Music on Sky Arts

[Mr Pee]

This thread is for discussion of the music, opera, and music related features on Sky Arts 1 and 2. Please do not use this thread to discuss the rights and wrongs of News International. if you want to do that, keep posting on the Sky Arts 2 thread:-

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?1759-Sky-Arts-2

I'm relatively new to Sky, and have been most pleasantly surprised by the range and breadth of music programming. Amongst recent highlights have been Martha Argerich performing the Schumann Piano Concerto with the Liepzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Riccardo Chailly- a really remarkable performance that made me hear the work anew. The same orchestra and conductor then gave an all Mendellsohn concert a few days later, which again was excellent.

And I'm greatly looking forward to next week's Peter Grimes from the Met, conductedby Donald Runnicles.

I also found the interview with Andre Previn on Sky Arts 1 a week or so ago quite fascinating, and the documentary about the West-East Divan Orchestra, "Knowledge is the beginning", which at least showed a glimmer of hope for the Middle East, and increased my appreciation for Daniel Barenboim's efforts in that region a thousand fold.

What have been other Sky subscriber's highlights recently- and what are you watching out for that's coming up?

[John Wright]

Next week on Sky Arts 2 there's a few operas of which I might only dip into Barber of Seville (Florez/DiDonata). There's also (Thurs) a programme on Alison Balsom and one late night there's a docu programme featuring musicians inspired by Miles Davis.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

Much for bel canto fans to enjoy on SkyArts2 recently, including La Sonnambula, Lucia di Lammermoor and I Puritani all from recent Met seasons.

[Mr Pee]

I've got things piling up on my hard drive now- Lang Lang's Concert from Vienna- part watched- and Howard Goodall's interview with him and Julian Lloyd Webber. The recorder is set for Peter Grimes on Wednesday this week and there's Lohengrin coming up before the end of April.

I'm not a big fan of bel canto opera, but I've dipped in and out of the three that Grand Inquisitore mentioned and found them more enjoyable than I anticipated!

And I hope Sky will repeat their broadcast of the Valencia Ring cycle- or better still, show the new Metropolitan Opera one sometime fairly soon.

[Thespian]

I'm looking forward to Barber of Seville as i think Florez is the best Bel canto singer around. He is also in La Sonnambula later this month.

[Mr Pee]

I've now watched the first two parts of Howard Goodall's Music Room series, with Julian Lloyd Webber and Lang-Lang, and they were absorbing interviews interspersed with some marvellous music making. I know Lang gets a bit of a bad press in some quarters, but there's no denying his passion for the music he plays and the remarkable effect he's had in bringing Western Classical music to a wider audience in China- not to mention inspiring millions of Chinese youngsters to take up the piano.

I'm really Looking forward to the rest of the series- especially the one with Alison Balsom....

[John Wright]

I very much enjoyed what I heard of the programme with Alison Balsom. Music of Vivaldi and Miles Davis on the same programme, yeah that was OK!

[Richard Tarleton]

The interviews with both Natalie Clein and Nicola Benedetti were excellent. Natalie played Bach, Piazzola and part of her Kodaly cello sonata (which she's recently recorded) and Nicola the Bach Chaconne as well as some other stuff. Howard Goodall makes a very good interviewer, some in depth discussion. The format works brilliantly.

[Mr Pee]

The interviews with both Natalie Clein and Nicola Benedetti were excellent. Natalie played Bach, Piazzola and part of her Kodaly cello sonata (which she's recently recorded) and Nicola the Bach Chaconne as well as some other stuff. Howard Goodall makes a very good interviewer, some in depth discussion. The format works brilliantly.

I haven't seen the Natalie Clein interview yet, but I agree that Howard Goodall makes an excellent interviewer and asks some insightful questions in a very relaxed manner that works a treat. The fact that he is also a composer and respected musician I think helps to bring the best out of the interviewees.


I've just looked though the new Radio Times and, apart from Music Room interviews with Emma Johnson and Leif Ove Andsnes, there's all sorts of other good stuff coming up next week, including Lohengrin from the Met on Saturday, with an accompanying documentary about the opera, and, starting with the First on Monday, all 6 Tchaikovsky Symphonies in High Def, from Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra.

[Mr Pee]

Well, I watched the Met Peter grimes this afternoon- musically, first class, but not entirely convinced by the set. To me, it limited interaction somewhat, with some of the cast marooned above the stage. Still, an engrossing few hours. What remarkable music.

Then, music room with Leif Ove Andsnes- all I can say is I hope he records the Chopin Ballades sooner rather than later- a quite superb performance of the first. And the Janacek he played made me curious to hear more of that composer's piano music, of which I know little.

Currently recording the Met Lohengrin- certainly my favourite of the earlier Wagner operas. I'll settle down with that before too long- although I've still got Emma Johnson's Music Room interview/recital to watch, as well as the Met La Boheme....and then next week the Tchaikovsky Symphony Cycle from Gergiev...and Music Room with Evelyn Glennie and Natalie Clein.....and Brandenburgs from Abbado.....the list goes on...