Episodes

  • Artistic Director Steven Isserlis introduces Open Chamber Music, one of IMS Prussia Cove’s biannual seminars. Open Chamber Music began in 1976, four years after the Masterclasses, when founder Sándor Végh invited some of the students to stay on and play chamber music with him. It has since grown into a three-week seminar taking place every September, with more than 120 musicians rehearsing and performing over 60 works of chamber music together, in ensembles that combine younger musicians with more experienced performers.

    Artistic Director: Steven Isserlis @StevenIsserlis

    Contributors in order of appearance:

    Stuart Arrandale

    Tim Crawford

    Jenna Sherry

    Tim Boulton

    Patrick Bailey

    Millie Ashton

    Laura MacDonald

    Susanna Patterson

    Helena Winkelman

    Amy Harman

    Alice Neary

    Erich Höbarth

    Melissa Phelps

    Tom Poster

    Alec Frank-Gemmell

    Narrator: Samuel West @exitthelemming

    Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @Melissafitzg

    Music in order of appearance:

    Brahms Op.111 played by the Salzburg Camerata, conducted by Sándor Végh.

    Beethoven String Quartet in F major Op.135
    Musicians: Daniel Phillips, David Adams, violin; Thomas Riebl, viola;
    Jeong Hyoun Christine Lee, cello
    Recorded OCM 2016, Friday 23 September, Richard Lander School in Truro

    Leoš Janáček String Quartet No. 1 ‘Kreutzer Sonata’
    Musicians: Maria Włoszczowska violin; Tim Crawford violin; Clare Finnimore viola;
    Tim Posner cello.
    Recorded OCM 2021, Saturday 25 September, St Michael’s Mount,

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Divertimento for String Trio in E Flat, K.563
    Musicians: Maria Wloszczowska violin; Blythe Teh-Engstroem viola; Steven Isserlis cello
    Recorded OCM 2021, Saturday 25 September, St Michael’s Mount

    ‘Chicken on a Fence Post’ played by school children participating in the outreach workshops, alongside IMS musicians Lesley Hatfield, Millie Ashton, violins; Tim Boulton, violin; Laura MacDonald, cello

    Shostakovich String Quartet No.8
    Musicians: Lesley Hatfield, Millie Ashton, violins; Tim Boulton, violin;
    Laura MacDonald, cello

    Helena Winkelman, Gott-Fa for Bassoon and String Quartet
    Musicians: Helena Winkelman, Tim Crawford, violin; Georgia Russell, viola;
    Tim Posner, cello; Amy Harman, bassoon
    Recorded OCM 2021, during rehearsal

    Schumann Piano Trio in D minor
    Musicians: Barbara Doll, violin; Alice Neary, cello; Anton Kernjak, piano
    Recorded OCM 2022 Sunday 25th September, Princess Pavilion Falmouth,

    Reger String Sextet
    Musicians: Erich Höbarth, Corey Cerovsek, violin; Thomas Riebl, Celia Libertad Elíaz, viola; Christoph Richter, Natania Hoffman, cello

    Recorded OCM 2022, Sunday 25th September, Princess Pavillion Falmouth,

    Schoenberg, Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)
    Musicians: Alessandro Ruisi, Larissa Cidlinsky, violin, Garfield Jackson, Anna Puig Torne, viola, Laura MacDonald, Bas Jongen, cello
    Recorded OCM 2023, Saturday 30th September – Trelowarren Chapel

    Bacewicz, Piano Quintet
    Musicians: Jackie Shave, Kiarra Saito-Beckman, violin; Celia Libertad Eliaz, viola;
    Sam de Caprio, cello; Tom Poster, piano
    Recorded OCM 2022, Friday 23 September, St John’s Hall Penzance.

    Johannes Brahms, Horn Trio in E Flat Op 40
    Musicians: Arisa Fujita, violin; Alec Frank-Gemmill, horn; Alasdair Beatson, piano
    Recorded OCM Tour 2021, Thursday 1 October, Wigmore Hall, London

    Special thanks to Capriccio for the use of the recording of the Brahms Op.111 played by the Salzburg Camerata, conducted by Sándor Végh.

