Tag Archives: Birmingham

Farewell to a friend

Felix Kok, who has died aged 86, was the much-loved leader of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for 23 years. During that time he experienced both the highs of musical life, as the orchestra ascended to the first rank … Continue reading

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A child of our time

Sir Simon gives us an introduction to Michael Tippett’s A child of our time, a moving piece against war that sings from a huge tradition of religious music: And of course, here is the music, led by our man:

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The documentaries: Leaving Home – After the wake III & IV

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The documentaries: Leaving Home – After the wake I & II

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Not living on the past

The Salzburg Easter Festival is hear, the Bach’s Passion staged by Peter Sellars is also near, but our man does not put on any airs, as this interview in El Cultural shows us: “They ask you how things are going, … Continue reading

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Batons & paintbrushes

And here we see our man doing one of the things he loves the most: experimenting —what did you think I was implying, uh?…  And we also get a share of his… *ejem*  peculiar taste in shirts…

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Rattling Bach in Birmingham.

Everybody shined!!!! everybody was there, ready and willing!!!! It was also, overwhelmingly, a communal act of music making. Yes, there were superb individuals. Mark Padmore, perhaps with Langridge in mind, sang the Evangelist with mesmerising expression, clarity and directness — … Continue reading

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Not just one way to Bach

That is what our man has to says about the music he is about to play with his good old friends at Birmingham.  He explains that it took him a good while to get close to the great Johan Sebastian, … Continue reading

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¿Home for the Holidays?

Yes, Simon is home for a few days to get everyone ready for a Bach gig. But though he is happy to be playing with his old friends at Birmingham, he is not so happy about the turn that his … Continue reading

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Holy Week at Birmingham: Simon is back with Bach

Yeeeeeeeaaaaaahhh!!!!!!!  Simon goes back to his musical home -Magdalena included, of course- to play Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion with his old gang: In the whole of music there’s nothing else quite like it: Bach’s dramatic re-telling of the events of … Continue reading

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