Classical Musings

Pollini's Astonishing Pianism   In case anyone was in any doubt that Maurizio Pollini is one of the greatest pianists alive today one should only look to this astonishing record of his pianism recorded nearly half a century ago. Can it really have been that long? Here is some of the most astonishing pianism on display as he powers his way through a couple of 20th century masterpieces by Stravinsky and Prokofiev. OK, I must admit that the other two works - by Webern and Boulez with their total lack of tonality - left me cold, but there is still much pianism simply to marvel at.

 Some thoughts on Rinaldo - Glyndebourne 2011 Having seen Robert Carsons entertaining production of Verdi’s Falstaff, I was keen to see his take of Handel’s magic opera, Rinaldo. This was a recording of an a production at Glyndebourne in 2011. It had great reviews in some circles but I must confess I have been somewhat baffled and disappointed with its triviality.   Rinaldo  was the young Handel’s sixth opera but the first written for the London stage, which brought him resounding success in England. Ultimately, it led to the composer’s move to this country and eventually to his obtaining British citizenship in 1727.  Rinaldo  was premiered at the Queen’s Theatre, Haymarket, on 24 th  February 1711, only one day after the composer’s 26 th  birthday. The title role in the original production was sung by one of the greatest castrati of the day, the famous Nicolo Francesco Grimaldi, better known as Nicolini, which possibly contributed considerably to the success of the piece, alongside i

  Some thoughts on George Frederick Handel (1685-1759) We are so used to seeing the portraits of Handel the grand old man as the naturalised German with bulging cheeks that we somethings don't realise that he was a man of enormous energy and enterprise who, as a young man, took Italy and later London by storm.  Handel was born in Halle, Germany, in 1685, the same year as that other musical giant of the baroque, J S Bach. Strangely, although the two were born within four weeks of each other and just eighty miles apart, they never ever met. But whereas Bach remained largely a composer for the Lutheran church, Handel’s career was far more cosmopolitan. In fact he can be called the first true international composer.  Handel's father, Georg Händel (senior) had married the widow of the official barber-surgeon of a suburb of Halle, inheriting his practice. With this, Georg determinedly began the process of becoming self-made; by dint of his "conservative, steady, thrifty, unadven