A sonic meadow, with unusual reeds, at the Time:Spans festival

Splinter Reeds in rehearsal

By Kurt Gottschalk, 18 August 2022

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“fresh enough that it was only given its title the morning of the performance”

Reviewed at DiMenna Center for Classical Music: Mary Flagler Cary Hall, New York City on 15 August 2022

Gordon, Tall Grass (World premiere)

Pluta, Atens (World premiere)

Kyriakides, Hypothetical Islands

Macklay, Choppy

Splinter Reeds

Kyle Bruckmann, Oboe

Bill Kalinkos, Clarinet

Nicki Roman, Saxophone

Jeff Anderle, Bass Clarinet

Dana Jessen, Bassoon

Dazzling Prokofiev from Alim Beisembayev and the RLPO

Peter Connors, 26th April

In an all-Russian programme in Liverpool, Alim Beisembayev gives a breathtaking performance of Prokofiev's fiendishly difficult Second Piano Concerto.

****1

A Evgeny Kissin tour de force in Boston

Kevin Wells, 25th April

Andrey Boreyko makes an impressive debut with the Boston Symphony, where Evgeny Kissin performs in not one, but two piano concertos.

****1

Wretches like us: the LPO’s concert Wozzeck cuts to the quick

Peter Quantrill, 25th April

Beautifully prepared singing and playing brings out the tender side to Berg's modernist classic as part of the Southbank Centre’s Multitudes festival.

****1

Patriotic angst with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Thomas Zehetmair

Nick Butters, 24th April

Patriotic Sibelius and early Mendelssohn are served up at the Glasshouse in Gateshead.

***11

Stephen Hough makes a convincing case for Rachmaninov 1 with the RSNO

Simon Thompson, 24th April

On a return visit to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, John Wilson shapes A London Symphony with melancholy sweep.

****1

Yunchan Lim at Carnegie Hall: unmooring musical time

Edward Sava-Segal, 24th April

Schubert and Scriabin are shaped by expansion and suspension in the Korean pianist’s Carnegie Hall recital.

****1

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Kurt Gottschalk

Kurt Gottschalk is a journalist and author based in New York City. His writings on contemporary and classical music, jazz and improvisation have been published in outlets throughout Europe and America and he has two volumes of short fiction to his name. He produced and hosted the Miniature Minotaurs radio programme on WFMU and currently hosts Afternoon New Music on WKCR.