's music for “A Midsummer Night's Dream” or Tchaikovsky's Overture-Fantasy entitled “Romeo and Juliet,” or all the great operas based on Shakespeare's plays, ranging from Verdi's “Falstaff” to a recent setting of “The Tempest” by Thomas Adès. And speaking of “The Tempest,” in New York on today's date in 1981, Sharon Robinson premiered a new solo cello suite she commissioned from the American composer Ned Rorem,  a work titled “After Reading Shakespeare.” “Yes,” says Rorem,  “I was re-reading Shakespeare the month the piece was accomplished… Yet the experience did not so much inspire the music itself as provide a cohesive program upon which the music be might formalized, and thus intellectually grasped by the listener.” Rorem even confessed that some of the titles were added AFTER the fact, “as when parents christen their children.“   After all, as Shakespeare's Juliet might put it, “What's in a name?” Music Played in Today's Program Ned Rorem (b. 1923) — After Reading Shakespeare (Sharon Robinson, cello) Naxos 8.559316 On This Day Births 1835 - Austrian composer and conductor Eduard Strauss, in Vienna; He was the youngest son of Johann Strauss, Sr.; 1864 - Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist Johan Halvorsen, in Drammen; 1901 - American composer Colin McPhee, in Montréal, Canada; 1926 - American composer Ben Johnston, in Macon, Ga.; 1928 - American composer Nicolas Flagello, in New York City; Deaths 1842 - Italian composer Luigi Cherubini, age 81, in Paris; 1918 - French composer Lili Boulanger, age 24, in Mezy; 1942 - Austrian composer Alexander von Zemlinsky, age 70, in Larchmont, N.Y.; Premieres 1807 - Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 (first public performance), in Vienna, at a benefit concert conducted by the composer; 1885 - Franck: symphonic poem "Les Dijinns" (The Genies), in Paris; 1897 - Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1 (Gregorian date: Mar. 27); 1908 - Ravel: "Rapsodie espagnole" (Spanish Rhapsody), in Paris; 1911 - Scriabin: Symphony No. 5 ("Prometheus: Poem of Fire"), in Moscow, conducted by Serge Koussevitzky and with the composer performing the solo piano part (Julian date: Mar. 2); 1981 - Stockhausen: opera "Donnerstag, aus Licht" (Thursday, from Light), in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala; This is one of a projected cycle of seven operas, each named after a day of the week; 1994 - Peter Maxwell Davies: "Chat Moss" (the name of a quagmire in Lancashire) for orchestra, in Liverpool by the orchestra of St. Edward's College, John Moseley conducting; 2000 - Corigliano: "Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan," at Carnegie Hall, by soprano Sylvia McNair and pianist Martin Katz; An orchestrated version of this song-cycle premiered in Minneapolis on October 23, 2003, with soprano Hila Plitmann and the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Robert Spano; Others 1895 - Italian tenor Enrico Caruso, age 22, makes his operatic debut at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples, singing the lead tenor role in Domenico Morelli's comic opera "L'Amico Francesco." Links and Resources On Ned Rorem An essay on "Shakespeare and Music"

Jess Gillam chats to composer Erland Cooper about the music they love, with music by Peter Maxwell Davies, The Pixies, Florence Price and Boards of Canada. Playlist: Ravel - Le Tombeau de Couperin; I. Prelude [Cleveland Orchestra, Pierre Boulez] Boards of Canada - Zoetrope CPE Bach - Sonata In A Minor For Oboe Solo Wq. 132: I Poco Adagio [Branford Marsalis] Ennio Morricone - Se telefonando [Mina] Florence Price - Adoration [Randall Goosby] Peter Maxwell Davies - Farewell to Stromness The Pixies - Where is my Mind? Ralph Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending [Daniel Pioro]

Elaine Kelly's new role as INO's first conductor in residence sees her sailing The Lighthouse, Peter Maxwell Davies' story of odd going on among the 'keepers.

Nick Lane is a scientist who peers down microscopes at incredibly small cells in order to ask really big questions. How did life on Earth begin? Why is life the way it is? Why do we have sex? Why do we die? He is Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry at University College London and the Co-Director of UCL's Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution. He is also the award-winning author of five books, and his next – Transformer: The Deep Chemistry of Life and Death – is due out in May. Nick Lane tells Michael Berkeley about his youthful ambition to be a violinist and how he funded his biochemistry studies by busking on the streets of London. He explains how his passion for the music of Janacek helped win him a place to study for his PhD, and how he unwound each evening to the sound of the early-twentieth-century American folk and blues musician Lead Belly. Nick Lane still plays the fiddle with his band in pubs and now also busks with his teenage son. He chooses folk music inspired by Handel; Bach played by his hero, the violinist Nathan Milstein; and music by Peter Maxwell Davies that brings back an unforgettable jamming session in a pub in Orkney. Producer: Jane Greenwood A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 3

In this podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Edwina Casey, the director of a new production of Peter Maxwell Davies's chamber opera The Lighthouse, which screens in cinemas for one night only on 16th November and then goes on tour nationwide with live performances in venues from Saturday, 20th November. Presented by Irish National Opera, conducted by Nil Venditti and starring Brenton Ryan, Ben McAteer and John Molloy, The Lighthouse is based on an actual event in December 1900, when a visiting supply ship to a Scottish lighthouse finds the building in order but the keepers vanished without a trace. The three singers who play multiple roles, explore the psychological state of the fractious men, relive an official investigation and project a supernatural explanation. The composer, who based the structure of the opera on the Tower of the Tarot, leaves no simple answers. The Lighthouse screens in cinemas on Tuesday 16th November 2021.

