The Spin Doctor Europadisc's Weekly Column

Fathers and Sons (Part 3)

22nd February 2023

If the idea of children continuing in the professions of their parents seems an old-fashioned one, think again. In the arts, just as in other walks of life (politics, for example: Churchills, Benns, Kennedys…), families and work are not always kept neatly compartmentalised in separate boxes. And while many might seek to keep personal and professional lives apart, for those in particular with occupations which arouse strong passions and commitment, various degrees of intermingling are surely inevitable. It is not only genes... read more

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Fathers and Sons (Part 2)

15th February 2023

As we saw last week, the heyday of musical dynasties was the Baroque era, when musical employment by the church or court often passed from father to son, and certain families (notably the Bachs in Thuringia and Saxony) became known as musical clans. (In some non-Western cultures, the transmission of performing and composing is still passed on in this manner, often within a certain caste.) From the late 18th century onwards, the more freelance, individual nature of composition and performance, as musical activity exploded... read more

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Fathers and Sons (Part 1)

8th February 2023

Our New Year piece on Josef Strauss had us pondering on the many instances in classical music of musical fathers and sons (and mothers, daughters, and siblings). They provide many fascinating instances of continuity and change, of preserving tradition and striking out on new paths. In the case of the Strauss family, Johann Senior's sons - Johann II, Josef and (to a lesser extent) Eduard - were all intended for different professions, but all joined the 'family business' of light dance music, raising the waltz, polka and other... read more

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Celebrating Norrington

1st February 2023

The recent release by Warner/Erato of Roger Norrington's complete recordings made originally for EMI - an attractively priced and presented 45-disc set - has generated considerable critical interest online, much of it negative. There are, it seems, three main beefs: the presentation as 'The Complete Erato Recordings' when Norrington never made a single recording for Erato or Warner; the fact that the personnel of Norrington's London Classical Players overlapped considerably with other London-based... read more

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More on melodrama

25th January 2023

Our piece last week on the subject of melodrama generated some interesting responses from readers. Although it’s a neglected genre that is often overlooked, and certainly underrepresented in the catalogues, it is clearly of interest to many of you. The mixture of spoken word and music (the latter usually instrumental, but sometimes vocal too) encompasses extremes of utterance – i.e. unpitched, recited speech and pitched tones – that can heighten emotions and throw narratives into fresh relief. The conventional view is that,... read more

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