Our friend, and former contributor to this blog, Andrew Pugsley is currently appearing in the west end with The Showstoppers. If you're unfamiliar, it's an astonishing and hilarious improvised musical, based on suggestions from the audience. We maybe a little biased, but have seen it many times at the Edinburgh fringe and can thoroughly recommend it. See review here.
We donated some money to their recent crowdfunding campaign to help with their London run. In return, they made us this fun video answering a question we've asked from time to time. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Showing posts with label About. Show all posts
Showing posts with label About. Show all posts
Saturday, 24 October 2015
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Some new thoughts for the new year
Regular readers may have noticed a drop in the number of reviews and posts lately. There are several reasons for this, among them that there was a little less on in December than some months and my being laid low by flu over Christmas and the New Year, which, in case you are wondering, is not a fun way to spend the festive period. One potential post that fell by the wayside in part for this second reason was a roundup of my favourite live concerts and performances of the last year. This isn't that post, not least because it would have been largely rehashing what I've already written about the more exceptional concerts (such as Bruckner 8 and Mahler 8, Fidelio and the Kronos Quartet).
One thrilling concert experience hasn't been chronicled here, though. Thursday 3rd December found me playing my trombone (not all that well, as normal, since I don't practice very much) in the winter concert of the Stockbridge and New Town Community Orchestra, or SNOTCO, as we prefer to be known.
We started the concert with Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 3 which has long been a favourite piece of mine. That said, the thrill of listening to it is, it turns out, as nothing next to the electricity that I felt playing it. That's not something I'd say about everything we play. Probably it helped that it got me thinking back to that performance of Fidelio.
Saturday, 25 September 2010
@wheresrunnicles passes 1,000
If that means nothing to you, then you should probably stop reading now.
If, on the other hand, it does, then you'll know that the twitter account that accompanies this website recently passed the 1,000 follower mark (thanks to all those who follow - I never thought there'd be half that many). By way of celebration, we're having a little competition. Some people give away a prize to whomever happens to have been lucky enough to be number 1,000 but this strikes me as both arbitrary and unfair to loyal folk who've been around since day one. So, anyone can enter this competition, as long as they're on twitter and following me - even if you're not on twitter you can sign up right now and enter.
The next question, then, is what the question should be? Perhaps some Runnicles based fact to see how closely you've all been paying attention, such as what was the first piece I saw him conduct? However, beyond putting your googling skills to the test, it doesn't really tap your creativity in the way that, say @missmussel's wonderful #operaplot does.
Instead, then, I've gone for something in that vein. So, in order to win, all you have to do is send me a tweet which, in less than 140 characters, contains a description of, or interesting trivia about, Donald Runnicles. The best one (as judged by me - unless anyone fancies volunteering as a celebrity judge), will win. You can enter as many times as you like, the only restrictions are nothing libellous and that entries are kept within the bounds of taste and decency (wit and humour are perfectly fine, to be encouraged even).
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Why Claim Technorati?
Technorati, effectively a directory of blogs, is never something I've bothered much about (after all, there is google). This is underscored by the fact that whenever I've looked for our site on it, little or nothing shows up.
However, the other day I noticed Creative Tourist's second top 25 arts blogs list. Initially I thought we'd dropped off the bottom. Then it turned out that we'd jumped from 23rd to 9th. Great, but why? Traffic didn't seem to be massively up.
It turns out that in November the Technorati data were unavailable and it was more based on google (I've always felt that having a blog hosted by google, as ours is, can only help in their search listings, in terms of ensuring we're promptly indexed). Doubtless, though, this was only temporary.
Now, since I'm not without ego, I headed over to Technorati to see if I could do anything to boost our score. Now, I like to think I'm pretty tech-savvy, but it isn't very clear. Apparently you have to 'claim' your blog in order for them to actually look at it (it's pretty well a one click operation to get google to index my blog, but hey ho). They helpfully provide an FAQ on blog claiming (though one that doesn't actually tell you how to claim your blog).
Well, it's a simple process: you just have to create an account (handing over your name and e-mail address), then access your account, scroll down a bit to a section called 'my claimed blogs' and enter your url. Then all you have to do is enter lots of details. Except we're still not done (if you're only interested in having your blog indexed by google you're already away with your feet up enjoying a nice cup of tea).
They then give you an authorisation code which you have to stick onto your blog. You can't just stick it into the page's header or footer, since it won't pick that up. It has to be a brand new post (hence this - AHSE2EGQK4S3 ). Actually, that's not strictly speaking true, but since the blogger feed doesn't seem to update when you revise a post, that's what I've had to do (it may be different on other services).
Even then you're not done. Oh no. Now your blog goes into a queue, waiting for a human being to check it isn't spam, never mind you've already had to type one of those silly code words and expend all this effort. Mindbogglingly efficient. I can see why the number of blogs listed is so minute in comparison to the number out there. Why would you use this when google just works (except if you're trying to boost your score in a ranking that uses them)?
So, a nice procedure then. All to try and ensure my ranking on a top 25 list. It's a little pathetic really....
However, the other day I noticed Creative Tourist's second top 25 arts blogs list. Initially I thought we'd dropped off the bottom. Then it turned out that we'd jumped from 23rd to 9th. Great, but why? Traffic didn't seem to be massively up.
It turns out that in November the Technorati data were unavailable and it was more based on google (I've always felt that having a blog hosted by google, as ours is, can only help in their search listings, in terms of ensuring we're promptly indexed). Doubtless, though, this was only temporary.
Now, since I'm not without ego, I headed over to Technorati to see if I could do anything to boost our score. Now, I like to think I'm pretty tech-savvy, but it isn't very clear. Apparently you have to 'claim' your blog in order for them to actually look at it (it's pretty well a one click operation to get google to index my blog, but hey ho). They helpfully provide an FAQ on blog claiming (though one that doesn't actually tell you how to claim your blog).
Well, it's a simple process: you just have to create an account (handing over your name and e-mail address), then access your account, scroll down a bit to a section called 'my claimed blogs' and enter your url. Then all you have to do is enter lots of details. Except we're still not done (if you're only interested in having your blog indexed by google you're already away with your feet up enjoying a nice cup of tea).
They then give you an authorisation code which you have to stick onto your blog. You can't just stick it into the page's header or footer, since it won't pick that up. It has to be a brand new post (hence this - AHSE2EGQK4S3 ). Actually, that's not strictly speaking true, but since the blogger feed doesn't seem to update when you revise a post, that's what I've had to do (it may be different on other services).
Even then you're not done. Oh no. Now your blog goes into a queue, waiting for a human being to check it isn't spam, never mind you've already had to type one of those silly code words and expend all this effort. Mindbogglingly efficient. I can see why the number of blogs listed is so minute in comparison to the number out there. Why would you use this when google just works (except if you're trying to boost your score in a ranking that uses them)?
So, a nice procedure then. All to try and ensure my ranking on a top 25 list. It's a little pathetic really....
Friday, 21 August 2009
Ears Today - 2009-08-20
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery and Nicholi Ivanovich Lobachevsky exhorted his students to "plagiarise, let no one else's work evade your eyes...... only be sure always to call it research" (well, he didn't, but Tom Lehrer's version of him did).
In the spirit of that, I thought I'd steal a rather excellent idea from @ViolaMaths, who recently started a blog called A Year With My Ears which, as one might expect, is a day by day chronicle of what she's been listening to. I hope she doesn't object to this shameless rip-off.