George Mackay Brown was one of Scotland's most important 20th-century poets, who also wrote novels, plays and short stories steeped in the rich history and myths of Orkney. Orcadian composer Erland Cooper grew up on the same street, just a few doors down, until the poet's death in 1996. To mark Mackay Brown's centenary, Erland returns to Stromness with acclaimed violinist Daniel Pioro. They journey over hilly moorland on the island of Hoy and to Rousay, an island known as the Egypt of the North. With Mackay Brown's book An Orkney Tapestry as their guide, they perform in a megalithic rock-cut tomb, shelter from gale-force storms against bothy walls with sheep, hike to an iron age broch, and discover an audience of fiddle-loving seals, culminating in a secret tape-planting ceremony. George Mackay Brown famously rarely left the islands. But he enjoyed an international reputation, founded the St Magnus festival, and collaborated often with composer Peter Maxwell Davies. His words also inspired Erland's recent trilogy of records: "The essence of Orkney's magic is silence, loneliness, and the deep marvellous rhythms of sea and land, darkness and light". And for the centenary, Erland has also recorded a three-part orchestral movement with Daniel Pioro and Studio Collective at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. As an experiment, and collaboration with the landscape itself, all digital recorded files were deleted and the only recording exists on a reel-to-reel tape. Erland will bury this during the trip in an undisclosed location, to be left for three years to decompose... unless someone else finds it first. With thanks to the George Mackay Brown estate, Polygon Press, and Sue MacGregor. Producer: Victoria Ferran Exec Producer: Sara Jane Hall A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 3

Donald Macleod attempts to unravel the enigmatic, remarkable story of Julius Eastman and his music. When this week's composer died homeless and alone in 1990, almost no one knew, not even his friends, and his work threatened to disappear with him. Julius Eastman had lit up America's contemporary music scene as a spellbinding performer and a visionary composer whose music is difficult to pigeonhole. A gay, black man in the predominantly white world of new music, Eastman was often misunderstood. His musical voice fused minimalism with pop and the avant-garde, and was inextricable from his identity politics - a sound that was provocative then and remains so today. He collaborated with luminaries such as Pierre Boulez, Peter Maxwell Davies and Meredith Monk but also faced many struggles, leading to his premature and tragic decline. This week, Donald Macleod shares his long-overdue story, with insights from American baritone Davone Tines, a performer and champion of Eastman's music. Music Featured: Stay On It (excerpt) Piano 2 (1st movement) Gay Guerrilla If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich? (excerpt) Colors (extract) Ensemble Tra I Tempi Michael Veltmann, conductor Meredith Monk: Dolmen Music (Men's Conclave – WaOhs) Peter Maxwell Davies: Eight Songs for a Mad King (Scotch Bonnet, Spanish March) Prelude to the Holy Presence of Joan D'Arc Colors Joy Boy Stay On It Fugue No 7 Arthur Russell: Instrumentals, Part I Dinosaur L: No, Thank You! Femenine (Part 1 – Prime) Evil N***** Touch Him When Piano 2 (2nd movement) The Holy Presence of Joan of Arc Buddha Femenine (Final section, Must Return) Presented by Donald Macleod Produced in Cardiff by Amelia Parker For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Julius Eastman (1940-1990) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00106ny And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we've featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific and Farewell to Stromness, Peter Maxwell Davies

Synopsis Is the customer always right? Apparently Giuseppe Verdi thought so–to a degree, at least. On today’s date in 1872, Verdi sent a note to his publisher with an attached letter he had received from a disgruntled customer, a certain Prospero Bertani, who had attended not one, but two performances of Verdi’s brand-new opera, “Aida.” Bertani said, “I admired the scenery... I listened with pleasure to the excellent singers, and took pains to let nothing escape me. After it was over, I asked myself whether I was satisfied. The answer was ‘no’.” Since everyone else seemed to think “Aida” was terrific, Bertani attended a second performance to make sure he wasn’t mistaken, and concluded: “The opera contains absolutely nothing thrilling or electrifying. If it were not for the magnificent scenery, the audience would not sit through it.” Bertini itemized his expenses for tickets, train fare, and meals, and asked Verdi for reimbursement. Verdi was so amused that he instructed Ricordi to pay Bertani – but not the full amount, since, as Verdi put it: “…to pay for his dinner too? No! He could very well have eaten at home!” COMPOSERS DATEBOOK is produced by APM, American Public Media, in collaboration with the American Composers Forum, reminding you that "all music was once new." Music Played in Today's Program Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901) Aida excerpts On This Day Births 1697 - French violinist and composer Jean Marie Leclair, in Lyons; 1888 - Austrian-born American film composer Max Steiner, in Vienna; 1894 - Russian-born American film composer, Dimitri Tiomkin, in St. Petersburg; 1916 - American composer Milton Babbitt, in Philadelphia; Deaths 1760 - German composer Johann Christoph Graupner, age 77, in Darmstadt; Premieres 1876 - Wagner: "Festival March" (commissioned for the American Centennial), at the opening of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, conducted by Theodore Thomas; 1894 - R. Strauss: opera "Guntram," in Weimar at the Hoftheater, with the composer conducting; 1904 - Alfvén: "Midsommarvaka" (Midsummer Vigil), in Stockholm; 1907 - Dukas: opera "Ariane et Barbe-Blue" (Ariane and Bluebeard),in Paris; 1954 - Rautavaara: "A Requiem in Our Time," in Cincinnati, with Cincinnati Brass Choir, Ernest N, Glover, conducting; This work had won First Prize in the Thor Johnson Composition Contest that year; 1957 - Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2, in Moscow, by the USSR State Symphony, Nikolai Anosov conducting, with the composer's son, Maxim, as the soloist; 1964 - Roy Harris: "Epilogue to ‘Profiles in Courage'" for orchestra, in Los Angeles; 1985 - Peter Maxwell Davies: "An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise" for orchestra with bagpipe solo, ay Boston's Symphony Hall, by the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams; 1985 - Michael Torke: "Ecstatic Orange," at the Cooper Union in New York, by the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Lukas Foss conducting; 1997 - Philip Glass: opera "The Marriage Between Zones Three, Four and Five" (based on the sci-fi novel by Doris Lessing), at the State Theater in Heidelberg (Germany); Others 1824 - American premiere of Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" (sung in English ) at the Park Theater in New York.