    Cover Artwork: Bananadesign Ltd

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  • The IMS Masterclasses, which take place every Spring in Cornwall, are the beating heart of the IMS. They were originally conceived by our two founders Sándor Végh and Hilary Tunstall-Behrens, over fifty years ago in 1972. Since then, every year, we bring over 100 young musicians to Cornwall for two, 10-day courses which run over 3 weeks.

    The interviews and lessons in this episode were recorded on location in Spring 2022 and we hear from just a few of the many students, professors, and class pianists we’ve hosted over the course of our rich 50-year history.

    Artistic Director: Steven Isserlis @StevenIsserlis

    Contributors in order of appearance:

    Vashti Hunter

    Jonian Ilias Kadesha

    Pablo Hernán Benedí

    Rita Wagner (Recorded in 2012 with Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula, piano, performing Schubert, Sonata in B flat.)

    Steven Isserlis

    Sophia Rahman

    Catherina Lee

    Thomas Riebl

    Edgar Francis

    Guilherme Marques Caldas

    Claus Christian Schuster

    Stephanie Tang

    Clarissa Bevilacqua

    David Welton

    Music in order of appearance:

    Brahms Op.111 played by the Salzburg Camerata, conducted by Sándor Végh.

    Henry Purcell, Three Fantasias in Three Parts. Performed by the Caerus Ensemble: Jonian Ilias Kadesha, violin; Pablo Hernán Benedí, viola and Vashti Mimosa Hunter, cello.

    Ernest Chausson, Poème. Performed by Catherina Lee, violin and Sophia Rahman, piano.

    Benjamin Britten, Lachrymae. Performed by Edgar Francis, viola and Eglė Staškutė, piano.

    Rebecca Clarke, Sonata for Viola and Piano. Performed by Guilherme Marques Caldas, viola and Eglė Staškutė, piano.

    Fritz Kreisler, Recitativo and Scherzo Caprice. Performed by Clarissa Bevilacqua, violin.

    Ludwig van Beethoven, Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor. Performed by Tim Posner, cello and Sophia Rahman, piano.

    Narrator: Samuel West. @exitthelemming

    Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @Melissafitzg

    Special thanks to Capriccio for the use of the recording of the Brahms Op.111 played by the Salzburg Camerata, conducted by Sándor Végh.

    Cover Artwork: Bananadesign Ltd

    Follow us on Instagram @ims_pc

    Twitter @ims_pc

    www.i-m-s.org.uk

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  • Steven Isserlis explores the rich and varied community at IMS Prussia Cove. With contributions from some of the people who are associated with the many aspects of the music seminars, including Jonathan Gaisman, Peter Greiner, Bridget Hugh-Jones, Mark Jennings, Alexander Maund, Petroc Trelawney, Samuel West and Rosie Yeatman.

    Artistic Director: Steven Isserlis @StevenIsserlis

    Contributors in order of appearance:

    John Antonaki

    Petroc Trelawney

    Viv Shield

    Rosie Yeatman

    Nik Anikitou

    David Sommer

    Sam Hewson

    Arlex Martinez

    Eleanor Mumford

    Tim Bickersteth

    Bridget Hugh-Jones

    Alexander Maund

    Hannah Morrow

    Peter Greiner

    Mark Jennings

    Amy Norrington

    Samuel West

    Jonathan Gaisman

    Music in order of appearance:

    Brahms Op.111 played by the Salzburg Camerata, conducted by Sándor Végh.

    Webern, Six Bagatelles for String Quartet, IMS Concert St Bunyan Church, 24.9.05 - Ida Levin & Susie Park violins, Lila Brown viola, Kari Ravnan, Cello.