Since I have no idea how long I'll keep it up for, would like to at least make a pretence at originality by coming up with my own title, and love a bad pun, I shall call mine Ears Today. By today I don't mean calendar day, rather I mean from the time I get up and start listening to things until the time I finally go to sleep (which will usually be in the small hours of the next morning). Thus, things included on the entry for 20th August, may actually have been listened to on the 21st. Still, any other way and it just wouldn't make sense. For the benefit of any Americans reading, I shall be using the British date format (day/month/year - you will notice how they are logically in ascending order of size, which is why we're right on this one)*.
Today's listening began on the bus to work with the Audio Edition of the Economist (my primary supply of current affairs). What with the Festival, I'm a little behind so it's still the 8th August issue.
No listening at work (it's a bit antisocial to put the earphones in and I need to speak to people quite often so I'd only be taking them out all the time). It's different if I'm working late or lots of people are off.
The 8th August issue was rounded off on the way back as the bus reached Lothian Road. So, for the walk to Venue 40 I selected disc two from Miles Davis' Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel which I'm shocked to learn is currently unavailable.
Fortunately not a huge amount required my attention at the venue so I came home (no music) and collapsed on the sofa. The perfect time to finally spin Marin Alsop's recording of the Bernstein's Mass with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (something I've been itching to do since I picked it up on Monday). It's a magnificent and unique piece and Alsop gives it a fine reading, though the composer's own is still very much the one to go for.
Last night's Philharmonia performance of Janacek's Sinfonietta lacked the Mackerras bite, so putting on his classic VPO recording was a must.
Then it was the ascent of Strauss's Alpensinfonie in the company of Franz Welser-Most and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester.
Finally, before bed, a little of the Brahms German Requiem from Furtwangler and the Stockholm orchestra (sorry, no picture for this one).
Update
*My cousin Colin quite rightly informs me that both the British and American date formats are wrong and that really I should be using ISO 8601. While the date bit of the British format is in the right order on its own, everything goes wrong when you put it next to the time and the ISO standard corrects this. I shall therefore adopt it for my Ears.
In the spirit of that, I thought I'd steal a rather excellent idea from @ViolaMaths, who recently started a blog called A Year With My Ears which, as one might expect, is a day by day chronicle of what she's been listening to. I hope she doesn't object to this shameless rip-off.
Since I have no idea how long I'll keep it up for, would like to at least make a pretence at originality by coming up with my own title, and love a bad pun, I shall call mine Ears Today. By today I don't mean calendar day, rather I mean from the time I get up and start listening to things until the time I finally go to sleep (which will usually be in the small hours of the next morning). Thus, things included on the entry for 20th August, may actually have been listened to on the 21st. Still, any other way and it just wouldn't make sense. For the benefit of any Americans reading, I shall be using the British date format (day/month/year - you will notice how they are logically in ascending order of size, which is why we're right on this one)*.
Today's listening began on the bus to work with the Audio Edition of the Economist (my primary supply of current affairs). What with the Festival, I'm a little behind so it's still the 8th August issue.
No listening at work (it's a bit antisocial to put the earphones in and I need to speak to people quite often so I'd only be taking them out all the time). It's different if I'm working late or lots of people are off.
The 8th August issue was rounded off on the way back as the bus reached Lothian Road. So, for the walk to Venue 40 I selected disc two from Miles Davis' Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel which I'm shocked to learn is currently unavailable.
Fortunately not a huge amount required my attention at the venue so I came home (no music) and collapsed on the sofa. The perfect time to finally spin Marin Alsop's recording of the Bernstein's Mass with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (something I've been itching to do since I picked it up on Monday). It's a magnificent and unique piece and Alsop gives it a fine reading, though the composer's own is still very much the one to go for.
Last night's Philharmonia performance of Janacek's Sinfonietta lacked the Mackerras bite, so putting on his classic VPO recording was a must.
Then it was the ascent of Strauss's Alpensinfonie in the company of Franz Welser-Most and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester.
Finally, before bed, a little of the Brahms German Requiem from Furtwangler and the Stockholm orchestra (sorry, no picture for this one).
Update
*My cousin Colin quite rightly informs me that both the British and American date formats are wrong and that really I should be using ISO 8601. While the date bit of the British format is in the right order on its own, everything goes wrong when you put it next to the time and the ISO standard corrects this. I shall therefore adopt it for my Ears.
Saturday, 2 May 2009
On the nature of free lunches and associated paraphernalia
When we first started this site about two years ago, we really didn't think anyone else would read it. I continued to hold that view until October 2007, when I was astonished that we'd been noticed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orceshtra. It seems that, due to our being powered by the Google owned Blogger, we come up straight away in their news alerts service whenever we mention an organisation or artist (I know, because it alerts me when I write about the people I have alerts for). Certainly, I suspect this is what happened when the Gabrieli Consort cleared up the identity of their soloist. Anyway, I still thought nobody else except a few friends and family read us (the only measure I had was the number of views my profile got, which wasn't, and still isn't, all that many). Then my cousin suggested I install Google Analytics. It takes about ten minutes to set up (just copy a bit of code into the website) and, from the point of view of someone who objects to people storing too much data about them, records a frankly quite frightening amount of stuff. It also told me that hundreds of people were coming here each month. In the last couple of months this has risen even more (I think in large part due to my use of twitter, my review of a popular tv show and a very nice plug on the Guardian website). The result of which is that in the last month we've had well over a thousand unique visitors.
So, why am I bothering to mention all this? It's because in the last couple of weeks something has happened that hasn't before: people have started to offer me free stuff (actually, I was offered a free ticket to a BBCSSO concert a year ago, but already had one, so didn't give it much thought). In this case it was a CD I very much want and an invitation to a press night of something (which I couldn't anyway have made, and to which I anyway have tickets later in the run). Somewhat surprising myself, I did not e-mail back straight away asking them to send me the review CD though post haste.
Who on earth might want to turn down a free lunch? After all, it would be a nice reward for the effort I put into this site. The problem is this: why am I being offered a freebie? Well, because the organisation in question wants me to write a review. They are, in effect, paying me, albeit not very much, to do so. That, for me, is a big problem and represents a glaring conflict of interest. Being in touch with various orchestras and artists via twitter, I already feel guiltier than I did when I say something negative, I'd feel worse if I'd had my seat for free. Similarly, if I rave about a performance, I like to think that the reader has a confidence that nothing improper has coloured that. It would also make it harder to comment on value for money. For example, despite paying a quite absurd portion of my monthly salary to see Don Carlos from the good seats, I don't feel in the least overcharged. If I'd had the ticket for free and said that (though, admittedly, I didn't in the review), the response might be that was all very well for me to say, but amongst those paying the astronomical to prices of Royal Opera's best seats, things feel a little different. I'd also no longer be able to say I felt short changed, rare though that is (actually, even if it had been free, I'd still have felt cheated by The Beggar's Opera).
Then there's the fact that if I don't pay for my ticket the artist doesn't get any money. Now, while some people are sufficiently rich not to notice, others are not. Regardless of which, I want them to get my share of the money, particularly if I've enjoyed the performance. Arts funding does not grow on trees, and especially in the current climate budgets are stretched. I would feel a little wrong and guilty not paying my own way.