Synopsis Is the customer always right? Apparently Giuseppe Verdi thought so–to a degree, at least. On today’s date in 1872, Verdi sent a note to his publisher with an attached letter he had received from a disgruntled customer, a certain Prospero Bertani, who had attended not one, but two performances of Verdi’s brand-new opera, “Aida.” Bertani said, “I admired the scenery... I listened with pleasure to the excellent singers, and took pains to let nothing escape me. After it was over, I asked myself whether I was satisfied. The answer was ‘no’.” Since everyone else seemed to think “Aida” was terrific, Bertani attended a second performance to make sure he wasn’t mistaken, and concluded: “The opera contains absolutely nothing thrilling or electrifying. If it were not for the magnificent scenery, the audience would not sit through it.” Bertini itemized his expenses for tickets, train fare, and meals, and asked Verdi for reimbursement. Verdi was so amused that he instructed Ricordi to pay Bertani – but not the full amount, since, as Verdi put it: “…to pay for his dinner too? No! He could very well have eaten at home!” COMPOSERS DATEBOOK is produced by APM, American Public Media, in collaboration with the American Composers Forum, reminding you that "all music was once new." Music Played in Today's Program Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901) Aida excerpts On This Day Births 1697 - French violinist and composer Jean Marie Leclair, in Lyons; 1888 - Austrian-born American film composer Max Steiner, in Vienna; 1894 - Russian-born American film composer, Dimitri Tiomkin, in St. Petersburg; 1916 - American composer Milton Babbitt, in Philadelphia; Deaths 1760 - German composer Johann Christoph Graupner, age 77, in Darmstadt; Premieres 1876 - Wagner: "Festival March" (commissioned for the American Centennial), at the opening of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, conducted by Theodore Thomas; 1894 - R. Strauss: opera "Guntram," in Weimar at the Hoftheater, with the composer conducting; 1904 - Alfvén: "Midsommarvaka" (Midsummer Vigil), in Stockholm; 1907 - Dukas: opera "Ariane et Barbe-Blue" (Ariane and Bluebeard),in Paris; 1954 - Rautavaara: "A Requiem in Our Time," in Cincinnati, with Cincinnati Brass Choir, Ernest N, Glover, conducting; This work had won First Prize in the Thor Johnson Composition Contest that year; 1957 - Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2, in Moscow, by the USSR State Symphony, Nikolai Anosov conducting, with the composer's son, Maxim, as the soloist; 1964 - Roy Harris: "Epilogue to ‘Profiles in Courage'" for orchestra, in Los Angeles; 1985 - Peter Maxwell Davies: "An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise" for orchestra with bagpipe solo, ay Boston's Symphony Hall, by the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams; 1985 - Michael Torke: "Ecstatic Orange," at the Cooper Union in New York, by the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Lukas Foss conducting; 1997 - Philip Glass: opera "The Marriage Between Zones Three, Four and Five" (based on the sci-fi novel by Doris Lessing), at the State Theater in Heidelberg (Germany); Others 1824 - American premiere of Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" (sung in English ) at the Park Theater in New York.

