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Recording the Modern Harpsichord – Persichetti’s Sonatas

PhD researcher Christopher D. Lewis has recently submitted his doctoral thesis AND is about to relase a new recording – double congratulations! Here he introduces us to the harpsichord music of Vincent Persichetti, whose sonatas are the focus of his most recent project: Christopher D. Lewis (Harpsichord): Vincent Persichetti: Harpsichord Sonatas Nos. 1, 3, 5, 8, 9 and Serenade. Release worldwide 14 July 2017.  Naxos Records: https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8. Continue reading →

Summer performances – on and off the air

Professor David Owen Norris describes his summer projects – a special post for all the students who think the staff are on holiday when term is over Pianos & Premieres The Geffrye Museum has very kindly decided to give us an 1812 Strecker grand pianoforte with divided pedal. This will fit very well with our other instruments with divided pedals – a Ganer Square of 1781, a Broadwood grand of 1828, and a Bechstein of 1902. Continue reading →

How to Write a Dissertation

In the second of our series on third year research projects, Beth Walker talks us through the steps of her project on film music: Over the course of my final year I gave myself the challenge of writing a 10,000 word dissertation titled ‘Emotion in Film Music’. This was my first time completing such an extensive academic project but it was definitely worth it (especially since it counted towards my degree!). Continue reading →

Redeeming Schreker – Flammen and Erlösungsoper

In the first of a series on final year projects by this year’s graduates, Harley Mitford describes his dissertation on Schreker’s early opera: Franz Schreker (right) with close friend Arnold Schoenberg (centre) and Alexander von Zemlinsky (left). While I was reading around the subject of German opera after Wagner, I came across the little-known Austrian composer Franz Schreker (1878-1934). Continue reading →

Sound Heritage down under

Jeanice Brooks reports on the latest Sound Heritage venture: The staircase hall at Elizabeth Bay House I’ve just returned from a wonderful symposium at Elizabeth Bay House in Sydney, organised by Dr Matthew Stephens of Sydney Living Museums. Matthew is the research librarian of SLM’s Caroline Simpson Library and Research Collection, and he has been the international member representing Australia at the study days held by the Sound Heritage network in the UK over the past two years. Continue reading →

Conducting Acis and Galatea

Isabel Tuffin-Donnevert as Galatea Lucy Grant (year 2) tells us about the her experience as Musical Director of the university’s Chamber Opera Society production last weekend: Acis and Galatea is an opera composed by Handel, based upon a text by the author John Gay. The opera was first performed in 1718 as a single act piece; however, Handel later devised a two-act opera, first performed in 1739, and it was this version we performed. Continue reading →

The Loop Project – coming soon!

We are all looking forward to 3-5 February, when the Music Department will present a whole weekend of performances and workshops exploring musical loops. Leading jazz musicians Ivo Neame, Jasper Høiby and Jon Scott will join the HARTLEY Loop Orchestra to perform a major revision of Benjamin Oliver’s Loop Concerto, which was premiered by Neame and Kent County Youth Orchestra in 2013. Continue reading →

Rituals to Mould Her With – and workshop

By Jamie Howell, MMus Composition. On Monday 5th December the audience in Turner Sims were treated to an extraordinary new piece which seamlessly blended dance, live instrumental performance, electro-acoustic recordings and theatre. The work, entitled ‘Rituals To Mould Her With’, was a collaborative composition devised by composers Litha & Effy Efthymiou, harpsichordist Jane Chapman, actor Esmé Patey-Ford and dancer Harriet Parker-Beldeau. Continue reading →