Anyway, the question bounced back and forth in my head for a week or so until, after about an hour of setting the world to rights in the pub on Monday, I came to a decision: I don't want to take free stuff (at least, not so long as it isn't also available to the general public). So, if you work for an arts organisation and are thinking of offering us something, this may save you the trouble. However, we are very happy to be contacted for informational purposes: you're welcome to add us to press release mailing lists and we will try to come to press launches of seasons and other such things if invited. It's just, when it's something everyone else has to pay for, we want to too. That said, should you have a performance or CD you want us to review, or think we would be interested in, do still get in touch all the same - we may not be aware of it, or may already be coming.
I should note that I have taken one or two free tickets in the past (a couple were comps a friend of mine had to concerts I didn't in the end review), at other times they've been concerts free to the general public, which is different. Similarly, I am sometimes the guest of a friend or family member, but since in those cases the ticket has been paid for, it isn't a free lunch in sense I've been discussing it.
This may come across as a little prissy or overzealous. Possibly it is, but my integrity is of great importance to me and I find to do otherwise just doesn't sit quite right. I'm also not, I hope, trying to suggest that all professional critics (who, of course, take free tickets all the time), or bloggers who do take free tickets, are somehow morally bankrupt. It is a personal choice, and possibly if you do this sort of thing professionally, rather than just as a hobby, it may feel a little different. In the end, though, for me, this is just how it is.
So, why am I bothering to mention all this? It's because in the last couple of weeks something has happened that hasn't before: people have started to offer me free stuff (actually, I was offered a free ticket to a BBCSSO concert a year ago, but already had one, so didn't give it much thought). In this case it was a CD I very much want and an invitation to a press night of something (which I couldn't anyway have made, and to which I anyway have tickets later in the run). Somewhat surprising myself, I did not e-mail back straight away asking them to send me the review CD though post haste.
Who on earth might want to turn down a free lunch? After all, it would be a nice reward for the effort I put into this site. The problem is this: why am I being offered a freebie? Well, because the organisation in question wants me to write a review. They are, in effect, paying me, albeit not very much, to do so. That, for me, is a big problem and represents a glaring conflict of interest. Being in touch with various orchestras and artists via twitter, I already feel guiltier than I did when I say something negative, I'd feel worse if I'd had my seat for free. Similarly, if I rave about a performance, I like to think that the reader has a confidence that nothing improper has coloured that. It would also make it harder to comment on value for money. For example, despite paying a quite absurd portion of my monthly salary to see Don Carlos from the good seats, I don't feel in the least overcharged. If I'd had the ticket for free and said that (though, admittedly, I didn't in the review), the response might be that was all very well for me to say, but amongst those paying the astronomical to prices of Royal Opera's best seats, things feel a little different. I'd also no longer be able to say I felt short changed, rare though that is (actually, even if it had been free, I'd still have felt cheated by The Beggar's Opera).
Then there's the fact that if I don't pay for my ticket the artist doesn't get any money. Now, while some people are sufficiently rich not to notice, others are not. Regardless of which, I want them to get my share of the money, particularly if I've enjoyed the performance. Arts funding does not grow on trees, and especially in the current climate budgets are stretched. I would feel a little wrong and guilty not paying my own way.
Anyway, the question bounced back and forth in my head for a week or so until, after about an hour of setting the world to rights in the pub on Monday, I came to a decision: I don't want to take free stuff (at least, not so long as it isn't also available to the general public). So, if you work for an arts organisation and are thinking of offering us something, this may save you the trouble. However, we are very happy to be contacted for informational purposes: you're welcome to add us to press release mailing lists and we will try to come to press launches of seasons and other such things if invited. It's just, when it's something everyone else has to pay for, we want to too. That said, should you have a performance or CD you want us to review, or think we would be interested in, do still get in touch all the same - we may not be aware of it, or may already be coming.
I should note that I have taken one or two free tickets in the past (a couple were comps a friend of mine had to concerts I didn't in the end review), at other times they've been concerts free to the general public, which is different. Similarly, I am sometimes the guest of a friend or family member, but since in those cases the ticket has been paid for, it isn't a free lunch in sense I've been discussing it.
This may come across as a little prissy or overzealous. Possibly it is, but my integrity is of great importance to me and I find to do otherwise just doesn't sit quite right. I'm also not, I hope, trying to suggest that all professional critics (who, of course, take free tickets all the time), or bloggers who do take free tickets, are somehow morally bankrupt. It is a personal choice, and possibly if you do this sort of thing professionally, rather than just as a hobby, it may feel a little different. In the end, though, for me, this is just how it is.
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Here, at last, is Runnicles - the 2009 Edinburgh Festival programme
Four score and two years ago, well, just less than two altogether, if we're being truthful, two Edinburgh based brothers established a website to review things that the Edinburgh International Festival was putting on. The only difficulty was finding a name for the thing. Where's Runnicles? was one of our principal complaints about 2007's festival (and, indeed, 2008's, the other being the absence of Mackerras, which was rectified last year).
In the time that's passed since then, our complaint has been steadily chipped away at, first as he was named the new chief conductor of the BBC Scottish (his first season is due to be unveiled shortly), followed by not one, but two concerts with them. However, all that action has been in Glasgow. Today, with the release of the 2009 Programme, marks the announcement of Donald Runnicles' first concert in Edinburgh since our foundation (you'll need Flash to view the link, via twitter, the festival, follow them here, promise a PDF download soon). On Monday the 31st August he will join the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for a programme that includes Strauss's Don Quixote and Brahms' double concerto. I can't wait.
But, of course, the Edinburgh festival is about more than just Donald Runnicles. One of the things I like about Jonathan Mills, who must now be feeling fairly settled as he announces his third programme, is that he aims for a more coherent vision, thematically. What, then, are the themes this year?
Well, it's Handel's 250th birthday and that means opera (which Radio 3 are celebrating quite pathetically - yes it's great they're doing all the operas, but splitting them an act a day as they have been is just useless). It's been a complaint in recent years that we could have had more, not so this year. Granted, much of it is in concert, but one mustn't quibble. For the first time in a while the opening concert comes from the SCO with Judas Maccabaeus (what a shame Handel supremo Charles Mackerras is not on hand to kick start the celebrations). There is also Rinaldo and Acis & Galatea.
Elsewhere in opera, Verdi's Macbeth makes a return, last seen with Mackerras, the SCO and Violetta Urmana in 2003. This time round it's the BBC Scottish and David Robertson, who did such a fine job with Meistersinger in 2006. Wagner is supplied by a concert Flying Dutchman from the Hamburg State Opera. There is some opera on stage, including a new work St Kilda and Handel's Admento Re di Thessaglia. Interestingly, though, nothing from Scottish Opera themselves.
There's also a fair bit of ballet and theatre, but mostly beyond my knowledge to comment on at this stage, though I may well give one or two things a try.
At Greyfriars (and, honestly, extremely steeply priced for one hour in unreserved seating, some of which has no visibility at all) is a series of early evening Bach cantata concerts. Masaaki Suzuki is here on 25th August and, the one I shalln't miss, so too is Carolyn Sampson on 2nd September (she gave a stunning recital at Aldeburgh last year). One last bit of Bach comes in the final week at the Usher Hall with Gardiner on much surer ground than he has been recently with Brahms.
Things aren't perfect, and one does detect the influence of strained purse strings. The big European orchestras are notable in their absence. So too, more puzzlingly, are the big youth orchestras - where is the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchestra? Mendelssohn's Elijah is surely an odd choice, given the SCO did it here only a few months ago. It's a shame, too, that Sakari Oramo and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra aren't returning after their blinding concert last year.
