The horrendous poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury city centre on the 4th March 2018 was the inspiration for Sergei Lebedev’s latest novel Untraceable. Set in the opaque world of Russian Intelligence, it covers a particularly sticky period in Russian history, from the 1930s right up to the 1990s. Three people power the story: Professor…
The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2020
Guest review by Sarah Mulvey Featured: Nijdeka Akunyili Crosby, Blend In-Stand Out, Mixed Media, 243 x 314cm From July this year social life for gallery-goers returned almost to normal as many museums and galleries opened their doors to visitors. So, we re-inhabited the streets and met friends indoors, our smart phones tracking our movements around…
Pigment of the imagination: Roger Eno and Brian Eno, ‘Mixing Colours (Expanded)’
Almost perfect lockdown listening, this record takes the state of ‘very little happening’ and creates something beautiful and resilient in its care and restraint. Eno-watchers might feel that I’ve taken an appropriately glacial length of time to write about this album, but all is not quite as it seems: this is the third ‘Mixing Colours’…
Divine Debussy and Messiaen
Photograph by Jasper Grijpink Regards Sur L’Infini was recorded by soprano, Katharine Dain, and pianist, Sam Armstrong, during the first lockdown of this year and is a remarkable tribute to Claude Debussy and Olivier Messiaen. In many respects this musical project is a quite a feat for Dain. Both Debussy’s and Messiaen’s vocal work is…
Tenor Dmytro Popov hitting high notes of his career
The Ukranian opera tenor Dmytro Popov might not be someone you will have heard of. Now entering his forth decade and therefore relatively young in opera years, he has spent much of his time outside the UK, singing lead roles in the world’s most prestigious opera houses. His stupendous vocal abilities were noticed very early…
Transatlantic Sounds from the Past and Present
Transatlantic is violinist Callum Smart’s tribute to British and American composers. Recorded during the first lockdown, his intention was to focus on the music he was “deeply in love with”, and this passion certainly translates to Edward Elgar’s lyrical Violin Sonata in E minor which Elgar wrote in 1918. Smart plays the opening movement with great…
Exquisitely tasteful and original: Pavel Kolesnikov’s Goldberg Variations
The famous opening Aria barely announces itself, gently insinuating its simple, elegant melody into the ear and the conscious. In Kolesnikov’s hands it’s a miniature study in elegance and other-worldly serenity.
Spired and emotional: the Oxford Lieder Festival 2020
On paper, the Oxford Lieder festival (wholly online this year, for contagious reasons) ended about a month ago. But not for me. Right up to the last minute, I’ve been extracting the maximum value I possibly can from my catch-up pass, viewing as many concerts as possible before the on-demand video archive finally vanishes from…
Interview with baritone Roderick Williams
Karine Hetherington, from our ArtMuseLondon desk, caught up with busy baritone, Roderick William. He has been directing the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and singing with soprano Rowan Pierce, in a series of concerts featuring music by Bach, Handel and Teleman. The concerts are now available to watch via the OAE Player. (Photo by…
Poulenc: The Story of Babar – a delightful new recording from Miriam Margolyes & Simon Callaghan
In this delightful new recording on the Nimbus label, one of our best-loved actresses and raconteurs, Miriam Magolyes, narrates this favourite children’s story. Her voice is familiar to many and she is an instinctive and characterful narrative who brings both warmth and drama to the words.
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