Synopsis On today’s date in 1899, Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in Washington, D.C. The son of a former White House butler, Elllington was born into a comfortable middle-class African American household. After piano lessons from the aptly named Miss Klinkscales, Ellington composed his first original piece, “The Soda Fountain Rag.” Two important mentors were a local dance band leader, Oliver “Doc” Perry and a high school music teacher named Henry Grant, who introduced Ellington to classical composers like Debussy. “From both these men I received freely and generously,” recalled Ellington. “ I repaid them as I could, by playing piano for Mr. Perry, and by learning all I could from Mr. Grant.” Always a stylish dresser, Ellington was nicknamed “The Duke” by friends, and while still in his teens, the five-piece dance band he formed was playing in New York City. That ensemble grew to 11 men by 1930 and to an orchestra of 19 by 1946. The Ellington orchestra was an ensemble of jazz virtuosos, and for them Ellington would compose some 2000 original works, a body of music extensively documented in public and private recordings, and now regarded as one of the most astonishing musical accomplishments of the 20th century. Music Played in Today's Program Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (1899-1974) The River Suite Detroit Symphony; Neeme Järvi, cond. Chandos 9154 On This Day Births 1879 - British conductor and occasional orchestrator-arranger of Handel scores, Sir Thomas Beecham, in St. Helens (near Liverpool); 1855 - Russian composer Anatoly Liadov (Gregorian date: May 11); 1888 - American popular song composer Irving Berlin (Isidore Balin) (Gregorian date: May 11); There are several possibilities concerning his birth city. It could be Tyumen or Tumen, any one of several villages near the city of Mogilyov, Russia (now Belarus), not the city in Siberia. 1885 - American composer Wallingford Riegger, in Albany, Ga.; 1899 - American composer and jazz band leader, Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, in Washington, D.C.; 1920 - American composer Harold Shapero, in Lynn, Mass.; 1929 - Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe, in Launeceston; Deaths 1712 - Spanish composer and organist Juan Bautista José (Juan Bautista Josep; Joan) Cabanilles (Cavanilles, Cabanillas, Cavanillas), age c. 67, in Valencia; Premieres 1784 - Mozart: Violin Sonata in Bb, K. 454, at Vienna's Kärtnertor Theater in the presence of Emperor Joseph II, with the composer at the piano with Italian violinist Regina Strinasacchi; Mozart also performed one of his Piano Concertos, possibly the premiere performance of the Concerto No. 17 in G, K. 453 (see also June 13, 1784); 1798 - Haydn: oratorio "The Creation" at a private performance in Vienna at Schwarzenbgerg Palace; The first public performance occurred n March 19, 1799 (Haydn's nameday); 1927 - Vladimir Dukelsky (Vernon Duke): "Zephyr et Flore"ballet suite, by the Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting; 1928 - Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 9, in Moscow; 1929 - Prokofiev: opera "The Gambler" (sung in French) in Brussels; 1962 - Stravinsky: "Eight Instrumental Miniatures" (based on his "Five Fingers" of 1921), in Toronto by the CBC Symphony conducted by the composer; 1980 - John Williams: "The Reivers " (Suite for narrator and orchestra) with a William Faulkner, as part of the first concert Williams conducted as music director of the Boston Pops, with Burgess Meredith as narrator; 1988 - Peter Maxwell Davies: "Strathclyde Concerto" No. 1 for oboe and orchestra, at Glasgow's City Hall, by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by the composer, with soloist Robin Miller; 1990 - Philip Glass: chamber opera "Hydrogen Jukebox" (to poems by Allen Ginsberg), by the Philip Glass ensemble conducted by Martin Goldray, in a concert version presented at the American Music Theater Festival in Philadelphia; A staged production was presented at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, S.C,, on May 26, 1990; 1993 - Michael Torke: "Run" for orchestra, by the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Slatkin conducting; Others 1906 - Victor Herbert conducts a benefit concert at the Hippodrome in New York City for victims of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake; 1969 - On his 70th birthday, Duke Ellington receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House from then-President Richard Nixon. Links and Resources On Ellington

Synopsis On today’s date in 1899, Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in Washington, D.C. The son of a former White House butler, Elllington was born into a comfortable middle-class African American household. After piano lessons from the aptly named Miss Klinkscales, Ellington composed his first original piece, “The Soda Fountain Rag.” Two important mentors were a local dance band leader, Oliver “Doc” Perry and a high school music teacher named Henry Grant, who introduced Ellington to classical composers like Debussy. “From both these men I received freely and generously,” recalled Ellington. “ I repaid them as I could, by playing piano for Mr. Perry, and by learning all I could from Mr. Grant.” Always a stylish dresser, Ellington was nicknamed “The Duke” by friends, and while still in his teens, the five-piece dance band he formed was playing in New York City. That ensemble grew to 11 men by 1930 and to an orchestra of 19 by 1946. The Ellington orchestra was an ensemble of jazz virtuosos, and for them Ellington would compose some 2000 original works, a body of music extensively documented in public and private recordings, and now regarded as one of the most astonishing musical accomplishments of the 20th century. Music Played in Today's Program Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (1899-1974) The River Suite Detroit Symphony; Neeme Järvi, cond. Chandos 9154 On This Day Births 1879 - British conductor and occasional orchestrator-arranger of Handel scores, Sir Thomas Beecham, in St. Helens (near Liverpool); 1855 - Russian composer Anatoly Liadov (Gregorian date: May 11); 1888 - American popular song composer Irving Berlin (Isidore Balin) (Gregorian date: May 11); There are several possibilities concerning his birth city. It could be Tyumen or Tumen, any one of several villages near the city of Mogilyov, Russia (now Belarus), not the city in Siberia. 1885 - American composer Wallingford Riegger, in Albany, Ga.; 1899 - American composer and jazz band leader, Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, in Washington, D.C.; 1920 - American composer Harold Shapero, in Lynn, Mass.; 1929 - Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe, in Launeceston; Deaths 1712 - Spanish composer and organist Juan Bautista José (Juan Bautista Josep; Joan) Cabanilles (Cavanilles, Cabanillas, Cavanillas), age c. 67, in Valencia; Premieres 1784 - Mozart: Violin Sonata in Bb, K. 454, at Vienna's Kärtnertor Theater in the presence of Emperor Joseph II, with the composer at the piano with Italian violinist Regina Strinasacchi; Mozart also performed one of his Piano Concertos, possibly the premiere performance of the Concerto No. 17 in G, K. 453 (see also June 13, 1784); 1798 - Haydn: oratorio "The Creation" at a private performance in Vienna at Schwarzenbgerg Palace; The first public performance occurred n March 19, 1799 (Haydn's nameday); 1927 - Vladimir Dukelsky (Vernon Duke): "Zephyr et Flore"ballet suite, by the Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting; 1928 - Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 9, in Moscow; 1929 - Prokofiev: opera "The Gambler" (sung in French) in Brussels; 1962 - Stravinsky: "Eight Instrumental Miniatures" (based on his "Five Fingers" of 1921), in Toronto by the CBC Symphony conducted by the composer; 1980 - John Williams: "The Reivers " (Suite for narrator and orchestra) with a William Faulkner, as part of the first concert Williams conducted as music director of the Boston Pops, with Burgess Meredith as narrator; 1988 - Peter Maxwell Davies: "Strathclyde Concerto" No. 1 for oboe and orchestra, at Glasgow's City Hall, by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by the composer, with soloist Robin Miller; 1990 - Philip Glass: chamber opera "Hydrogen Jukebox" (to poems by Allen Ginsberg), by the Philip Glass ensemble conducted by Martin Goldray, in a concert version presented at the American Music Theater Festival in Philadelphia; A staged production was presented at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, S.C,, on May 26, 1990; 1993 - Michael Torke: "Run" for orchestra, by the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Slatkin conducting; Others 1906 - Victor Herbert conducts a benefit concert at the Hippodrome in New York City for victims of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake; 1969 - On his 70th birthday, Duke Ellington receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House from then-President Richard Nixon. Links and Resources On Ellington