However, we do have Orchestre des Champs-Elysees with two programmes and the Philharmonia under their new chief conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, in a programme including Janacek's sinfionietta and his own piano concerto. Speaking of Janacek, Charles Mackerras, the master of that composer, is here on 26th August with the SCO to perform Haydn's Seven last words of our saviour on the cross. Mahler too makes a return, not heard since 2006, with Zinman and the Zurich Tonhalle (who have received rave reviews, but whose Mahler I've found rather ordinary); oddly, they play the fourth symphony, which is the last one we heard at a festival (then from Rattle and the Berliners). There's a fair bit of Brahms this year, more than we've seen since Mackerras's 2003 cycle. In addition to Runnicles, Metzmacher brings the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin for a programme including the fourth symphony.
But I've not mentioned our third local orchestra. The RSNO have some treats in store for us too - Deneve is on sure ground (after his superb Faust earlier this year) for Berlioz's Romeo et Juliette. Earlier in proceedings, they will play a programme of new music by Scottish composers under Paul Daniel.
In the Queen's Hall what we, sadly, don't see is the return of the Jerusalem Quartet. A pity, since I was hoping to be able to show solidarity with them after the quite shameful way they were treated least year (shameful and stupid - I know a lot of people, sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, who were strong in their condemnation of the protesters and felt they'd shot themselves squarely in their feet, not least because two members of the Quartet work with Barenboim's West-Eastern Divan Orchestra). However, we do get Christian Zacharias, the Arditti and Emerson Quartets, and Britten's Phantasy Quartet.
Perhaps rather obviously, and as it did in 2003 (we've seen 2003 a lot in this piece, did Mr Mills gain some inspiration from that programme?), the firework concert is all Handel, including Zadok the Priest and part of the firework music, sadly this won't be in the original wind orchestration. The closing concert, the previous evening, features Mark Elder and the Halle for The Dream of Gerontius.
All in all, I can't wait.
Update - 27/3/09
PDF brochure now available for download here.
In the time that's passed since then, our complaint has been steadily chipped away at, first as he was named the new chief conductor of the BBC Scottish (his first season is due to be unveiled shortly), followed by not one, but two concerts with them. However, all that action has been in Glasgow. Today, with the release of the 2009 Programme, marks the announcement of Donald Runnicles' first concert in Edinburgh since our foundation (you'll need Flash to view the link, via twitter, the festival, follow them here, promise a PDF download soon). On Monday the 31st August he will join the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for a programme that includes Strauss's Don Quixote and Brahms' double concerto. I can't wait.
But, of course, the Edinburgh festival is about more than just Donald Runnicles. One of the things I like about Jonathan Mills, who must now be feeling fairly settled as he announces his third programme, is that he aims for a more coherent vision, thematically. What, then, are the themes this year?
Well, it's Handel's 250th birthday and that means opera (which Radio 3 are celebrating quite pathetically - yes it's great they're doing all the operas, but splitting them an act a day as they have been is just useless). It's been a complaint in recent years that we could have had more, not so this year. Granted, much of it is in concert, but one mustn't quibble. For the first time in a while the opening concert comes from the SCO with Judas Maccabaeus (what a shame Handel supremo Charles Mackerras is not on hand to kick start the celebrations). There is also Rinaldo and Acis & Galatea.
Elsewhere in opera, Verdi's Macbeth makes a return, last seen with Mackerras, the SCO and Violetta Urmana in 2003. This time round it's the BBC Scottish and David Robertson, who did such a fine job with Meistersinger in 2006. Wagner is supplied by a concert Flying Dutchman from the Hamburg State Opera. There is some opera on stage, including a new work St Kilda and Handel's Admento Re di Thessaglia. Interestingly, though, nothing from Scottish Opera themselves.
There's also a fair bit of ballet and theatre, but mostly beyond my knowledge to comment on at this stage, though I may well give one or two things a try.
At Greyfriars (and, honestly, extremely steeply priced for one hour in unreserved seating, some of which has no visibility at all) is a series of early evening Bach cantata concerts. Masaaki Suzuki is here on 25th August and, the one I shalln't miss, so too is Carolyn Sampson on 2nd September (she gave a stunning recital at Aldeburgh last year). One last bit of Bach comes in the final week at the Usher Hall with Gardiner on much surer ground than he has been recently with Brahms.
Things aren't perfect, and one does detect the influence of strained purse strings. The big European orchestras are notable in their absence. So too, more puzzlingly, are the big youth orchestras - where is the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchestra? Mendelssohn's Elijah is surely an odd choice, given the SCO did it here only a few months ago. It's a shame, too, that Sakari Oramo and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra aren't returning after their blinding concert last year.
However, we do have Orchestre des Champs-Elysees with two programmes and the Philharmonia under their new chief conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, in a programme including Janacek's sinfionietta and his own piano concerto. Speaking of Janacek, Charles Mackerras, the master of that composer, is here on 26th August with the SCO to perform Haydn's Seven last words of our saviour on the cross. Mahler too makes a return, not heard since 2006, with Zinman and the Zurich Tonhalle (who have received rave reviews, but whose Mahler I've found rather ordinary); oddly, they play the fourth symphony, which is the last one we heard at a festival (then from Rattle and the Berliners). There's a fair bit of Brahms this year, more than we've seen since Mackerras's 2003 cycle. In addition to Runnicles, Metzmacher brings the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin for a programme including the fourth symphony.
But I've not mentioned our third local orchestra. The RSNO have some treats in store for us too - Deneve is on sure ground (after his superb Faust earlier this year) for Berlioz's Romeo et Juliette. Earlier in proceedings, they will play a programme of new music by Scottish composers under Paul Daniel.
In the Queen's Hall what we, sadly, don't see is the return of the Jerusalem Quartet. A pity, since I was hoping to be able to show solidarity with them after the quite shameful way they were treated least year (shameful and stupid - I know a lot of people, sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, who were strong in their condemnation of the protesters and felt they'd shot themselves squarely in their feet, not least because two members of the Quartet work with Barenboim's West-Eastern Divan Orchestra). However, we do get Christian Zacharias, the Arditti and Emerson Quartets, and Britten's Phantasy Quartet.
Perhaps rather obviously, and as it did in 2003 (we've seen 2003 a lot in this piece, did Mr Mills gain some inspiration from that programme?), the firework concert is all Handel, including Zadok the Priest and part of the firework music, sadly this won't be in the original wind orchestration. The closing concert, the previous evening, features Mark Elder and the Halle for The Dream of Gerontius.
All in all, I can't wait.
Update - 27/3/09
PDF brochure now available for download here.
Friday, 12 December 2008
Spam (no, sadly not a reference to Monty Python)
Have you had spam (junk mail) purporting to be from Where's Runnicles? If so, we apologise, but we didn't send it. Some horrible individual, not content to waste everyone's time by flooding them with junk, decided that rather than send such rubbish from their own address, they would pretend it was from us (presumably so that they wouldn't have to wade through the 3,000 or so and still counting e-mails that were returned undeliverable).
Anyway, as you might perhaps expect, we feel rather violated by this. Unfortunately, it seems there's little or nothing to be done about this deliberate and malicious assault upon our reputation and our honour. However, should you receive any such spam, you can always report it via services such as Spamcop which will notify the administrator of the network responsible for the original e-mails that they have a spammer (but please make sure you don't report us accidentally because we didn't send it; we have never sent spam and we never will).
