Elton John says it for many people: ‘I regard all pop music as irrelevant in the sense that people in 200 years won’t be listening to what is being written and played today. I think they will be listening to Beethoven.’ The music we leave for the enjoyment […]
Many singers bring to mind the pathos of times past or a period of turbulence. Gracie Fields symbolised the austere but homeliness of a pre-war Britain far removed from what it has since become. Gracie lost her citizenship when, during the war in which Italy was at war […]
Ennio Morricone (10 November 1928 – 6 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, trumpeter, and pianist who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classical works, Morricone is widely considered […]
Two great football teams, two awesome cathedrals and don’t forget two world-class orchestras. Born 183 years ago the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is the daddy of all orchestras save one. In fact, the orchestra is one of only two that carries the prefix ‘royal’. In fact, 1840 was […]
Not all great musicians were promiscuous of course. In their defense it must be remembered they lived in times when the constant banging of headboards among all the classes was commonplace. When it comes to promiscuity our generation isn’t a bad one by comparison and for the large […]
With more than 30 years, Dulce Pontes (Montijo, Portugal) is, without a doubt, an essential voice for lovers of Portuguese fado and music in general. Pianist, composer and performer, her successful ‘Canção do Mar’, published worldwide in 1993 and one of the public’s favorite songs, established Dulce Pontes […]
There are times when the pianist in the corner can hardly be heard over the bar’s chatter though there are a few bar’s customers nearby who clearly appreciate his playing. Outside it is wintry and the prows of the ships are ghost-like in the evening mist. You feel […]
MICHAEL WALSH MUSIC CORRESPONDENT Most with an ear for Spanish music will be familiar with Pablo de Sarasate’s gipsy airs (Zigeunerweisen): Otherwise, his Carmen Fantasy. It is music that stops you from whatever you are doing; the catchiness and spontaneity of these melodies bring a pause to any […]
MICHAEL WALSH MUSIC CORRESPONDENT Of humble background I can’t imagine what introduced me to good music. Certainly, there was little to be cheerful about in post-war Britain. In our humble home, with its primitive radio that broadcast only four programmes’ we kids were told to be very quiet […]
MICHAEL WALSH MUSIC CORRESPONDENT. I often wonder if the staff of advertising agencies are on illegal substances. ‘If it isn’t classical, it isn’t music’ is my approach to music. My favourite station is Venice Classical Radio (VCR) simply because the station provides 100 per cent classical music. There […]
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