Cover of Peter Maxwell Davies' "Uranium Daughter's Dance"from the Album "EUPHORIA"by Ann Ellsworth

Cover of Peter Maxwell Davies "Yesnaby Ground"From the album "EUPHORIA"by Ann Ellsworth

Annemieke Bosman spreekt bariton Wiebe-Pier Cnossen over 'The Mad King', een livestream van OPERA2DAY & het New European Ensemble. Tijdens de lockdown houdt OPERA2DAY de blik gericht op de toekomst, waarin de zalen hopelijk weer heerlijk vol zullen zitten. Voor het zover is brengen ze met het New European Ensemble en in samenwerking met Museum Speelklok The Mad King. Een meeslepende en kleurrijke theaterbelevenis, met muziek van Peter Maxwell Davies, Georg Friedrich Händel en Brendan Faegre.

Jings and 'swelp me, Bob. It's a virtual Burn's Supper of a show with authentically Scottish Breabach, Karine Polwart, Peter Maxwell Davies, Alestorm and Andy Stewart. And a few Pretenders like Van Morrison, The Spotnicks, Maxine Sullivan and Rufus Harley. So don the kilt, brush the crumbs from your sporran, break open a bottle of IrnBru, douse your neeps in whisky and settle down to a cross between The White Heather Club and the Hacienda. Sharper than a sgian-dubh on a Saturday nicht.

Evensong is back! Choral Evensong is sung by the Choir of St Bartholomew the Great inside the Priory Church for the first time since lockdown for the Feast of St Bartholomew. The Rev’d Marcus Walker preaches as the Choir of the Priory Church sings Stanford in A, the Rose Responses, Britten’s ‘Rejoice in the Lamb’, and Peter Maxwell Davies’s ‘St. Bartholomew’s Prayer’.Support the show (https://www.paypal.me/greatstbarts)

Il 14 marzo 2016 muore Peter Maxwell Davies, Paolo Tortiglione lo racconta a Wikimusic

Kevin Mallon studied at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music & at Dartington College of Arts, studying composition with Peter Maxwell Davies, conducting with John Eliot Gardiner, singing & specializing in baroque violin.

Kevin Mallon studied at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music & at Dartington College of Arts, studying composition with Peter Maxwell Davies, conducting with John Eliot Gardiner, singing & specializing in baroque violin.

Peter Maxwell Davies, An Orkney wedding with sunrise e Lullaby for Lucy Lezioni di musica del 25/01/2020 con Carlo Boccadoro

Personal stories about Farewell to Stromness, by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Written in 1980 as a protest against uranium mining in Orkney, the music has touched and changed people's lives. The Orkney landscape which inspired Max's music is described by his partner Tim Morrison. We hear from Rosalind Newton, for whom the music provided peace after the death of her grandmother. Conductor Christopher Warren-Green recalls his performance of the music at the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. In Stromness we discover a community coming together to face the threat of uranium mining. Guitarist Sean Shibe and writer Ivan Hewett consider why this simple piece is so subtle and affective. And we hear from Jeana Leslie how the music, with its quiet melancholy inspired by folk music, has became traditional , and was a favourite for Peter Maxwell Davies to perform to visitors at his remote island home. Producer: Melvin Rickarby

- direkte fra Hempel Glasmuseet i Nykøbing Sjælland, hvor Årets P2 Kunstner Michala Petri og vokalgruppen Theater of Voices giver koncert under ledelse af Paul Hillier. Komponisterne er bl.a. Peter Maxwell Davies, Arvo Pärt, Galina Grigorjeva, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Hildur Gudnadóttir, Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen og Sunleif Rasmussen. Vært: Max Fage-Pedersen. www.dr.dk/p2koncerten