On the off chance the worthless individual responsible is reading this: sir, or ma'am, you owe us an apology. After which, kindly do us and the rest of the world a favour by first locating some integrity and secondly getting a real job. If you must continue to spam, you should remember the words of Aaron Sorkin (well, assuming you've ever heard them to begin with, which somehow I suspect you haven't):
Those, such as yourself, who do otherwise are beneath contempt.
Anyway, as you might perhaps expect, we feel rather violated by this. Unfortunately, it seems there's little or nothing to be done about this deliberate and malicious assault upon our reputation and our honour. However, should you receive any such spam, you can always report it via services such as Spamcop which will notify the administrator of the network responsible for the original e-mails that they have a spammer (but please make sure you don't report us accidentally because we didn't send it; we have never sent spam and we never will).
On the off chance the worthless individual responsible is reading this: sir, or ma'am, you owe us an apology. After which, kindly do us and the rest of the world a favour by first locating some integrity and secondly getting a real job. If you must continue to spam, you should remember the words of Aaron Sorkin (well, assuming you've ever heard them to begin with, which somehow I suspect you haven't):
When I write something, I sign my name to it.
Those, such as yourself, who do otherwise are beneath contempt.
Saturday, 11 October 2008
Runnicles Twitters
Never let it be said that we are not at the forefront of modern technology. We may not always be the quickest with our reviews though we are faster than the Scotsman sometimes (case in point my review of the SCO's season opening concert seems to have beaten both it and the Herald, to the web at any rate, doubtless because they will have had the sense to hear it last night in Glasgow). However, as we both have plenty of other commitments we are not always as quick as would be liked.
Now, however, we about to be one of the fastest arts blogs around. You can now follow Where's Runnicles on Twitter. In theory updates may come in the interval during concerts or even as the orchestra is moved about between works. The rules of Twitter are simple - each post is an answer to the question 'What are you doing?', though we may take a degree of liberty with the question, and is limited to just 140 characters, so each post will necessarily be brief. What more could you ask for?
(If there is something more you could ask for, feel free to do so via the comments, though we make no promise.)
Now, however, we about to be one of the fastest arts blogs around. You can now follow Where's Runnicles on Twitter. In theory updates may come in the interval during concerts or even as the orchestra is moved about between works. The rules of Twitter are simple - each post is an answer to the question 'What are you doing?', though we may take a degree of liberty with the question, and is limited to just 140 characters, so each post will necessarily be brief. What more could you ask for?
(If there is something more you could ask for, feel free to do so via the comments, though we make no promise.)
Friday, 5 October 2007
Fame and fortune await (or not)
In truth, I don't think this blog is read by terribly many people who aren't personally known to us. That's all right, though, since to be honest, we write it because it's fun. However, it showed that I, at any rate, am not entirely without an ego when it came to my attention that we had been noticed by someone else. We've had just three comments in the history of this blog since March (anyone reading this is most welcome to become number four), well, if you exclude the couple I've made to update a post. The first was from a friend of the family and the second anonymously agreed with Finn as far as the Tiger Lilies were concerned.
Today (or rather yesterday now), brought something else. Somehow we seem to have passed across the radar of the marketing manager of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra! Stephen Duffy was kind enough to write:
Once the rush of giddiness had subsided and I'd remembered that this probably didn't mean the day job could be given up, I wondered how he'd stumbled across it and so quickly at that (on the off chance you're reading this again Stephen, I'd be curious to know). My best guess is Google News. The same technology that provides the updates about Donald Runnicles and the Edinburgh Festival on the right of the screen can also be set up to automatically e-mail you alters. I have one such set up for another artist I admire, Charles Mackerras, and many blog articles come my way as a result. Actually, I initially had it set up for just Mackerras, but that brought a great many stories about Australian political analyst (and relative to the great conductor) Malcolm Mackerras, but during times of high political drama in Australia the quantity of these actually outweighed those devoted to the musical Mackerras and they ceased to be quaint.
However, the best news wasn't anything he said about us. No, the news that the BBC SSO might be more regularly in Edinburgh would be the icing on the cake of the new appointment. Doubtless it will not be before the 2008/9 season, and not until midway through that, due to the Usher Hall's refurbishment and the lack of another suitable venue (the RSNO are decamping to the Festival Theatre), but if it comes to pass it will be worth the wait, not to mention the money saved in train fares.
Anyway, after such kind words it would seem rude not to return the favour, so a link to the BBC SSO Blog now joins our list to the right.
It also begs the question, if Mr Duffy has stumbled across us, has the man himself? Donald Runnicles, if you're reading, your most welcome and we'd love to hear from you. In the meantime, we'll have to make to with this rather interesting interview in the Herald.
Today (or rather yesterday now), brought something else. Somehow we seem to have passed across the radar of the marketing manager of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra! Stephen Duffy was kind enough to write:
Delighted at your reaction to Donald’s appointment – we at the BBC SSO agree that he’s a very special musician.
Feel free to comment on this at the BBC SSO’s blog:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/music/bbcsso/blog/index.shtml
As for the BBC SSO not being in Edinburgh away from the Festival - we're working on that!
Oh, Smashing blog! Stephen, BBC SSO
Once the rush of giddiness had subsided and I'd remembered that this probably didn't mean the day job could be given up, I wondered how he'd stumbled across it and so quickly at that (on the off chance you're reading this again Stephen, I'd be curious to know). My best guess is Google News. The same technology that provides the updates about Donald Runnicles and the Edinburgh Festival on the right of the screen can also be set up to automatically e-mail you alters. I have one such set up for another artist I admire, Charles Mackerras, and many blog articles come my way as a result. Actually, I initially had it set up for just Mackerras, but that brought a great many stories about Australian political analyst (and relative to the great conductor) Malcolm Mackerras, but during times of high political drama in Australia the quantity of these actually outweighed those devoted to the musical Mackerras and they ceased to be quaint.
However, the best news wasn't anything he said about us. No, the news that the BBC SSO might be more regularly in Edinburgh would be the icing on the cake of the new appointment. Doubtless it will not be before the 2008/9 season, and not until midway through that, due to the Usher Hall's refurbishment and the lack of another suitable venue (the RSNO are decamping to the Festival Theatre), but if it comes to pass it will be worth the wait, not to mention the money saved in train fares.
Anyway, after such kind words it would seem rude not to return the favour, so a link to the BBC SSO Blog now joins our list to the right.
It also begs the question, if Mr Duffy has stumbled across us, has the man himself? Donald Runnicles, if you're reading, your most welcome and we'd love to hear from you. In the meantime, we'll have to make to with this rather interesting interview in the Herald.
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Director's Notes (and coming attractions)
The king is dead, long live the king? Well, not quite. I liked a lot about this year's festival, in many ways more than I thought I would. But at the same time, the body of work I sampled was much reduced on previous years, in part due to ambivalence when the programme was released and in part to other commitments. I passed by the director's foray into early music and the near disaster that seems to have been the drama this year. I also didn't make a single one of the Queen's Hall concerts.
However, there was some very interesting programming: the Poulenc and a much more adventurous attitude to new music (Ades and Zimmermann being particular highlights). And while I didn't really engage with them this time, I do like the idea of stronger and more thematic programming. Brendel was magical, so too were the Bavarians.
