Music in the age of YouTube

I have a certain wariness of just recycling classical PR. The decision to make this blog contactable by email means I receive a lot of press releases, and I'm often left wondering what exactly the senders of these things imagine I'm going to do with them. But the stuff that some organisations put out as "PR" does transcend the bland norm, and some London orchestras are getting pretty good at using YouTube to spread the message and offer something genuinely interesting.

The Philharmonia is one such group whose marketing department have come up with things that are actually worth watching, including the lovely video from Pekka Kuusisto, talking about the indefatigable Vladimiar Ashkenazy. I must own up to a special fondness for both these men, who came to my local concert hall when I was sixteen and gave one of those concerts that propels you towards a life-long infatuation with this wonderful thing called music. I can also concur with Kuusisto's assessment of him, that he's "a really cool dude". It's been my pleasure to have met Ashkenazy a few times, and I can only say that, in his case, "never meet your heroes" is a piece of advice I was happy to have ignored.

There's a lot more to watch on the Philharmonia YouTube page. They're showing the way on this. 

In addition, if you can, do watch the London Symphony Orchestra's live stream on Sunday April 22nd (7.30 BST) - Simon Rattle conducting Tippett and Mahler. Free. And live. What an age we live in.

Header picture screencapped from the Philharmonia's linked video. Images used are done so in line with "fair use" and will be removed at the request of the copyright holder(s).

Kuusisto wows; Vengerov steps in

A review and a bit of good news to bring you.  First: I was again bowled over by the refreshingly quirky Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto, who joined Thomas Adès on Monday for a Britten Sinfonia gig.  He tore through Adès’s Violin Concerto, titled ‘Concentric Paths’, making a far better impression in it than Anthony Marwood did at the Proms, back in 2005.  Then there was an utterly lovely encore.  Read my full review at Classicalsource and listen to the concert (UK readers only) on the BBC iPlayer until next Monday.

Secondly, Intermezzo brings great news for violin fans:  Maxim Vengerov returns, replacing Martha Argerich in a concert with the St Petersburg Phil at the Barbican next month.  He’ll be playing Prokofiev’s 1^st Violin Concerto.  A Wigmore Hall recital follows in April, though both concerts are predictably sold out (it’s worth checking the Barbican website for returns, which are listed as they appear).  Incidentally, I met Vengerov, briefly, this week, and he’s a jolly nice chap.

UPDATE:  If you're happy to pay full whack (£55) then you'll have no problem getting hold of a returned ticket.  More than 15 have appeared since this morning.  The rest of us might have to wait until next time.