Tim Rutherford-Johnson's Blog, page 7

David Burge: Timeless Relevance

A little more than two years ago, I drew attentionto a crowd-funding campaign in aid of publication of the collected Keyboard Magazine columns of pianist David Burge. Well, with my own handsome copy now in hand, I am pleased to note that this project – organized by Burge’s widow and granddaughter – has reached its summation. … Continue reading David Burge: Timeless Relevance →

Octandre to give Frank Denyer portrait

Frank Denyer is a composer whose music I admire very deeply. There’s a reason the first main feature I published with Sounds Like Now was a profile of Denyer, written by Sam Richards. So it’s wonderful to learn that the Octandre Ensemble are devoting a whole concert to Denyer’s music next month. On Sunday 17 … Continue reading Octandre to give Frank Denyer portrait →

Recently published

I’ve been in hospital most of this month, squeezing pints of antibiotics and corticosteroids into my veins. It’s not as much fun as it sounds, but it has coincided with a productive spell of writing. Here are some recent fruits, in case you missed them. A little interview with Patricia Alessandrini for the Riot Ensemble … Continue reading Recently published →

Is Cafe Oto really only 10 years old? It seems to have be...

Is Cafe Oto really only 10 years old? It seems to have been around for much longer, but maybe that’s just me back-projecting London’s need for somewhere like it. Yes, there are lots of other venues where one can hear experimental, improvised and avant-garde music, but they are mostly arranged on an ad hoc basis. … Continue reading →

An Assembly and Ensemble x.y

Tomorrow night, people An assembly and ensemble x.y come together at St John’s, Waterloo tomorrow night (Friday 27 April) to play Michael Finnissy’s Piano Concert no.2, as well as works by Bryn Harrison, Paul Newland, Cassandra Miller and Anthony Leung. Piano soloist is Joseph Havlat; Jack Sheen conducts. ‘Few composers working today have managed to connect … Continue reading An Assembly and Ensemble x.y →

#promsnewmusic 2018

The BBC Proms listings came out this morning. As usual, I’ve been tweeting the new music highlights, and collected them all below for your reference. No time for much commentary today, I’m afraid, except to say that there’s little in here – aside from the JACK Quartet’s Prom on 13 August – that really has … Continue reading #promsnewmusic 2018 →

Arvo Pärt: The Symphonies (ECM)

Arvo Pärt’s symphonies are something of an anomaly in his output. Traditionally the repository for a composer’s most significant, substantial statements, for Pärt the symphony has been a place of transition and uncertainty. He has written four: in 1963, when he was a newly graduated 28-year-old; in 1966; in 1971 and in 2008. Hitherto, I’ve … Continue reading Arvo Pärt: The Symphonies (ECM) →

Music after the Fall mixtape for The Lake Radio

A fun outcome of my visit to the Borealis Festival last month was an invitation from Jan Stricker of The Lake Radio to produce a new music mixtape for their podcast. The original brief was that it would accompany an interview with Simon Steen-Andersen and Louise Alenius, so I made sure to include a track … Continue reading Music after the Fall mixtape for The Lake Radio →

Quick and dirty CD reviews: Dunne, Fox/Roche, Kurka

Timothy Dunne: Metaphrase St Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic; Jeffery Meyer, cond.; Artur Zobnin, vn; Irina Vassileva, sop.; Alexandra Shatalova, eng. hn; James Giles, pf innova 930 Works of intricate construction and sometimes surprising turns of direction by New York-born composer Timothy Dunne, a former student of Sergei Slonimsky at the State Conservatory of St Petersburg. The playing … Continue reading Quick and dirty CD reviews: Dunne, Fox/Roche, Kurka →

The London Ear returns this week

March in London, in an even-numbered year, means the return of the London Ear to Waterloo’s Cello Factory. I’ve been a friend of Gwyn Pritchard and Andrea Cavallari’s new music festival since its inception – this will be the festival’s fifth edition – and once again I’ll be playing my own small part with a … Continue reading The London Ear returns this week →