The Tactical Guitarist podcast brings you interviews with guitarist, composers, teachers, and anyone else who can share their wisdom, advice and stories on surviving a career in music.My guest for this episode is renowned composer Stephen Goss.Stephen Goss’s music receives hundreds of performances worldwide each year. It has been recorded on over 80 CDs by more than a dozen record labels, including EMI, Decca, Telarc, Virgin Classics, Naxos, and Deutsche Grammophon. His output embraces multiple genres: orchestral and choral works, chamber music, and solo pieces.Goss’s work is marked by a fascination with time and place – both immediate and remote – and the musical styles that evoke them. In many of his compositions, contrasting styles are juxtaposed through abrupt changes of gear. His compositional voice is shaped by his parallel career as a guitarist – that is to say, as a performer, transcriber, arranger, improviser and collaborator with other composers and performers. Not surprisingly, his music often tests the boundaries between all these activities and original composition.Several of Goss’s recent projects have involved the legendary guitarist John Williams, including his Guitar Concerto, which Williams recorded and played on tour with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Some of the world’s leading orchestras to have performed his works include The Russian National Orchestra, The China National Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, The State Symphony Orchestra ‘New Russia’, The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, The Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and The Barcelona Symphony Orchestra.Commissions have come from guitarists David Russell and Xuefei Yang (including chamber works with cellist Natalie Clein and tenor Ian Bostridge). Goss has also collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Alt-J, and Avi Avital. As a guitarist, he has worked with Takemitsu, Henze, Peter Maxwell Davies and Elliott Carter, and toured and recorded extensively with the Tetra Guitar Quartet, various other ensembles, and as a soloist.Stephen Goss is Chair of Composition at the University of Surrey (UK), Director of the International Guitar Research Centre, and a Professor of Guitar at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He was born in Wales on 2nd February 1964.Stephen was in Portland for a three day performance of his Albeniz Concerto by renowned guitarist Pablo Villegas and the Oregon Symphony. I was given a unique opportunity to chat briefly with him, so we sat down at Bryan Johanson’s home this past week to talk a little about his accomplishments, some of his history and some great words of wisdom to musicians.

Percussionist Cameron Leach and I have a great show for you today!  In addition to some great practice tips, Cameron elaborates on some very important topics, including how to clearly communicate to our audience through intentional and empathetic performing, why students must take ownership of their own learning experience, and why musicians need to be great friends to each other! I love Cameron's perspective on those topics, and I hope you enjoy our discussion! Cameron elaborates on: His journey to a solo career – starting in drumcor, doing a music education degree, and transitioning to performance after a chance encounter How he organizes his practice – having to handle so many instruments Why he likes to practice hungry What it is like to have to learn a wide variety of percussion instruments Ho he transfers the sound concepts from one instrument to the next Different practice modes in practice: Learning mode “Emoting” mode Why he thinks it's important to consider how you are sending your musical message and how it is received by your listeners Clear emotional communication How documenting his practice on video helped him release stress and was a creative outlet Why it's important to keep the sound of the hall in mind when we practice How recording ourselves helps us narrow our focus on specific elements in our practice His 3 key words – inquisitive, intentional, empathetic How students must take ownership of their learning experience (SCHOOLS CAN'T TECH YOU EVERYTHING!) during their degree and remain inquisitive AFTER they've graduated (Pssst! We're all lifelong learners!!!!)     More about Cameron: Website: www.cleachmusic.com YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVIL-V9LiebwHS_XbuRbTsw Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cleachmusic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleachmusic/   Beyond Talent: Creating a Successful Career in Music by Angela Myles Beeching The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield   BIOGRAPHY American percussionist Cameron Leach is a bold, high-energy performer acclaimed for his expressive virtuosity, musical athleticism, and daring interpretations. An engaging and thoughtful soloist, Leach has concertized across the United States, Canada, and Europe. He frequently appears as a guest artist at some of the world's finest institutions, including the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Royal Northern College of Music, Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, and Norwegian Academy of Music. Leach recently won both the Percussive Arts Society International Solo Artist Competition and Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition, in addition to receiving the prestigious Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. Along with his active touring schedule, he regularly performs with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and serves on the faculty of Kent State University. Leach is endorsed by Black Swamp Percussion, Beetle Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, and Malletech. Highlights from the 2017-2018 season include the debut of his new electroacoustic solo show ELISION, a European Tour as Co-Principal of the World Percussion Group, the world premiere of Paul Lansky's Metal Light for the Percussive Arts Society, and a performance of Jennifer Higdon's Percussion Concerto with the Eastman Wind Ensemble. Additionally, he performed Peter Maxwell Davies' seminal Eight Songs for a Mad King with Ensemble id, a Rochester, NY-based chamber collective. His latest project, the Leach | Peters Percussion Duo, debuted on the Eastman Summer Concert Series in July 2018. Leach's 2018-2019 season is marked by a diverse array of solo appearances, guest artist engagements, and world premieres. Kicking off with a performance at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China, Leach then embarks on recital and clinic tours of California, Florida, and the Midwest, featuring newly commissioned solo works by David Skidmore and Matt Curlee. In March 2019, Leach will give the world premiere of Dave Maric's Percussion Concerto, commissioned for him by the Capital University Conservatory of Music. To close out the season, Leach will serve on faculty at the MalletLab Summer Intensive in West Palm Beach, FL, and will spend a week in residence as the featured artist for the Space City New Music Festival in Houston, TX. Devoted to the creation and performance of new music, Leach continues to commission diverse works for solo percussion, with a focus on the inclusion of electronics. During his time at the Eastman School of Music, the institution supported his vision through the Eastman/ArtistShare Partnership, allowing Leach to organize a commissioning consortium for Decay No. 2, a massive electroacoustic solo work by Matt Curlee. Other premieres include pieces by composers Michael Burritt, Paul Lansky, Jeff Tyzik, Alejandro Viñao, Annie Gosfield, Tim Feeney, Jon Lin Chua, and Frédéric Chiasson. Leach makes regular appearances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, having performed with the Eastman Percussion Ensemble and on the Competition Winner's Showcase Concert in 2017, on the Focus Day Series and as a member of the All-Star International Percussion Ensemble in 2015, and with the Rhythm X Indoor Percussion Ensemble in 2011. In addition to his work as a concert artist, Leach also has a strong background in marching percussion, having won world titles with the Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps and Rhythm X.   If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/    

