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THE WORLD’S BEST-SELLING CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE C hristRadi m o as& higTV hli g hts 110 REVIEWS A CHORAL CDS, DVDS & BOOKS CHRISTMAS EXCLUSIVE! Sing our beautiful new carol by Alexander L’Estrange How the superstar see p32 composer is inspiring the world to sing Incredible composers We discover some forgotten voices ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Richard Morrison Abbey Christmas! Can Martyn Brabbins turn ENO around? WemeettheWestminsterchoir Francis Poulenc Joyce DiDonato The best discs of his Four Christmas Motets Thebrilliantmezzointerviewed If I were a rich man... Whatwouldyouudowith£10m? Heinrich Schütz Germany’sChristmasstoryteller O Holy Night Thebestfestive concerts near you CHRISTMAS 2016 THE MONTH IN MUSIC THE MONTH IN MUSIC The recordings, concerts, broadcasts and websites exciting us this Christmas ONDISCTistheseason ONSTAGEDickensalive! ONAIROhChristmasThree Thisissue’sround-upofChristmasdiscsis ChristmasatSaffronHallbeginswithachill BBCRadio3intendstogetintotheChristmas aparticularlybounteousaffair,including andascowlbutendswithjollityandwarmth, partyspiritwithafestiveInTune,broadcast anewyuletideofferingfromthismonth’s asNeilBrand’smusicalversionofDickens’s livefromtheRadioTheatreon21December. coverCDstars,TheKing’sSingers.AndSiglo AChristmasCarolinvitestheBBCSymphony PresenterSeanRaffertywillbepacking deOro,animpressivenewchoirontheUK OrchestraandSingerstogetintouchwith inplentyofyuletide-themedmusicand scene,makesitsrecordingdebutwithan theirinnerScrooge.ConductorMartinAndré readings,withguestsincludingtheSeptura GETTYimaginative programme for Advent.See p66 directs the bah-humbugging.See p94 brass septet and Temple Church Choir.See p93 ONLINEFestivelyinspired There’llbespiresandsongsaplentythroughoutthe festiveseasonontheBBCMusicMagazinewebsite, thankstoourAdventCalendarofCathedrals(Milan cathedralpictured).From1December,headoverto classical-music.com,whereeachdaywe’llintroducea differentcathedralfromaroundtheworld,complete with a clip of choral or organ music recorded within it. page 28: mezzo Joyce DiDonato talks to James Naughtie page 22: We meet composer page 36: Eric Whitacre in his Westminster Abbey home city of Los Angeles choirboys at Christmas CONTENTS EVERY MONTH 52 Building a Library 28 James Naughtie meets… Terry Blain on Poulenc’s Four Christmas Motets The American mezzo Joyce DiDonato talks 3 A Month in Music about finding peace among the noise 93 Radio & TV listings What we’re all looking forward to this Christmas 32 Love came down 6 Letters 94 Christmas Events Alexander L’Estrange introduces his stunning new The finest festive concerts and opera carol, written exclusively for you all to perform 10 The Full Score 98 Crossword and Quiz 36 Abbey Christmas! The latest classical music news – and more What’s life like for Westminster choristers at 21 Richard Morrison 100 Music that Changed Me Christmastide? Ashutosh Khandekar finds out Can Martyn Brabbins do wonders at ENO? Mezzo Jamie Barton 40 Incredible talents 46 Musical Destinations Duncan McCoshan uncovers six unbelievable FEATURES Elinor Cooper pays homage to Verdi in Parma composers, forgotten in the mists of time 48 Composer of the Month 22 Eric Whitacre 44 If I were a rich man… Paul Riley looks at the life Heinrich Schütz, the Terry Blain meets the brilliant composer What would you do with £10 million? We ask composer of the spectacular Christmas Story bringing the world together with choral music ten leading musicians how they’d spend it 4 BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE S S u fee bs THIS MONTH’S CHRISTMAS REVIEWS antp8 cri CONTRIBUTORS Theimportantnewrecordings, astifor be! DVDsandbooksreviewed c o TerryBlain o u Welc ff r Musicjournalistandcritic e r ‘What’smost strikingaboutthe Americancomposer EricWhitacreisthe natural,organic BBackin2009,American usethatheis ccomposerEricWhitacre’s makingofthe