But, this was no perfect year either, there some really turkeys: Tilson Thomas, the San Franciscans and Voigt being chief among them, but from what Finn says this was a poor year for staged opera and drama. But, awarding the benefit of the doubt, it is true that these are arguably the trickiest and most expensive areas. Mills had severe budget constraints, the festival having been over a million pounds in debt when he took it on, and if the rumours I have heard are accurate, next to nothing had been left on the slate. It is clearly the case both that McMaster behaved badly, in going out with such a glitzy and expensive programme and leaving the finances in such a state and, more crucially, that the Festival Council badly shirked their duty in the process of selecting an appointment. They should have done one of two things: appointed a director elect several years in advance or ensured the outgoing director had engaged much of the programming for a couple of years after his tenure. They chose not to choose and Mr Mills was left to pick up the mess.
Mr Mills has briefly given his own thoughts, and in particular highlighted the Simon Bolivar Orchestra. When the programme came out I deliberately elected to steer clear of this, apparently in the minority as it quickly sold out. I stayed away because I've heard two of his CDs, or at least exerts therefrom, on Radio 3's CD Review. Their disc of Beethoven's 7th symphony proved that I was wrong in thinking that the finale couldn't be taken too fast, though determining whether it was actually the absolute tempo or orchestra's inability to hold up to Dudamel's choice would require more comparative listening. The more recent attempt at Mahler's 5th symphony seemed fairly uninspired. Perhaps much of it is simply experiencing the passion live. The rave reviews would seem to bear this theory out. Then again, Barenboim's West-Eastern Divan Orchestra manage to translate wonderfully to silver disc. If they return next year, I may have to sample them, if only to sate my curiosity on this matter.
There was a puzzling absence of top flight names: where was Mackerras, who achieved such acclaim with his Beethoven last year and has over the past few years built up an excellent relationship with both the festival and the SCO; brilliant though the Bavarians were, they were in a league of their own amongst the orchestras; and, of course, where was the eponymous Runnicles of whose recent performances with the BBC Scottish have shown wonderful chemistry and been a consistent highlight [in fairness to the director, it appears this will be rectified in future].
I'm therefore going to go for a fudge in so far as making any kind of overall assessment is concerned. Some promising signs, others less so, but judgement reserved for the 2008 and 2009 programmes. With time to prepare and without the debt burden bequeathed him, Mills will have a freer hand and the standards against which he shall be judged will be higher. We await next April with interest (and hope that unlike last year, we may get some preliminary information in November).
Until then, and more particularly, until the madness restarts next August (amidst hopes that the Usher Hall restoration plan doesn't fall apart, relying as it does on the hall being closed until August, reopening for the festival and then closing again, what could possibly go wrong!) what will we be doing? In truth, where's Runnicles may not be any quieter. For a start, I already have no fewer than three trips to London planned between now and Christmas, which will fold in the Salonen and the LA Philharmonic in Sibelius, Jansons and the Bavarians again, Haitink conducting Wagner's Parsifal and, a little off the beaten track so far as this blog's standard faire goes, the electronic stylings of Thomas Dolby.
The core of it all, though, is that in a moment of semi-madness I picked up a season ticket for the SCO this year. I found that last year I went to virtually none of their programme and decided the best solution was just to go to everything: chamber music, six o'clock concerts, the lot (including one or two in Glasgow, either because the Queen's Hall is too small or because I've managed to double book one against Donald Runnicles' return, and there was no way the SCO was going to win that one).
And when I can find a moment in amongst all that, I'll be trying to keep up with the odd CD review. My Sibelius project remains ongoing (I recently finished Ashkenazy's Philharmonia cycle, now all I have to is type it up) as does the Runnicles discography. Not to mention the one or two reviews from last season that I still haven't quite got round to. Suffice to say you needn't worry about my keeping busy. And that's just me, I'm sure Finn will have a thing or two to say.
However, there was some very interesting programming: the Poulenc and a much more adventurous attitude to new music (Ades and Zimmermann being particular highlights). And while I didn't really engage with them this time, I do like the idea of stronger and more thematic programming. Brendel was magical, so too were the Bavarians.
But, this was no perfect year either, there some really turkeys: Tilson Thomas, the San Franciscans and Voigt being chief among them, but from what Finn says this was a poor year for staged opera and drama. But, awarding the benefit of the doubt, it is true that these are arguably the trickiest and most expensive areas. Mills had severe budget constraints, the festival having been over a million pounds in debt when he took it on, and if the rumours I have heard are accurate, next to nothing had been left on the slate. It is clearly the case both that McMaster behaved badly, in going out with such a glitzy and expensive programme and leaving the finances in such a state and, more crucially, that the Festival Council badly shirked their duty in the process of selecting an appointment. They should have done one of two things: appointed a director elect several years in advance or ensured the outgoing director had engaged much of the programming for a couple of years after his tenure. They chose not to choose and Mr Mills was left to pick up the mess.
Mr Mills has briefly given his own thoughts, and in particular highlighted the Simon Bolivar Orchestra. When the programme came out I deliberately elected to steer clear of this, apparently in the minority as it quickly sold out. I stayed away because I've heard two of his CDs, or at least exerts therefrom, on Radio 3's CD Review. Their disc of Beethoven's 7th symphony proved that I was wrong in thinking that the finale couldn't be taken too fast, though determining whether it was actually the absolute tempo or orchestra's inability to hold up to Dudamel's choice would require more comparative listening. The more recent attempt at Mahler's 5th symphony seemed fairly uninspired. Perhaps much of it is simply experiencing the passion live. The rave reviews would seem to bear this theory out. Then again, Barenboim's West-Eastern Divan Orchestra manage to translate wonderfully to silver disc. If they return next year, I may have to sample them, if only to sate my curiosity on this matter.
There was a puzzling absence of top flight names: where was Mackerras, who achieved such acclaim with his Beethoven last year and has over the past few years built up an excellent relationship with both the festival and the SCO; brilliant though the Bavarians were, they were in a league of their own amongst the orchestras; and, of course, where was the eponymous Runnicles of whose recent performances with the BBC Scottish have shown wonderful chemistry and been a consistent highlight [in fairness to the director, it appears this will be rectified in future].
I'm therefore going to go for a fudge in so far as making any kind of overall assessment is concerned. Some promising signs, others less so, but judgement reserved for the 2008 and 2009 programmes. With time to prepare and without the debt burden bequeathed him, Mills will have a freer hand and the standards against which he shall be judged will be higher. We await next April with interest (and hope that unlike last year, we may get some preliminary information in November).
Until then, and more particularly, until the madness restarts next August (amidst hopes that the Usher Hall restoration plan doesn't fall apart, relying as it does on the hall being closed until August, reopening for the festival and then closing again, what could possibly go wrong!) what will we be doing? In truth, where's Runnicles may not be any quieter. For a start, I already have no fewer than three trips to London planned between now and Christmas, which will fold in the Salonen and the LA Philharmonic in Sibelius, Jansons and the Bavarians again, Haitink conducting Wagner's Parsifal and, a little off the beaten track so far as this blog's standard faire goes, the electronic stylings of Thomas Dolby.
The core of it all, though, is that in a moment of semi-madness I picked up a season ticket for the SCO this year. I found that last year I went to virtually none of their programme and decided the best solution was just to go to everything: chamber music, six o'clock concerts, the lot (including one or two in Glasgow, either because the Queen's Hall is too small or because I've managed to double book one against Donald Runnicles' return, and there was no way the SCO was going to win that one).
