The Classical Corner – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this episode, Davina reviews two newly released albums hot off the press:  Handel’s 'La Resurrezione' by The English Concert and 'John Wilbye – Draw on Sweet Night ' by I Fagiolini and Robert Hollingworth.

The English Concert and Harry Bicket’s acclaimed concert cycle of Handel operas and oratorios continues with its second release on Linn, following Handel’s Rodelinda last year. La Resurrezione, composed by Handel in his mid-twenties, and first performed on Easter Sunday in 1708, marked the climax of Handel’s time in Rome. The work details the events between and during Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This new album features some of today’s finest voices including Lucy Crowe, Iestyn Davies, Sophie Bevan, Ashley Riches and Hugo Hymas. Davina is joined in The Classical Corner by Iestyn and Lucy to talk about their favourite arias, Handel's operatic writing and the process of recording the album.

 

To welcome the spring, I Fagiolini has put aside its beloved Monteverdi to uncover its own national heritage: the best of John Wilbye's classic Golden Age madrigals. The album marks the first specific recording of Wilbye's Madrigals released since the 1980s.  The album covers a central part of English choral culture that has been strangely out of fashion for so long, sung by a group that has matured into the repertoire. The plangent dissonance of ‘Draw on, sweet night’ and ‘Weep, weep, mine eyes’ evoke English melancholy, while ‘Sweet honeysucking bees’ and ‘Adieu, sweet Amaryllis’ are such sheer pleasure to sing that many listeners will scrabble to unearth old scores. Davina chats to Robert about how this new album came about, the choice of repertoire and the sheer delight of listening to and singing English madrigals.

With special thanks to Linn Records and Coro for the use of these beautiful recordings.

All the recordings discussed in this episode of The Classical Corner can be found in the Spotify playlist here:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7wbunpPpFKH36KIys8OF2D?si=996cd75080bb4997

In this episode, Davina is joined by Harley Street Nutritionist and soprano, Rhiannon Lambert. They discuss her career as a soprano and how she moved from the music industry to become Registered Nutritionist, resulting in the launch of her clinic, Rhitrition. Rhiannon specialises in weight management and disordered eating, pre and post-natal nutrition and sports nutrition.

 

Davina and Rhiannon talk about both the joy but also the enormous pressures of the music industry, especially those tied in with mental health and body image, which led Rhiannon to seek a different career path. They explore finding balance as busy professional women on the road, as well as the optimum diet and supplements, which can result in peak performances from musicians and athletes alike. They touch on Rhiannon's award-winning books and her podcast, Food For Thought. The episode also includes some beautiful recordings of Rhiannon singing.

 

Rhiannon has just launched her new Rhitrition supplement shop, which are available to purchase here

 

Rhiannon's books, Re-Nourish: A Simple Way To Eat and also The Science of Nutrition with DK can be purchased here

 

Rhiannon's podcast,  Food For Thought can be listened to here

  Follow Rhiannon on Instagram here   For nutritional support on any of the topics discussed in this podcast, please reach out to one of the incredible team at Rhitrition, who will be able to advise on weight management, gut health, disordered eating, sports, family and maternal nutrition.  You can book an appointment here: https://rhitrition.com/clinic/   For eating disorder support, contact BEAT

In this episode, Davina is joined by the internationally acclaimed, award winning mezzo-soprano, Katie Bray. 

  They discuss her career as an opera singer with the world's finest companies, the importance of telling a story whilst encompassing a dramatic role and also Katie's love for baroque music, lieder and Judy Garland.   Davina and Katie cover a range of repertoire including Mozart's 'Non so più cosa son' from the Marriage of Figaro, 'Where Shall I Fly' from Handel's Hercules as well as Benjamin Britten's 'Funeral Blues'.   This episode contains live recordings from Katie's performances from the Final of 'BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition'. The full version of these videos can be found on Katie's YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk66Z-DjvKNTVCnoknrZMaQ   Additional recordings from Episode 7 can be found in the Spotify Playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5FC51bqDgxPvFcVEv0PxPp?si=tLulvS4nRnqG286d6b_vsw   Katie Bray and Thomas Herford's 'Tales with a Twist' can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4axXYdo6b0hLFREMceo-fQ

In this episode, host Davina Clarke is joined by one of the world's leading violists, Antoine Tamestit. They discuss his illustrious career as a soloist and chamber musician around the globe, his beautiful Stradivari instrument and his love for Bach, Debussy, Berlioz and Miles Davis.