VVirtualChoirwasastrokeof internetandsocialmediatotake theactofchoralsingingtoplaces ggenius.Harnessingthepower ithasneverbeenpreviously.’Page22 oofsocialmediaandonline Alexander L’Estrange ccommunitiesandforums,and capturingtheimaginations Composer 64 Recording ofchoralsingersworldwide, ‘Choosingwords forthisyear’s of the Month thelatestincarnationofthe Christmascarol VVCCattracteddover88,000000siingers,eachrecordingtheir commissionwas JS Bach singlevocalpartfromthecomfortoftheirownhome. achallengebutI French Suites Theresultsarewonderful,Whitacre’smusicinventive, foundagoodone: “Lovecamedown challengingbutalsoattractive,singableandpopular–he atChristmas”byChristinaRossetti. knowshowtohitthesweetspotofeachvoicepart.Arare 66Christmasround-up SeewhatI’vedonewithit,andgive thinginacomposertoday.Whitacrenowplanstogoeven itatrywithyourchoir!’Page 32 68Orchestral biggerwithhisVC,asyou’llreadonp22.It’sastaggering AshutoshKhandekar 72Concerto 74Opera demonstrationofhowtheinternet,ratherthanpushing Writerandeditor usall,divided,furtherunderground,canhelpcreate 78Choral&Song ‘Entering somethingtrulyglobalandpositive. And we all need a bit WestminsterAbbey 82Chamber of that in our lives thesedays… ChoirSchool,Iwas 84Instrumental struckbythesense ofhistoryanddeep- 86BriefNotes We’rehopingtocreateabitofa seatedtradition,but alsoofboysliving 88Jazz choral splash ourselves this month togetherasamodern,friendlyand 90 Books 91Audio civilisedfamily,aworldawayfrom Dickensiangloom.’Page36 We’realsohopingtocreateabitofachoralsplash ourselvesthismonth–albeit,weadmit,onaslightly smallerscale.Thisyear’scarol,commissionedfromthe VISIT CLASSICAL-MUSIC.COM FOR THE terrificAlexanderL’Estrange,isapeaceful,beautiful LATEST FROM THE MUSIC WORLD miniaturethatIhopeyou’llenjoysingingthisyearandin theChristmasestocome.You’llfindthescoretothefour- partunaccompaniedLovecamedownatChristmassonp32, andyoucandownloadthePDFfromourwebsite,too.Let usknowhowyougetonwithit–anddoemailusaudio [email protected] whichwecanthenshareonourwebsite. VER Sometimes,however,toimprovetheworld,ittakesa O GR bitofhardcash.Sowhatwouldyoudoifyouwere AUL presentedwith£10millionandthechancetomakea AR, P differencetotheworldofmusic?Wouldyouhelpfinancea NMILL ■Downloadafreetrackeveryweekfromoneof the best concerthallinyourhometown? Provideinstrumentsfor JOH reviewedrecordingsfromarecentissue yourlocalschool?Spenditallonamagnificentproduction OYCE, ■Readthelatestclassicalmusicnews oftheRinggcycleinyourbackgarden?Weaskedten CR ■ListentoclipsfromBBCMusicMagazine’schoicerecordings leadingmusiciansfortheirresponses,allofwhichare MAR ■ListentothefortnightlyBBCMusicMagazinepodcast fascinating.Nowwejusthavetofindawayofactually AGE: ■Discovermoreaboutthelivesofthegreatcomposers gettingthatmoneyintotheirhands…Andfinally,from P HIS ■■PPlluuss::tthheeooffffiicciiaallcchhaarrtt,,iinntteerrvviieewwss,,ccoommppeettiittiioonnss,,rraaddiiooaannddTTVV allofus hereatBBC Music Magazinee,Happy Christmas! T CE highlights, a previewof our monthly cover CD and much more! OY R C AR M ThelicencetopublishthismagazinewasacquiredfromBBCWorldwidebyImmediateMediaCompany COVER: othna1t cNomovpelmiebsewri2th0 1B1B.WCeedreitmoraiianlacnodm cmomittmedertcoiamlagkuiindgelainmesaagnazdi ncoenonfethcteshwigithhe BstBeCdi tporroiaglraqmuamliteys,.one Oliver CondyEditor 5 BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE LETTERS Write to: Theeditor,BBCMusicMagazinee TowerHouse, Fairfax Street, Bristol, BS1 3BNor email:[email protected] MUSIC OF THE STREETS Thetextsandtranslationswere LETTER OF THE MONTH Your photoofcomposerPhilip stillavailableinaneatlittle Glassstrollingonthelower booklet,buttheywerealso WestSideofNewYork((A-Zof displayedonacoupleofscreens AmericanMusic,November) behindtheperformers. struckadeepchord.Behindhim Eventhosewhocursesurtitles walks an obviously poor,maybe intheoperahousehadtoadmit homeless,personcarryinghis thattheyworkedratherwell:we belongingsstrappedtohisbelt. werepresentedwithseverallines Theyoung