And when I can find a moment in amongst all that, I'll be trying to keep up with the odd CD review. My Sibelius project remains ongoing (I recently finished Ashkenazy's Philharmonia cycle, now all I have to is type it up) as does the Runnicles discography. Not to mention the one or two reviews from last season that I still haven't quite got round to. Suffice to say you needn't worry about my keeping busy. And that's just me, I'm sure Finn will have a thing or two to say.
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Here's Runnicles! - is a name change required? (or 'Best News Ever')
Well, perhaps a bit of an exaggeration. World peace (or in the Middle-East, at least), cures for aids or cancer and an annulment of the Supreme Court's infamous decision of 2000 would all be better news. Even in the world of music I could imagine better (Runnicles to lead Ring cycle in revival of Scottish Opera's acclaimed production, the news following better funding and some decent management). Still, given our complaint that the eponymous Mr Runnicles has been too absent from the Scottish musical scene in recent years, indeed, the very name of this blog was a tongue in cheek jibe at the Festival for not engaging his services this year, it is hard to think of how the news of his return to Scotland could easily be topped.
True, it could be better. He could be joining an Orchestra on our side of the country (the BBC Scottish do not, sadly, do a joint programme, meaning I'll be contributing to increased revenues for train operators), but the RSNO seem very happy with Deneve and while the SCO are in need to a chief conductor, Runnicles has developed a very special relationship with the BBC Scottish over the last couple of years and it will be wonderful to hear this develop.
Of course, the real hole is at the top of Scottish Opera (the SCO seem to be humming along fine without a director). They have been leaderless since Richard Armstrong left. Actually, a check of the Scottish Opera website just now, shows that isn't quite true. Francesco Corti (who?) has been appointed, and apparently took up the post in August (though in quite what sense is a question worth asking since he will not actually conduct anything until the 2008/9 season). Unfortunately, given the current state and funding of the company and their failure to nurture young Scottish talent in recent years, without more substantial changes behind the scenes, a Runnicles directorship might well be wasted on it.
Runnicles will be spending a minimum of eight weeks a year with the orchestra and will both record and tour with them. Indeed, one of the great boons of this is that as many of the orchestra's concerts are broadcast on Radio 3, we will have a lot more of him on our airwaves. According to the BBC, the appointement will also mean engagements at the Edinburgh festival, the very lack or which this year gave us our name. He last appeared on 26th August 2006. Earlier that evening he was spied in the Grand Circle of the Usher Hall listening to Charles Mackerras's superb performance of Beethoven's 7th symphony (now available on Hyperion), sadly he was seated close enough to the door that he escaped harassment for an autograph. Three hours later he was standing before the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and leading a magical performance of Bruckner's 6th symphony (including an enchanting moment where he seemed almost to dance on the podium, and the orchestra with him). We stood at the end of that performance, in part because it was superb, in part to put our marker down to Mr Mills and impress upon him the importance of engaging Mr Runnicles in the future. To the extent that was our aim, we failed in so far as this year's programme was concerned. But from today's news we couldn't really have asked for more. The Scotsman and the Herald seem to agree.
Where's Runnicles? Well, over there in Glasgow (from 2009, at least). We'll be there to hear how it goes. Those who can't wait can catch him in April with Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and MacMillan's 3rd symphony.
True, it could be better. He could be joining an Orchestra on our side of the country (the BBC Scottish do not, sadly, do a joint programme, meaning I'll be contributing to increased revenues for train operators), but the RSNO seem very happy with Deneve and while the SCO are in need to a chief conductor, Runnicles has developed a very special relationship with the BBC Scottish over the last couple of years and it will be wonderful to hear this develop.
Of course, the real hole is at the top of Scottish Opera (the SCO seem to be humming along fine without a director). They have been leaderless since Richard Armstrong left. Actually, a check of the Scottish Opera website just now, shows that isn't quite true. Francesco Corti (who?) has been appointed, and apparently took up the post in August (though in quite what sense is a question worth asking since he will not actually conduct anything until the 2008/9 season). Unfortunately, given the current state and funding of the company and their failure to nurture young Scottish talent in recent years, without more substantial changes behind the scenes, a Runnicles directorship might well be wasted on it.
Runnicles will be spending a minimum of eight weeks a year with the orchestra and will both record and tour with them. Indeed, one of the great boons of this is that as many of the orchestra's concerts are broadcast on Radio 3, we will have a lot more of him on our airwaves. According to the BBC, the appointement will also mean engagements at the Edinburgh festival, the very lack or which this year gave us our name. He last appeared on 26th August 2006. Earlier that evening he was spied in the Grand Circle of the Usher Hall listening to Charles Mackerras's superb performance of Beethoven's 7th symphony (now available on Hyperion), sadly he was seated close enough to the door that he escaped harassment for an autograph. Three hours later he was standing before the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and leading a magical performance of Bruckner's 6th symphony (including an enchanting moment where he seemed almost to dance on the podium, and the orchestra with him). We stood at the end of that performance, in part because it was superb, in part to put our marker down to Mr Mills and impress upon him the importance of engaging Mr Runnicles in the future. To the extent that was our aim, we failed in so far as this year's programme was concerned. But from today's news we couldn't really have asked for more. The Scotsman and the Herald seem to agree.
Where's Runnicles? Well, over there in Glasgow (from 2009, at least). We'll be there to hear how it goes. Those who can't wait can catch him in April with Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and MacMillan's 3rd symphony.
Saturday, 14 July 2007
Site Update
We're very pleased to be able to take down the Alan Johnston banner as he has finally been safely released. I shouldn't imagine such buttons made all that much difference, but we're none the less glad he's safe and well, and wish him a speedy return the airwaves.
With the Edinburgh festivals fast approaching, the Fringe kicks off on at the start of August (the programme for Venue 40, where I volunteer, is now out too), the International festival on Friday 10th and the Jazz festival even sooner, reviews should be appearing thick and fast. Last weekend's trip to Glyndebourne is now documented (see previous post) and my trip to London for a number of Mackerras concerts will appear in due course. The Proms too has started (though with a rather disappointing Elgar cello concerto and Beethoven 9th). See here for a roundup of my highlights.
With the Edinburgh festivals fast approaching, the Fringe kicks off on at the start of August (the programme for Venue 40, where I volunteer, is now out too), the International festival on Friday 10th and the Jazz festival even sooner, reviews should be appearing thick and fast. Last weekend's trip to Glyndebourne is now documented (see previous post) and my trip to London for a number of Mackerras concerts will appear in due course. The Proms too has started (though with a rather disappointing Elgar cello concerto and Beethoven 9th). See here for a roundup of my highlights.
Monday, 23 April 2007
Update
Apologies, to anyone actually reading this, for the lack of updates lately. Below you'll find my views on Saturday's performance of Belshazzar's Feast by the Edinburgh Choral Union and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
The other update you may notice is the button to the right. Like many, we're shocked at the kidnapping of BBC reporter Alan Johnston, an action which cannot but hurt the Palestinian people. We join with others in hoping for his safe return. Click on the link to register your support.
In the coming days you can look forward to part two of Festival 2005 and my first instalment of the Runnicles discography (probably starting with his most recent disc - Tristan with Christine Brewer).
The other update you may notice is the button to the right. Like many, we're shocked at the kidnapping of BBC reporter Alan Johnston, an action which cannot but hurt the Palestinian people. We join with others in hoping for his safe return. Click on the link to register your support.
In the coming days you can look forward to part two of Festival 2005 and my first instalment of the Runnicles discography (probably starting with his most recent disc - Tristan with Christine Brewer).
