The Spin Doctor Europadisc's Weekly Column
Works in Focus: J.S. Bach’s ‘Art of Fugue’
13th July 2022
13th July 2022
Latest Posts
Valete: Pollini, Eötvös & Janis
27th March 2024
The past fortnight has brought news of the deaths of three major figures from the post-war musical scene: two pianists and a composer-conductor.
Anyone who follows the classical music headlines even slightly will have learned of the death at the age of 82 of Maurizio Pollini. He was simply one of the greatest pianists of the post-war era. Born on 5 January 1942 in Milan, he was raised in a home environment rich in culture. His father Gino was a leading modern architect, his mother Renata Melotti a pianist, and her... read more
The Resurrection of Stainer’s ‘Crucifixion’
20th March 2024
Widely vilified as the epitome of mawkish late-Victorian religious sentimentality, John Stainer’s The Crucifixion was first performed in St Marylebone Parish Church on 24 February 1887 at the beginning of Lent. Composed as a Passion-themed work within the capabilities of parish choirs as part of the Anglo-Catholic revival, its publication by Novello led to its phenomenal success as churches throughout England quickly took it up. It also spawned many imitations – such as John Henry Maunder’s Olivet to Calvary – which lacked... read more
read moreLabel News: Chandos goes to Naxos
14th March 2024
With the recently announced acquisition of Chandos Records by the founder of Naxos Records, Klaus Heymann, another leading independent classical label has passed to a larger company. Just last year, both the Swedish label BIS and the British firm Hyperion were snapped up, by Apple Music and Universal Music respectively. The press release issued to confirm the situation with Chandos spoke of a ‘synergy’ between Chandos and Heymann’s team, and stressed that ‘the label will remain independent long-term’. Chandos is... read more
read moreEarly Music Round-Up
6th March 2024
As you might have gathered from some of the releases that have featured in our recent reviews and columns, 2024 has got off to an exceptionally strong start for lovers of early music. Consort music by Matthew Locke, violin concertos by Vivaldi, opera and oratorio by Handel (Alcina and Theodora) have already given us many hours of listening pleasure. And, even restricting ourselves to Handel, the delights don’t stop there. Two recent releases on the Delphian label have been especially interesting: violinist Bojan... read more
read moreAccessible Music?
28th February 2024
The news that changes are afoot at BBC Radio 3 under its new Controller, Sam Jackson, has raised alarm in some quarters. The official announcement declares – in language that W1A’s Ian Fletcher would be proud of – that ‘Distinctiveness and ambition are at the heart of the new Radio 3 schedule’, but for those who can bear to read further, it’s clear that magazine-style programmes featuring interviews interspersed with music have received a boost. Two 2024 centenaries are to be celebrated: conductor Neville Marriner and... read more
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