composer holds in atatime,sothedisplaywasnot his hands a score; his expression constantlychanging,andthey istroubled.Theurbansetting, wereinthesamelineofsightas bestrewnstreets,harshconcrete theperformers.Bestofall,they andsteel,thepovertyandsadness preventedthatterriblebaneof juxtaposedagainsttheinspiration thesongrecital:audienceswith andhopeofcompositionmake theireyesontheprogrammebook apowerfulstatement.Somuch ratherthanthestage.Theresult essentialAmericanmusic(the wasanothertriumphforthismost blues,jazzand,yes,classical) wonderfulofmusicfestivals. emergesfromthiscontrast. JonathonRée,Oxford by george!: Mashey Bernstein, THEEDITORREPLIES Gershwin bestrode SantaBarbara,US Goodtohear.Wewillbeexploring two musical worlds otherconcerthallinnovationsin BACHONTRACK afeatureinnextmonth’sissue. IthoughtTheBestofBritishhcover ANATION’SMISSINGCOMPOSERS CD(October)wastooBrexit-ish APRIVATEMATTER IwasstunnedbytheomissionsinyourA-ZofAmericanMusic. forcomfortandIdidn’tenjoy I’mgladthatatlastIowna AmericanclassicalmusicpredatestheBritishcolonies:Spanish listeningtoiteither.Then,in recordingofTheArtofFugue, colonistsinMexicoandCaliforniaproducedathriving November,Iwasdelightedwith thankstoBBCMusicMagazine Renaissancemusicalcultureblendingnativewithimmigrant.How Reich’sTheDesertMusicc,allnew (December).Ithasservedto couldyouleaveout‘America’sSchubert’StephenFoster?Where tome,andthismonth’sBachThe remindmewhythisworkhas ismentionofNegrospirituals?Notgivingjazzaplaceofitsown ArtofFugueeisutterlywonderful. neverjoinedmyother1,200CDs isaglaringomission.MarianAndersonwasaworld-renowned Iambacktobeingdelightedwith afternearly40yearsofcollecting. contraltobeforeher1939LincolnMemorialConcert;herMet thevarietyand–myoriginalaim Thatitistheworkofasupreme Operadebutsolateinhercareerwas –theopportunitytolearnmuch contrapuntalistandatowering aterribleracialslur.WhereisNew moreaboutmusic,affordablyand geniusisinnodoubt.Buteven Orleans-borncreolecomposerLouis withsurprises. inthehandsofsuchmusically MoreauGottschalk,theonlypianist AnnaHughes,London accomplished,persuasiveand Lisztfeared?Thefinecomposersof informedartistsasharpsichordist theSecondNewEnglandSchool TITLEDSUCCESS MahanEsfahaniandthe wrotecaptivatingmusic.Finally, ThelatestannualOxfordLieder AcademyofAncientMusic,for Everymonththeeditorwill whereisGeorgeGershwin?He Festivalisnowover,anditwasas meiteffortlesslyansweredthe awardaSolarDAB2Roberts alonebestrodetheworldsofclassical brilliantasever–superbbutnot question,raisedagainintheliner radio(retailvalue£80–see andpopularmusic.Nosurveyof showy,diversebutnotdiffuse. notes,ofwhetherBachintended www.robertsradio.co.uk)tothe writerofthebestletterreceived. Americanmusic,howeverbrief, is Andtherewasoneextraordinary itforpublicperformance:no, Theeditorreservestherightto completewithouthim. innovationwhichseemstohave absolutelynot! shortenlettersforpublication. ColleenFay,viaemail mettheapprovaloftheloyaland It’sahighlysubjectivereaction, GETTY attentive audiences – surtitles. Iknow;butIamjust left cold, 6 BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE unnamed) who ‘enjoyed walks in the city’s new public gardens (she loved yellow carnations)’. Not NEEDTOGETINTOUCH? only was she a musician herself, Subscriptionsandbackissues she helped to earn the family 08448440252(outsideUK,seep99) income, raised the children of Generalenquiries +44(0)1173147355 his first wife, and bore 13 of Subscriptionsandbackissues her own. Have you no idea how [email protected] exhausting and dangerous it was Generalenquiries [email protected] to have so many children? Having read in an earlier Subscriptionsandbackissues BBCMusicMagazine,POBox279, issue that Mozart had a very Sittingbourne,KentME98DF gifted sister, whose education Generalenquiries BBCMusicMagazine, was neglected in favour of her ImmediateMediaCompanyLtd, brother’s, I think it shameful that 9thFloor,TowerHouse, FairfaxStreet,Bristol,BS13BN today the contribution of the partners in swing: women in