Gramophone Classical Music Podcast

The latest album from The King's Singers draws together music from the Protestant Reformation through to the US Civil Rights Movement, and right up until the present day. The uniting theme is that reflected in the album's title – Finding Harmony, where music has given hope in times of oppression and brought people together after tragedy. Editor Martin Cullingford met countertenor Patrick Dunachie and bass Jonathan Howard to discuss this ambitious album, which is available now on Signum Classics.

José Serebrier has just released a new recording for BIS containing two works specially commissioned from him for the pianist Alexandre Kantorow and the flautist Sharon Bezaly, alongside a group of shorter works for orchestra. James Jolly went to meet Serebrier to talk about his music, how he approaches composition and conducting his own music. And what he does when he finds himself without manuscript paper!

For her latest Signum Classics album, 'The Divine Muse', the soprano Mary Bevan has chosen a programme of Franz Schubert and Hugo Wolf, and at its heart, Joseph Haydn's scena Arianna a Naxos. She explores the project with James Jolly.

Rhian Samuel's work for soprano and orchestra, Clytemnestra, was commissioned by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales who gave the first performance, under Tadaaki Otaka, and with Della Jones as soloists, in November 1994. Twenty five years later, the work has been recorded by the soprano Ruby Hughes with the same Welsh orchestra, this time conducted by Jac van Steen. Coupled with orchestral songs by Gustav Mahler and Alban Berg, Clytemnestra has just been released by BIS. James Jolly caught up with Ruby to talk about a project that's very close to her heart.

The soprano Louise Alder has just released her first recording for Chandos. It's called 'Lines written during a sleepless night: The Russian Connection' and finds her joined by the pianist Joseph Middleton in songs by Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Grieg, Medtner and Britten. She tells James Jolly about the project.

The pianist Stephen Hough has just released a new Brahms album for Hyperion, 'The Final Piano Pieces'. It has just been named Gramophone's Recording of the Month in the January 2020 issue. James Jolly caught up with Stephen just before Christmas to talk about the recording for this Gramophone Podcast.

The Oscar-winning composer's latest project is the score for a musical animation of Sir Michael Morpurgo's children's book Mimi and the Mountain Dragon. Commissioned by the BBC, and to be broadcast on BBC One on Boxing Day, the film also features illustrations by Emily Gravett. In the latest Gramophone podcast, the composer talks about the project, which was recorded by the BBC Philharmonic and the Hallé's family of choirs.

Freddy Kempf has recorded another Prokofiev piano sonata album (containing Nos 3, 8 and 9) for BIS. During this year's Tchaikovsky International Competition, at which Kempf was a jury member in the piano category, James Jolly caught up with the pianist to talk about the composer and his music.

Alison Balsom's new album, Royal Fireworks, is a collection of virtuoso baroque works performed on natural trumpet. For the latest Gramophone podcast she joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about the natural trumpet and about the repertoire on the album. Royal Fireworks is available from Warner Classics.

Stile Antico's latest album - their third in a series of three explorations of Christmas from different countries - takes us to the golden age of the Spanish Renaissance, from the polyphony of Victoria to dance-like carols in the Spanish language. For the latest Gramophone podcast, soprano Helen Ashby and bass Will Dawes join Gramophone's Editor Martin Cullingford to talk us through this richly fascinating festive feast of choral music. A Spanish Nativity is available now from Harmonia Mundi.