I Upptakt Reykjavik, reser vi till världens nordligaste och Europas västligaste belägna huvudstad. Vad spelar dåvarande kulturministern Katrín Jakobsdóttir, i sin iPod? Nu är hon premiärminister! Birgitta Tollan gör självsvåldiga nedslag i musiklivet i sex städer: Reykjavik, New York, Oslo, Helsingfors, Berlin och Köpenhamn. Har vardera stad en speciell musiksjäl? Vi möter musiker, tonsättare, operachefer, operasångerskor, ensembler, programläggare, kritiker, festivaldirektörer och musikvetare. Det är dags för Reykjavik, världens nordligaste och Europas västligaste belägna huvudstad. Hur fungerar musiklivet när en nation utsätts för ett finansiellt sammanbrott? Blir utbildningen lidande? Konserterna färre? Avstannar det nya, gigantiska konserthusbygget? Hur tänker tonsättare, musiker och andra i musiklivet? Arni Heimir Ingolfsson programlägger Islands Grammy-nominerade symfoniorkester. Under krisen fokuserar den på döda, vita, manliga mästare. Vad lyssnar nya kulturministern, småbarnsmamman Katrin Jakobsdottir, i sin iPod? Hjaltalin en mix av konstmusik och pop. Högni Egilsson skriver musiken som blir Islands nästa exportvara. Besök Reykjaviks första riktiga konserthus Harpa innan det stod klart. Osbjørn Jacobsen visar upp det gigantiska bygget. Tonsättaren Karolina Eiriksdottir skrev kantaten Farväl Island! över Isländska grundlagstexten. Soloflöjtisten Kolbeinn Bjarnason repeterar in nya svåra verk och passar på att utbilda sig i  komposition. Mezzosopranen Ásgerður Júníusdóttir sätter upp Peter Maxwell Davies opera Medium i sitt eget hus. Tonsättaren och rektorn Mist Thorkilsdóttirs startade ett musikkonservatorium, där flera elever är över 50 år. Solopianisten Tinna Thorsteinsdottir tror att kreativiteten ökar i svåra tider.

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Peter Maxwell Davies.

Fiona Talkington looks at the legacy of Carlo Gesualdo and the fascination that his life and music held for certain 20th-century cultural figures, including composers Igor Stravinsky and Peter Maxwell Davies, novelist Aldous Huxley and film maker Werner Herzog. The programme includes an interview with Professor Glenn Watkins, who has written extensively about Gesualdo's life, work and influence.

Poet Kenneth Steven writes on Hoy, the only place of cliffs and mountains in the archipelago of the Orkney islands Kenneth describes the beauty of the Orkney islands as seen in their greenness and lushness, in contrast to the harsher landscape of the north-east corner of Scotland just to their south. 'These islands seem almost cut out of some richly endowed agricultural shore far to the south and planted in the sea just to the top right of Scotland'. But Hoy is different, the island has a wildness not found elsewhere in the islands. Kenneth reflects on the relationship between writer George Mackay Brown and the composer Peter Maxwell Davies, who died in 2016. They had met and Peter Maxwell Davies made the decision to live on Hoy in its rugged yet peaceful landscape. 'His falling in love with Hoy was not just a passing whim. He had to win his right to the place in almost fairy-tale like terms. But the peace he had so craved was all about him and his was able to compose; the music that flowed through him could be released at last.'Written and read by Kenneth Steven Producer Mark Rickards

James MacMillan pays tribute to Peter Maxwell Davies, who has died aged 81, and John Wilson revisits an interview the composer gave him a decade ago.Jim Powell talks about his new novel Trading Futures which begins tonight as Radio 4's Book at Bedtime. A mid-life crisis about a former city trader, this short book blends elements of King Lear and Reggie Perrin.John Wilson talks rock and roll survivor, Iggy Pop about his latest and, the geront terrible hints, last album, Post Pop Depression. John hears about Iggy's ambition, how he worked with David Bowie and what he now describes as his baritone voice. Producer: Julian May.

Matthew Sweet looks at some of the experimental ventures in music for film from composers who have strived to create new sounds and evoke new aural worlds to underscore the movies. Recorded as part of Radio 3's New Year - New Music Season, the programme features scores by Bernard Herrmann, Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone, Philip Glass, Peter Maxwell Davies, Jon Brion, Bebe and Louis Baron, Mario Nascimbene, Hans Zimmer, Basil Kirchin, Mr Ozio, Carter Burwell and Nathan Johnson.

