Speaking of Talks...

I'm giving a talk/reading re Songs of Triumphant Love at East Sheen Library on Thursday evening. Do come along if you can. 7pm for 7.30pm, 1 min from Mortlake Station (SW Trains from Waterloo). East Sheen Library, Sheen Lane Centre, Sheen Lane, London SW14. Love and hugs to all attendees.

When the show mustn't go on...

Kaufmann cancelled the other day at the ROH and all hell has broken loose in Intermezzo's comments boxes... http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2244

Improvising...

An eclectic roundup involving the post strike, LondonJazz making good at the Daily Telegraph and Imogen Cooper turning 60. http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2237

Farewell to Alicia de Larrocha...

...who has died aged 86. I've linked the post to the New York Times obituary and some de Falla film. http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2235

The joy of Joyce

My interview with Joyce DiDonato is in today's Independent: http://bit.ly/wUjkW. Have posted some Youtube vid at Standpoint blog with a surprise encore...http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2234. Enjoy(ce)!

Munching Music in Munchen

I'm back from a very surreal holiday that finished up in Munich at a) the Bavarian State Opera and b) the Oktoberfest, by way of the White Horse Inn and a ghost (which wasn't in the White Horse Inn). Hmm. http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2202

Viva la Liberta!

A mix of Wagnery, Mozarty and Haydny stuff, previewing Tony Palmer's new film about the Wagner family which screens on Sunday, and culminating, after a circuitous route via Kings Place, in Furtwangler conducting the end of part I of Don Giovanni at the Salzburg Festival in 1950. Worth a listen! http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2135

Land of...um...

I was going to slag off the Last Night of the Proms, but then I saw that David Attenborough is going to play the floor polisher in the Malcolm Arnold, so I wrote something else instead: http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2134

Two trips to Amsterdam

Off to Amsterdam tomorrow. A good excuse to post a video of Elly Ameling. http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2124

Bravo, Ken!

Ken Goode, veteran double-bass of the LPO, has just retired after *46 years* aboard... http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2123

Hey, MONSTER!

Here's my article about Nigel Kennedy, which is in today's Independent.
And here is the story behind the story, plus some more photos and a video of part of the gig...http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2121
Fasten your seatbelts!

Some Cattiness

Norman Lebrecht or Simon's Cat? - take your pick. http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2115

MAAAARTHA!

A link to my review in today's Independent of Martha Argerich's Prom, plus some personal observations... and a terrifying little memory of what happened when I found myself at the same festival lunch as her a few years ago. http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2112

'Think of yourself as a packet of crisps...'

How to survive as a young musician in today's beastly artless world, first according to a piece in The Times the other day, then a few more miserable and horrible ideas from yrs truly. http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2110