The 20th century’s great musical maverick and forerunner of our sampling, appropriating, multicultural world, Béla Bartók may well be the hippest composer in the canon. The first to synthesize the folk elements of his native Hungary with the avant-garde of his day, he was also a kind of proto-ethnomusicologist, collecting and transcribing music from remote…
| February 5, 2015
The story of Bluebeard, popularised by the French writer Charles Perrault in his 1659 version, is among the oldest and best-known European folk tales. It differs from telling to telling, but invariably revolves around the arrival of a young bride at the home of her mysterious older husband, and the discovery of the murdered corpses…
| February 3, 2015
Experiencing a Polish live music event with absolutely no knowledge of the language is simply surreal. At Mister D’s live gig, on Wednesday 28th January, the venue might be London’s edgy-cum-hip Hoxton but the setting is decidedly Polish, so the only way forward is to lose yourself in the moment. Basking in it comes easily,…
| February 3, 2015
Vteřiny křehké, or Fragile Seconds, is a heartfelt and delicate folk album from Hradišťan and their artistic director Jiří Pavlica, mainstays on the Czech arts scene since 1978. At times their concepts are presented solely as musical experiences, but in the past they’ve also included live dance components with bespoke choreography. Oscillating between heart-breaking and joyful,…
| February 1, 2015
What better place for Londoners to submerge themselves in Russian culture than Chelsea? Here the Russian language can be heard at virtually every street-corner, the area a favourite residence and leisure hotspot for many well-off expats. But it’s not just about the clichéd luxurious world of Meet the Russians: some truly soulful glimpses of Russian culture…
| January 18, 2015
@ RCI London & Southbank Centre “The Enescu Month in London (23 January – 7 February 2015) is the culmination of more than 7 uninterrupted years of memorable soirées dedicated to the totemic figure of Romanian symphonic tradition and organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute in association with the Enescu Society of London. Bringing together…
| January 12, 2015
Bach, jazz and Ukraine – you know you are in for a rare musical treat if these forces come together in a single performance. The Two Violins duo, featuring prodigious 12 year olds Illia Bondarenko and Tetyana Zhmendak, is part of the Puzzles of Eternity charity project in support of rare baroque heritage in Ukraine:…
| November 22, 2014
“Charles Dutoit conducts Duke Bluebeard’s Castle SHARE THIS EVENT Tuesday 27 January 2015 7.30pm ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL, LONDON CONDUCTOR – CHARLES DUTOIT PIANO – MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN MEZZO-SOPRANO – ANDREA MELÁTH BASS – BÁLINT SZABÓ BERLIOZ The Damnation of Faust: Hungarian March LISZT Piano Concerto No.2 BARTÓK Duke Bluebeard’s Castle A masterpiece of 20th-century opera, Bartók’s Duke Bluebeard’s…
| November 17, 2014
Conductor Valery Gergiev, composer Rodion Shchedrin and the Mariinsky Opera itself – these names have long been brands of quality and style in Russian theatre culture. The title of their latest production at the Barbican – The Left-Hander – is perhaps unfamiliar to many, but its fantastical plot is undoubtedly topical for Russia’s relationship with…
| November 12, 2014
Last Thursday marked Vit Kristan’s second appearance at Soho’s Spice of Life music bar, and the first since the release of his debut album earlier this year. The exciting young Czech pianist, accompanied by veteran double-bassist Jaromir Honzak and Roman Vicha on drums, plays a bewildering range of genres, veering from post-bop and straight-ahead to…
| September 25, 2014