these families should S(Euibres,rEauterosp£e7)7£.8847.9(U9K(R),e£st8o2f.9W9orld) Duke Ellington and his still be ignored; and unlikely that ABCRegNo.3122 collaborator Billy Strayhorn at least some were not also highly EEdDiItTorOORlIiAveLrCondy gifted musicians. These men did DeputyeditorJeremyPound not live alone, nor were they only ReviewseditorRebeccaFranks ProductioneditorNeilMcKim intotalcontrastwithanyother greatest composer I would be taken care of by their servants. CoverCDeditorAlicePearson EditorialassistantElinorCooper fuguesbyBachIhavecome hard-pressed, but Ellington would All of us thrive in a network of ListingseditorPaulRiley toknowfromhearingthem.I probably prevail over Copland, families and connections to further ArteditorDavLudford DesignerLiamMcAuley canlistenwithpleasuretothe Ives, Barber and Joplin. This said, our efforts, giving us education, PictureeditorSarahKennett completistexercisethatarethe my citation would have to include time and encouragement. Please ThankstoDanielJaffé,SirikornGreen fuguesofthe‘48’,whetheronthe an asterisk, with a footnote giving stop perpetuating this daft idea MARKETING Subscriptionsdirector pianoortheharpsichord,while his musical collaborator Billy that a family of geniuses was JackyPerales-Morris DirectmarketingassistantEthanParry manyofthegreatorganfugues Strayhorn ample credit as well. exclusively male. makethehairsonthebackofmy Characteristic of the still- Kavya Hughes, London AGrDoVupERaTdvISeIrNtisGementmanager neckstandonend. inadequate depth of this man’s LauraJones+44(0)1173148760 Advertisementmanager PhilipMitchell,Winchester imprint in posterity is your TAKING STOCK LouiseEdwards+44(0)1173148384 misattributing Duke’s signature Roland de Moor’s memory Salesandpartnershipmanager RebeccaO’Connell+44(0)1179338007 TWOOFAKIND tune ‘Take the A Train’ to (Letters, November) serves Senioraccountmanager RebeccaYirrell+44(0)1173148364 ItwasfascinatingtoseePeter Ellington. Strayhorn wrote the him well when he says that Brandsalesexecutive Musk’sBBClibrettosforMozart melody by himself (Joya Sherrill the recent issue of Beethoven’s CarlKill+44(0)1173148841 Brandsalesexecutive andRossinifromthe1920s was the lyricist). Strayhorn was Eroica was the first duplication EdwardRamstedt+44(0)1173148365 (Letters,December).Ifanybody also the co-writer of ‘Satin Doll’ of a symphony by BBC Music Classifiedsalesexecutive DanBaker+44(0)1173147407 wonders how the one for The and many other famous works Magazine in its history. I have InsertsLaurenceRobertson +353876902208 Barber of Seville (1926) was we associate with Ellington, catalogued all of the cover CDs SYNDICATION&LICENSING permitted to contain commercial although he was denied by date and composer, and have TimHudson+44(0)2071505170 advertising, it is because there songwriting credits for years. discovered a small number of RichardBentley+44(0)2071505168 have been two BBCs. First David English, via email ‘repeats’, including Bax’s Tintagel, PRODUCTION ProductiondirectorSarahPowell came the British Broadcasting THE EDITOR REPLIES Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in E Productioncoordinator EmilyMounter Company Ltd (1922-26), Thanks to all who have written flat (Op. 81a), Brahms’s Violin AdcoordinatorHollyWhite to be followed by the anti- to correct us on this matter. Concerto, Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 AddesignerGlennIrwin ReprographicsTonyHunt,ChrisSutch advertising public service British and Debussy’s Prélude à l’après PUBLISHING Broadcasting Corporation, which LOST WOMEN midi d’un faune. PublisherAndrewDavies published Così fan tutte (1928). Seven generations of supremely More interesting, of course, ChairmanStephenAlexander DeputychairmanPeterPhippen The two librettos nicely illustrate musical Bachs (December) is a is the overview of coverage in CEOTomBureau this significant difference. wonderful record, but nothing BBC Music Magazine over the ManagingdirectorAndyMarshall RE Rawles, via