Sunday, 1 April 2007
Between now and August
Obviously there will not be all that much festival related stuff to cover in the coming months (though we may well post our thoughts about the programme). So what, if anything, is going to appear here between now and then?
Festivals Past
In both 2005 and 2006, I recorded my thoughts over at the Naim Forum. Over the coming weeks I'll be republishing those posts here. So you can look forward to last year's Beethoven and Bruckner symphony cycles, Mahler 3 from Runnicles, The Death of Klinghoffer and much more.
Runnicles' Discography
Despite having been a fan of Donald Runnicles for some time, I only actually got round to buying a CD of his last summer: his disc of Beethoven's 9th symphony with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. And quite something it is too. It prompted me to visit his official discography which got me thinking. Many of the artists I admire, for example Charles Mackerras, have such vast discographies that it is difficult to acquire them in full, and reviewing them would be a vast labour. Indeed, in the case of Mackerras it is further complicated as there are a number of discs which are no longer available. But Runnicles' discography is of a manageable size, so I resolved to first pick up and then review it all. Originally I conceived this as a series of posts over at the Naim Forum, but with the advent of this blog, they will appear here first.
Other interests
In my first post, I mentioned that this site would cover more than simply the EIF or Runnicles. The third link on our list will take you to Venue 40. During the Fringe (a competing festival which overlaps with the first two weeks of the EIF), the Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House becomes a venue. We install raked seating for around 60 people and run a full theatre programme of 5 shows. This in addition to a vegetarian cafe during the daytime. The whole thing is staffed on a volunteer basis (of which I am one) with the profits going to charity. So we'll be plugging that here too, and probably reviewing the shows we go to there. During August the Venue 40 site will have more comprehensive reviews. Please note, if you go there now you'll only see the 2006 programme, 2007 is not yet finalised but we'll post here when it is.
On the left you'll also find links to the various music (or music related forums) where I post. The Naim Audio Forum is run by hi-fi maker Naim and while its music room covers all genres, there is a dedicated and at times very knowledgeable group of classical contributers: take, for example, this round-up of recordings of the Emperor concerto. Of course it's primarily intended for those who own Naim kit, but there are people there who don't, and the music room can always benefit from new members. There are also links to the BBC Radio 3 message boards, though in recent weeks they have been severely curtailed, with discussion on all bar a few programmes banned, and the offshoot prompted by this decision: R3OK. Lastly there is the forum at Pink Fish Media, another hi-fi forum first and foremost, but anyone with classical interests would be more than welcome to the music room there.
Festivals Past
In both 2005 and 2006, I recorded my thoughts over at the Naim Forum. Over the coming weeks I'll be republishing those posts here. So you can look forward to last year's Beethoven and Bruckner symphony cycles, Mahler 3 from Runnicles, The Death of Klinghoffer and much more.
Runnicles' Discography
Despite having been a fan of Donald Runnicles for some time, I only actually got round to buying a CD of his last summer: his disc of Beethoven's 9th symphony with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. And quite something it is too. It prompted me to visit his official discography which got me thinking. Many of the artists I admire, for example Charles Mackerras, have such vast discographies that it is difficult to acquire them in full, and reviewing them would be a vast labour. Indeed, in the case of Mackerras it is further complicated as there are a number of discs which are no longer available. But Runnicles' discography is of a manageable size, so I resolved to first pick up and then review it all. Originally I conceived this as a series of posts over at the Naim Forum, but with the advent of this blog, they will appear here first.
Other interests
In my first post, I mentioned that this site would cover more than simply the EIF or Runnicles. The third link on our list will take you to Venue 40. During the Fringe (a competing festival which overlaps with the first two weeks of the EIF), the Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House becomes a venue. We install raked seating for around 60 people and run a full theatre programme of 5 shows. This in addition to a vegetarian cafe during the daytime. The whole thing is staffed on a volunteer basis (of which I am one) with the profits going to charity. So we'll be plugging that here too, and probably reviewing the shows we go to there. During August the Venue 40 site will have more comprehensive reviews. Please note, if you go there now you'll only see the 2006 programme, 2007 is not yet finalised but we'll post here when it is.
On the left you'll also find links to the various music (or music related forums) where I post. The Naim Audio Forum is run by hi-fi maker Naim and while its music room covers all genres, there is a dedicated and at times very knowledgeable group of classical contributers: take, for example, this round-up of recordings of the Emperor concerto. Of course it's primarily intended for those who own Naim kit, but there are people there who don't, and the music room can always benefit from new members. There are also links to the BBC Radio 3 message boards, though in recent weeks they have been severely curtailed, with discussion on all bar a few programmes banned, and the offshoot prompted by this decision: R3OK. Lastly there is the forum at Pink Fish Media, another hi-fi forum first and foremost, but anyone with classical interests would be more than welcome to the music room there.
Friday, 30 March 2007
why Runnicles?
where's Runnicles?
The recent publication of the Edinburgh International Festival programme for August 2007 prompted my brother to muse on how he'd like to do something to set down his thoughts on it. He also said the word blog. Something that hadn't occurred to me (in past years I've used the Naim Audio forum, in particular the music section, but given he's not really a hi-fi nut, that isn't for him). So a blog it was. All we needed was a name....
why Runnicles?
Donald Runnicles is a favourite conductor of ours. In my case he has been ever since two magical concerts he gave at the 2005 festival (Verdi's Requiem and Mahler's 3rd symphony), with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Further concerts and CDs have only enhanced our view of him. Which made it all the more of a shame when he was unable to bring the New York based Orchestra of St Luke's to last year's festivities, owing to the terrorism scare related chaos. Sadly, he is even more absent this year. We wish he wasn't. However, as one of Scotland's foremost conductors, even if much of his work is abroad, a name paying tribute to him seems a natural choice. Of course, it goes without saying that should Maestro Runnicles or his management take issue with this we will rethink.
So is this just a bitter, twisted rant?
Not a bit. Our aim is to be positive, where possible, and open-minded about the new director and his programme. Hopefully we'll say the odd interesting or thought provoking thing along the way. We'll also cover far more than just the festival or Runnicles, but that can wait for future posts.
The recent publication of the Edinburgh International Festival programme for August 2007 prompted my brother to muse on how he'd like to do something to set down his thoughts on it. He also said the word blog. Something that hadn't occurred to me (in past years I've used the Naim Audio forum, in particular the music section, but given he's not really a hi-fi nut, that isn't for him). So a blog it was. All we needed was a name....
why Runnicles?
Donald Runnicles is a favourite conductor of ours. In my case he has been ever since two magical concerts he gave at the 2005 festival (Verdi's Requiem and Mahler's 3rd symphony), with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Further concerts and CDs have only enhanced our view of him. Which made it all the more of a shame when he was unable to bring the New York based Orchestra of St Luke's to last year's festivities, owing to the terrorism scare related chaos. Sadly, he is even more absent this year. We wish he wasn't. However, as one of Scotland's foremost conductors, even if much of his work is abroad, a name paying tribute to him seems a natural choice. Of course, it goes without saying that should Maestro Runnicles or his management take issue with this we will rethink.
So is this just a bitter, twisted rant?
Not a bit. Our aim is to be positive, where possible, and open-minded about the new director and his programme. Hopefully we'll say the odd interesting or thought provoking thing along the way. We'll also cover far more than just the festival or Runnicles, but that can wait for future posts.
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