What the classical world has been listening to this month
Bridget Cunningham
Harpsichordist
At a concert I attended at Queen Elizabeth Hall on Remembrance Day, musicians from the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra gave a spirited performance of Beethoven’s Septet, Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in B flat and music by Elliott Carter. This was on the same day that hundreds of thousands of people marched through London calling for a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Gaza conflict, and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra presents a strong message that music is unifying. It was very special.
It was great to see female conductors opening and closing the BBC Proms last summer. A Proms regular, I try and get to as many as I can. With my Baroque
hat on, I particularly enjoyed the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, led by the Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto. He performed Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, adding folk elements and improvisations, which was exquisite. He also performed Birdsof Paradise by Andrea Tarrodi, which was magical.
I’m a fan of Radio 3’s Composer of the Week programmes! They include such a wide selection of composers, from Schubert to Scott Joplin, and take you on a detailed and often chronological journey to discover the real musicians, their music, their lives, motivations and passions. It’s amazing to listen to music that I might otherwise have missed out on, though I would love more programmes dedicated to unsung Baroque heroes such as Hasse or Roseingrave.
And also…
I enjoy visiting art exhibitions – you can gain inspiration from magnificent works of art and there’s so much to learn and see. I suppose in London we’re spoiled for choice. I’ve been going to The National Portrait Gallery since it has been re-opened, just to reacquaint myself. If I’m in the area I’ll dart in and see one room or one thing, but if I have more time I will spend longer. Visual art just makes me feel better.
Bridget Cunnigham’s recording of Roseingrave Harpsichord Suites is out on Signum Classics in March
Alon Sariel
Lutenist and mandolin player
I love the opening of JS Bach’s Cantata BWV 29 ‘Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir’, as performed live by the Netherlands Bach Society (NBS). This festive prelude is known in the version for violin, from the third Partita. However, it also exists in a version for lute, naturally more filigree and intimate. Here, the NBS gives us a beautiful