email like as remarkable and wonderful years, sometimes quite extensive BDBirCecWtoOroRfLUDKWpIuDbElisMhiAnGgANZicIhNoElaSsUBrNetItT as seven generations without a for individual composers, albeit HeadofUKpublishingChrisKerwin UKPublishingcoordinatorEvaAbramik CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE single woman in the family tree. inevitably with some shortfalls. EDITORIALADVISORYBOARD I defer to few in my admiration No sisters, no wives, no mothers: Above all, such a cataloguing JamesStirling,EdwardBlakeman, SirBrianMcMaster for Duke Ellington, who was Veit Bach, ‘the man who started it shows just how fine and varied rightly included in your A to Z all’ did it by himself, apparently. a collection the magazine has This magazine is published by Immediate Media Company Bristol Limited of American Music feature. If I found a mention of one provided over the years. under licence from BBC Worldwide compelled to name America’s wife, JS Bach’s second (his first Malcolm Instone, Hertfordshire 7 BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE FREE ONE MONTH TRIAL to the digital edition Available from BBC Music Magazine is a must-read for anyone with a passion for classical music. Every issue brings the world of classical music to life, from interviews with the greatest artists and features on fascinating subjects, to all the latest d i i f d h i ld Have BBC Music Magazine delivered straight to your device when you take out a one month FREE trial* subscription to the digital edition. Simply return to the home page to subscribe. *After your one month trial your subscription will continue at £2.99 per month TheFullScore OUR PICK OF THE MONTH’S NEWS, VIEWS AND INTERVIEWS Martyn Brabbins takes ENO baton British conductor appointed music director of English National Opera with immediate effect Coliseum conductors operatichope: willMartynBrabbins bring stability to ENO? RecentENOmusicdirectors MarkElder(1979-93) SianEdwards(1993-5) PaulDaniel(above,1997-2005) EdwardGardner(2007-15) MarkWigglesworth(2015-16) Martyn Brabbins(from 2016) WithrecentcutsmadetoENO’s budgetandongoingscepticismover themanagement’splansforitsfuture, Brabbins’sjobisseenbymanyas EnglishNationalOperahas BrabbinsisnostrangertoEnglish somethingasapoisonedchalice,and announcedMartynBrabbins NationalOpera,havingfirstconducted hehimselfadmitsthathejoinsthe asitsnewmusicdirector.The therein2012inaproductionofVaughan company‘inatoughfinancialclimate’. popularEnglishconductor,57,hastaken Williams’sThePilgrim’sProgressthat However,evenduringthismostturbulent uptherolewithimmediateeffect,filling metwithwarmpraisefromthepress. ofperiods,standardsonstagehave agapthatwascreatedbythesudden Hehasalsoguest-conductedatmany remainedimpressivelyhigh.‘Withan andunexpectedresignationofMark otheroperahousesaroundEurope, orchestraandchorusofsuchexceptional WigglesworthinMarch.Withacontract notleastGrangeParkOpera,wherehis calibreandamusicallegacynurtured thatkeepshimattheColiseumuntilat handlingofWagner’sTristanandIsolde bythefinestBritishconductors,’he least2020,Brabbinswillnowgettowork thissummerwentdownastorm.His says,‘Ifeelincrediblyhonouredtohave withENOartisticdirectorDanielKramer previouspostsoutsideoperaincludethat beeninvitedtobecomeapartofthis inplanningfutureseasons.Heisalso ofartisticdirectoroftheCheltenham treasuredBritishmusicalcompany.I GETTY pencilledintoconductaproductionnext MusicFestival,wherehisthreeyearsin amdeterminedthatENOwillcontinue A, year.TheENOfaithful,meanwhile,willbe chargefrom2005-7sawhimintroduce toproducestimulatingoperatic G VE hopingthathisappointmentmarksthe innovativeideassuchasperformancesof performancesofthehighestmusical O AL beginningofaperiodofstabilityforthe thecompleteTchaikovskyandBeethoven qualityattheLondonColiseum.’ BEN E much-lovedbutbeleagueredcompany. symphoniesinoneday. See Richard Morrison,p21 10 BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE Formorenewsandartistinterviewsvisitwww.classical-music.com