Episodes
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Jeremy Denk talks to Edward Seckerson about the arts of practicing, programme-building, recording, writing and performing, as we find out what makes the innovative pianist tick.
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Edward Seckerson would happily describe himself as a Bernstein fanatic, conducting one of the last major interviews with his idol before his death in October 1990.
Here he shares why the American icon remains a never-ending source of fascination. -
Missing episodes?
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'This music is buzzing with intergalactic messages and surrealism…’
We speak to the inimitable director about the apocalyptic anti-anti-opera ahead of his production at the Barbican with the LSO and Sir Simon Rattle -
‘The whole piece is about me being put to the test…’
The violinist Leila Josefowicz talks about Scheherazade.2 – the piece written for her by John Adams – and her life as a musician, ahead of her performance of ‘S.2’ with the LSO next month. -
'Music is above and beyond all else... It's about feeling.'
As the pioneering American composer celebrates his 70th birthday, we spoke about his life, music and varying influences. -
We go on a trip down the rabbit hole looking at Gerald Barry’s latest bonkers opera – talking to the composer, Barbara Hannigan – who plays Alice in the premiere – and conductor Thomas Adès.
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We speak to James MacMillan, the Scottish composer and conductor, whose Stabat Mater is premiered at the Barbican as part of a day celebrating his urgently communicative choral music.
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'There is something about mortality or the knowledge that time is not infinite that tends to focus artists' energy in a particular way'. We talk to Jonathan Biss, the American pianist and writer, about the late music of the great Romantic composers and his relationship with their music
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‘Hans Zender has taken Schubert's Winterreise and exploded it, he's made a work of art about a work of art.’ As we prepare to transform our Theatre into the winter's landscape of Winterreise, we talk to director Netia Jones, tenor Ian Bostridge, conductor Baldur Brönnimann and more about this iconic piece of art
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We talk to composer Andrew Norman and video artist Deborah O'Grady about how the American landscape influences classical and contemporary music, and how to make a visual statement from these works.
Both Andrew and Deborah feature Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic's upcoming International Associate Residency, which covers the themes of American Soundscapes and includes the music of John Williams and Mahler- for more info see www.barbican.org.uk/music/series.asp?id=1505 -
We caught up with contemporary composer George Benjamin about his career, his love of teaching, and the challenges of composing for opera. We also spoke to Iestyn Davies who will be singing the UK Premiere of Benjamin's new song-cycle Dream of the Song about working with the composer.
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Ian Bostridge talks to the Guardian’s Tom Service about his special relationship with Schubert’s song-cycle and the demands it places on the performer, following his recital at the Barbican Centre in January 2015.
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When computer pioneer and war-hero Alan Turing received a posthumous pardon in 2013, New York composer Nico Muhly had questions...Sentences is the result of those questions, and premieres at the Barbican on 6th June. In this classical podcast we speak to Iestyn Davies who Muhly wrote the piece for about what it’s been like to work on the project.
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Ahead of the Boulez at 90 series at the Barbican, this podcast explores the life and music of the great musical provocateur, Pierre Boulez, with interviews from those who knew and worked with him. Featuring interviews with composer Nico Muhly, conductor François-Xavier Roth, and musicians from the Ensemble Intercontemporain, founded by Boulez in 1976.
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In this exclusive Barbican classical podcast, writer and broadcaster Catherine Bott interviews Fabio Biondi, director and founder of Italian period instrument ensemble Europa Galante, shedding light on the detective work that brought Vivaldi’s 1738 l'Oracolo in Messenia back from obscurity.
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Journey down the rabbit hole in this Barbican classical podcast exploring Unsuk Chin's operatic adaptation of Lewis Caroll's beloved stories, ahead of its UK Premiere at the Barbican on Sunday 8 March. Includes interviews with composer Unsuk Chin, director Netia Jones and infamous gonzo artist Ralph Steadman, whose illustrations frame the production.
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In anticipation of the acclaimed Mariinsky’s Opera’s London Residency at the Barbican in November 2015, we sit down with esteemed conductor Valery Gergiev to discuss Boris Godunov and the UK premiere of Levsha – both cornerstones of this historic residency.
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In anticipation of the acclaimed Mariinsky’s Opera’s London Residency at the Barbican in November 2015, we sit down with esteemed conductor Valery Gergiev to discuss Boris Godunov and the UK premiere of Levsha – both cornerstones of this historic residency.
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We talk to Harrison Birtwistle’s closest friends and collaborators to find out more about the man behind the music of one of our greatest living composers. Audio clips used by kind permission from Universal Edition.
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Ben Eshmade explores the music and myths featured in our series of concerts celebrating the 80th birthday of one of our greatest living composers, Sir Harrison Birtwistle. Audio clips used by kind permission from Universal Edition.
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