 

The recordings from Episode 6 can be found in the Spotify Playlist here:

 

 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7cyt6zNGmt82sXSX3CRNSB?si=-0DtrAl-QMqe2ao-Ay8U1w    

In this episode, host Davina Clarke takes a look at how nature and specifically birdsong has been an influence to composers throughout the ages- from the symbolism of the nightingale in Virgil and Homer's writing, to the cuckoo's musical immitative call used by so many composers. 

She discusses the transmission of birdsong in the folk and classical traditions, from its first use in the fourteenth century, right through to today's much loved twentieth century masterpieces

The music covered includes works by Handel, Biber and Beethoven, which can all be found in the Spotify Playlist link below:

spotify:playlist:4SfgJ6BU6iRNmumjKnu83U

 

Musical performances in the episode are:

Orlando Gibbons: The Silver Swan from The Sixteen's Album 'An Immortal Legacy'

Saint Saëns: The Swan from 'The Carnival of the Animals' performed by Davina Clarke and Valeria Kurbatova

 

 

In this episode, host Davina Clarke is joined by bass, Jonathan Howard. They discuss his career with The King's Singers, touring life and the joy of performing around the world. 

 

Davina and Johnny cover a range of repertoire, including works from his Grammy nominated album 'Gold', as well as a range of choral works and their love for Messiaen's 'Theme and Variations' for violin and piano.

 

The recordings from Episode 4 can be found in the Spotify playlist here:

spotify:playlist:08NIZsjb1XQs1bQH7JNMoq

In this episode, Davina is joined by her first guest- internationally acclaimed keyboard player, Kristian Bezuidenhout. They discuss his career, the challenges of touring life, recording and his role as Artistic Director of The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor The English Concert.

  Davina and Kristian cover a range of repertoire including Bach's Obligato Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord, Mozart's Piano Concerto in F major, and Brahm's Geistliches Lied.   The recordings from Episode 3 can be found in the Spotify Playlist here:   https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4fieBxIWnqhdutveNiFyJl?si=1aM_qNdDRLCWw6sLNbZ0Jw    

In this second episode, host Davina Clarke takes us on a journey through the classical and romantic periods. She discusses the evolution of the orchestra and its instruments, the development of classical opera and also touches on Shostakovich and his early life as a film composer in Russia.

Musical performances include:

Gluck, 'Dance of the Blessed Spirits'

Massenet, 'Meditation' from Thais

Shostakovich, 'Romance' from The Gadfly

In this first episode, The Classical Corner host Davina Clarke introduces herself and the concept behind this series. She discusses the baroque era, the development of the violin and this episode also features her recording of Bach's well loved work, Air on a G String from his Orchestral Suite Number 3. 

In this episode, Davina is joined by the internationally acclaimed British violinist, vocalist and concert producer, Lizzie Ball.

 

Davina and Lizzie discuss her flourishing career as a prolific performer in all genres around the world, and also her passion for bringing classical music to a wider audience in accessible, diverse venues and contexts through her wonderful organisation, Classical Kicks. Lizzie also talks about her role as an Ambassador for PRISMA, a charity founded to help children in need by providing art workshops to rural underdeveloped areas of Mexico. They discuss Lizzie's new Life Coaching business, ‘Set Your Stage’, for which she has recently been awarded an RPS Enterprise Award.

 

All of the recordings from Series 2, Episode 5 can be found in the Spotify Playlist here.

 

Watch Lizzie leading Nigel Kennedy's Orchestra at his 2013 Palestinian Prom here.

 

Find out more about Lizzie here.