Thoroughly Good Classical Music Podcast

Conductor and harpsichordist Christophe Rousset discusses the writing of composer Lully following a performance of 'Isis' given at Opera Royal in the Palace of Versailles on Tuesday 10 December. Read a synopsis of the opera on the Les Talens Lyriques website. A recording of the opera made by Les Talens Lyriques is available on Spotify or to purchase. 

Ahead of Tafelmusik's European tour this week, music director Elissa Citterio talks about how she came to work with the Canadian Baroque orchestra, and her love of the Italian orchestral sound. 

Easy well-matched conversation with someone who thrives on self-deprecation, draws on NLP tools and techniques when she talks, and whose approach to digital storytelling chimes with my own. Earlier this week a new colleague reinforced a perspective I’ve held (but not really articulated much) he learned by being in a lift with a broadcaster. Joyful content comes when those doing the storytelling are at their ease, when there’s spontaneity, and when there’s the lightest-touch of plans. There’s a need too to be at ease sharing the reality of life - the antidote to the habit we all have of planning all the spontaneity out of a moment. Tessa and I talked about composer Michael Torke, perfectionism, sound production, and Schubert’s C major Fantasie.

Overlook the mis-pronunciation of the marvellous Roxanna Panufnik's name in the recorded introduction to this podcast.  The important stuff is what follows. Roxanna is warm, open, and generous in her contributions, at ease recalling her formative years as she is responding to my frequent 'ums' and 'ahs'.  Thanks for supporting the podcast. You really are special people. 

Annelien Van Wauwe's new album on Pentatone features music from the late 19th century Belle Epoque - the 'beautiful era' - and includes works by Debussy, Brahms, Widor and Pierne. In this podcast Annelien discusses her relationship with the music and her approach to playing, practicing and teaching.  

Voces 8 founder and participation manager provides a guided tour of the singing group's residential course for amateur singers at Milton Abbey in Dorset. Music includes Bruch's Violin Concerto from Thomas Gould and Haydn's Creation. Also featuring one proud mum. 

Recorded at the beginning of September at Snape Maltings Concert Hall in the run up to the second annual Festival of New, podcast 59 features  pianist Sarah Nicholls, cellist Maja Bugge and singer-songwriter Fran Lobo discussing some of the thinking behind their work at the week-long residency.  Support Sarah Nicholls Standing Grand Piano Kickstarter Campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/futurepiano/the-standing-grand-a-new-light-portable-acoustic-piano. Sarah also appears in this year's London Piano Festival next week. Tickets:  https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/family/the-inside-out-piano-with-sarah-nicolls/ Patreon supporters get early access to the Thoroughly Good Classical Music Podcast for as little as $5 in addition to other benefits. Support the podcast here: https://patreon.com/thoroughlygood. 

Ahead of Raphael Wallfisch's new season of concerts, Jon Jacob speaks to the cellist about his formative classical music experiences, cellist Zara Nelsova, Jacqueline du Pre, and the music of Ernest Bloch. For regular updates, concert previews, and recording recommendations, support the podcast via http://patreon.com/thoroughlygood.

Ahead of the Aurora Orchestra's much-anticipated appearance performing Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique at the BBC Proms 2019, conductor Nicholas Collon discusses his career to date and looks ahead to his new role as Chief Conductor at the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. 

Marci introduces her new crowdfunded CD - The Wild Song. A combination of folk songs set to music by Benjamin Britten interspersed with poetry by Yeats read by Simon Russell-Beale and sound interludes by Mychael Danner. All of it produced at the Britten Studio at Snape Maltings in Suffolk in 2016.  Buy the album here >> http://smarturl.it/modern-poetics

Conductor Elim Chan discusses the conductor’s experience, Valery Gergiev and working with Errolyn Wallen. NB The agency Elim is signed to is Harrison Parrott, not Harold Holt (which doesn’t actually exist by the way).  Maybe it’s time for a new podcast host.  

Give the listening audience the chance to reflect on what they’ve just heard and what it means to them, instead of resorting to hype, sycophancy, or post-performance reviews

A new training orchestra for conservatoire musicians from Russia and the UK starts rehearsing for a month of concerts in September 2019. Novaya Opera Artistic Director explains the thinking behind the bi-lateral project, what he discovered during auditions for the orchestra, and reveals some of the differences between UK and Russian orchestral musicians. More information at www.bsfo.org.

What marked Martin out for leadership? What mindset helped him be successful. What does he look for in artists? The former VP of Deutsche Grammophon - Artists and Repertoire - shared insights into how the record industry works, why he moved from artist management to artistic directorship. And, his connection with the Aldeburgh Festival. 

Russian violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky discusses Menuhin, the Soviet music education system, and nerves in this podcast recorded at the Verbier Festival on Sunday 28 July 2019. 

Nicolas Hodges appears at the BBC Proms 2019 in a performance of Messiaen's Des Canyon aux étoiles. Here he discusses the different ways birdsong sounds across the world, how eight weeks when he was a teenager made contemporary music inescapable, and what happens in the moment between the final note of a piece of music and the applause beginning. 

Principal clarinettist of the Philharmonia Mark van de Wiel discuss the Mozart and Phibbs recordings just released Signum, plus explain his development as a musician with teachers Dame Thea King and Colin Bradbury. Buy via the Signum website >> https://signumrecords.com/product/phibbs-and-mozart/SIGCD578/