We’re featuring an interview with double bassist Jiri Slavik on Contrabass Conversations this week. Jiri is an extremely accomplished bassist in both jazz and classical styles, as you can see from his biography below, and he gave a truly mesmerizing performance at the 2009 International Society of Bassists Convention. This interview took place just as Jiri was about to leave for Europe, and I feel fortunate to have gotten the chance to chat with him on his first visit to the United States! After the interview, we feature a track titled “Coesistenza” from Jiri’s album Repose. This track also features pianist Fred Thomas (iTunes link).  About Jiri: Jiri Slavik was born in Havirov, Czech Republic, into a teacher’s family with a strong musical tradition. As a child he played the violin, which he exchanged for the double bass around age 13. A year later he moved to Rome, Italy, where he attended St Stephen’s School and eventually also the Santa Cecilia Conservatoire (Massimo Giorgi’s double bass class). In the summer of 2004 he graduated from both of these institutions, always with the highest attainable marks (the seven-year long double bass course at the conservatoire took him three years to finish). After having been offered a full scholarship from the Royal Academy of Music, Jiri moved to London, UK, to pursue his studies, first in classical double bass with Duncan McTier, later on in jazz composition with Barak Schmool. After three years he finished the four years long programme with “First Class Honours”. Since August 2007 he lives as a freelance musician and a composer in Paris, France. He has attended masterclasses under the direction of jazz celebrities such as Dave Holland, Jeff „Tain“ Watts, Larry Grenadier, Jeff Ballard, Kenny Wheeler or contemporary music authorities like Pierre Laurent-Aimard or Peter Maxwell Davies. During his years at the Academy he was the first double bassist of the Concert Orchestra under the direction of Colin Davis or a chosen soloist at the Paganini Festival (2006). With the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris he played Bach’s St Matthew Passion in the Notre Dame or performed in the Théâtre des Champs-Elyseés. As a soloist he has appeared in the Santa Cecilia hall of the auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome or in a program of the Czech Television Koncert na kurtech. With pianist Fred Thomas he made two live recordings for the Czech Radio, as well as the album Repose (F-IRE label, London). His music is in an independant German film production “Oury Jalloh” (www.ouryjalloh-derfilm.de), which won the German Human Rights Film prize, category amateur film, for 2008.

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is Peter Maxwell Davies. He is one of Britain's greatest living composers. His career has seen him go from enfant terrible and champion of new music, writing pieces such as Worldes Blis and Eight Songs for a Mad King, to Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of the Queen's Music. Peter Maxwell Davies was born in Salford, near Manchester, in 1934. Whilst studying at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music he formed the key friendships which were to influence his musical career - with Harrison Birtwhistle, Elgar Howarth, Alexander Goehr and John Ogdon. It was during the 60s that Peter composed some of his most influential works - including often cacophonous, expressionist pieces like Vesalii Icones, St. Thomas Wake and Worldes Blis. Music-theatre pieces like Eight Songs were groundbreaking in their use of drama, as well as music. He is fascinated by the mathematical structures and patterns that exist in nature - and tries to replicate them in his music. For more than 30 years he has lived on and been inspired by the Isles of Orkney where, he says, the sounds that surround him creep into his music almost without him knowing it. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]Favourite track: Victimae Paschali Laudes by The Benedictine Monks of Silos Book: Sanskrit dictionary Alternative to Bible: Bhagavad-Gita Luxury: Copper plate engravings of Durer's Passion

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is Peter Maxwell Davies. He is one of Britain's greatest living composers. His career has seen him go from enfant terrible and champion of new music, writing pieces such as Worldes Blis and Eight Songs for a Mad King, to Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of the Queen's Music. Peter Maxwell Davies was born in Salford, near Manchester, in 1934. Whilst studying at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music he formed the key friendships which were to influence his musical career - with Harrison Birtwhistle, Elgar Howarth, Alexander Goehr and John Ogdon. It was during the 60s that Peter composed some of his most influential works - including often cacophonous, expressionist pieces like Vesalii Icones, St. Thomas Wake and Worldes Blis. Music-theatre pieces like Eight Songs were groundbreaking in their use of drama, as well as music. He is fascinated by the mathematical structures and patterns that exist in nature - and tries to replicate them in his music. For more than 30 years he has lived on and been inspired by the Isles of Orkney where, he says, the sounds that surround him creep into his music almost without him knowing it. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Victimae Paschali Laudes by The Benedictine Monks of Silos Book: Sanskrit dictionary Alternative to Bible: Bhagavad-Gita Luxury: Copper plate engravings of Durer's Passion

Peter Maxwell Davies is not only a prolific composer, he is also Director of Music at Dartington Hall Summer School and Director of the Fires of London, a group specialising in twentieth-century music which he conducts on their many concert tours. Most of his composing is done in the tranquillity and isolation of his home in the Orkneys.In conversation with Roy Plomley, he talks about the various facets of his life and chooses the eight records he would take to the mythical island.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Agnes Dei by Byrd Book: Ulysses by James Joyce Luxury: Music manuscript paper and pens

Peter Maxwell Davies is not only a prolific composer, he is also Director of Music at Dartington Hall Summer School and Director of the Fires of London, a group specialising in twentieth-century music which he conducts on their many concert tours. Most of his composing is done in the tranquillity and isolation of his home in the Orkneys. In conversation with Roy Plomley, he talks about the various facets of his life and chooses the eight records he would take to the mythical island. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Agnes Dei by Byrd Book: Ulysses by James Joyce Luxury: Music manuscript paper and pens