Blog

Monthly Archive: January 2008


Little Tich

Posted on Thursday, January 17, 2008


Here is a video of Little Tich, a musical hall clown whose movements apparently inspired the 2nd of Stravinsky's three pieces for String Quartet. I've just been reading about him in Richard Taruskin's fascinating if somewhat heavy-going Defining Russia Musically





0 comments | Post comment

Muzsikas

Posted on Wednesday, January 16, 2008




For anyone who likes gypsy and klezmer, I just discovered a wonderful CD by the Hungarian folk group Muzsikas of the 'Lost Jewish Music of Transylvannia'

The CD features old-time violinist Gheorghe Covaci and cimbalom player Arprad Toni, gypsy musicians who had regularly played in Jewish groups before the war. According to Muzsikas these players are one of a very small number of surviving links to a whole Hungarian-Jewish tradition of playing that got decimated during the war. Together they attempt to recapture what that music would have sounded like.

Hungarian folk-music is normally my least favourite of all the Eastern European folk traditions (which means I still like it, but not as passionately as other regions), but probably because of the klezmer influence, this disc has some very special music, of both the hauntingly mournful and the foot-stomping varieties.



0 comments | Post comment

Metropolis Ensemble at the Times Center

Posted on Wednesday, January 9, 2008



The Times Center, NY

Some of New York's best chamber players have been corralled by the energetic young conductor Andrew Cyr to form the Metropolis Ensemble. They've just announced their spring concert which will take place this April 10, in another great looking American venue - the Times Center, part of the New York Times building designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, and situated in the heart of the Times Square District adjacent to The New 42nd Street.

The concert will end with my arragement of Satie's Sports et Divertissements specially commissioned by the Ensemble. They are a wonderful set of pieces, and I think and hope the orchestration adds an extra layer to their wit and colour.

More info on the Metropolis Ensemble website.



1 comment | Post comment


Archive


2024: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2023: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2022: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2021: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2020: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2019: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2018: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2017: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2016: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2015: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2014: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2013: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2012: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2011: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2010: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2009: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2008: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2007: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
2006: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 




















Recent news items



Most popular posts

All works are available through
billholabmusic.com.

 
© 2024 David Bruce