    Mendelssohn Octet, Open Chamber Music 1978, St Michael's Mount - Sándor Végh, Sachiko Nakajima, Ola Rudner, Erich Höbarth, violin, Kim Kashkashian, Michel Rouilly, viola, Marcy Rosen, Steven Isserlis, cello.

    Schubert String Quartet in D minor, IMS Concert St Martin & St Meriadoc Church, Camborne, 2006 – Pekka Kuusisto, Fenella Humphries, violin, James Boyd, viola, Richard Harwood, cello.

    Schubert B-Flat Piano Trio, IMS Concert, 1978 - Sándor Végh, violin; Johannes Goritzki, cello; Peter Pettinger, piano.

    Brahms String Sextet in G Major Op.26.

    Kurtág, Carenza Jig, performed by Scott Dickinson.

    Haydn Sting Quartet Op.50 No.1 in B Flat, IMS Concert Wigmore Hall, 26.11.22 – Krysia Osostowicz, violin, Lesley Hatfield, violin, Tim Boulton, viola, Amy Norrington, cello.

    Narrator: Samuel West @exitthelemming

    Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @Melissafitzg

    With thanks to Chris Doggett for the archive digitisation.

    Special thanks to Capriccio for the use of the recording of the Brahms Op.111 played by the Salzburg Camerata, conducted by Sándor Végh.

    Cover Artwork: Bananadesign Ltd

    Follow us on Instagram @ims_pc

    Twitter @ims_pc

    www.i-m-s.org.uk

    This episode is dedicated to the loving memory of Tessa Gaisman, IMS Prussia Cove's Chairman from 1996 - 2022.

  • Cellist and IMS Artistic Director Steven Isserlis explores the creative vision behind IMS Prussia Cove. With contributions from some of the many musicians who are associated with the creative spirit of the music seminars: Thomas Adès, Adrian Brendel, Dame Imogen Cooper, Robin Ireland, András Keller, Ulrika-Anima Mathé, Krysia Osostowicz, Charles Owen, and András Schiff and Yuuko Shiokawa.

    Artistic Director: Steven Isserlis @StevenIsserlis

    Contributors in order of appearance:

    Charles Owen

    Ulrika-Anima Mathé

    Imogen Cooper

    Robin Ireland

    Krysia Osostowicz

    Adrian Brendel

    András Schiff

    Thomas Adès

    András Keller

    Yuuko Shiokawa

    Music in order of appearance:

    Brahms Op.111 played by the Salzburg Camerata, conducted by Sándor Végh.

    Schubert Piano Sonata in A, played by Charles Owen, 2013/4 at the Wigmore Hall.

    Rachmaninov's second Trio Élégiaque in D minor, Op. 9, played by Steven Isserlis, with Sini Simonen and Charles Owen, IMS Prussia Cove, St Hilary Church, 12th September 2020.

    György and Marta Kurtág playing ‘Dirge’ from 'Games', by Kurtág, IMS, April 2004.

    Bach-Kurtág transcriptions played by György and Marta Kurtág, IMS, April 2004.

    Brahms Quintet Op. 34 Sandor Végh; Keiko Wataya; Garfield Jackson; Marcy Rosen; and András Schiff, recorded at an Open Chamber Music concert in St Ives, Cornwall, 22 September 1979.

    György and Marta Kurtág playing ‘Bells. Hommage a Stravinsky’ from ‘Games’ by Kurtág, IMS, April 2004.

    Bach Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major, Gigue played by Sándor Végh.

    Haydn String Quartet No. 26 in G Minor, Op. 20 No. 3, Minuet: Allegretto played by the Végh Quartet.

    Narrator: Samuel West @exitthelemming

    Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @Melissafitzg

    With thanks to Chris Doggett for the archive digitisation.

    Special thanks to Capriccio for the use of the recording of the Brahms Op.111 played by the Salzburg Camerata, conducted by Sándor Végh.

    Cover Artwork: Bananadesign Ltd

    Follow us on Instagram @ims_pc

    Twitter @ims_pc

    www.i-m-s.org.uk

  • Founded in 1972 by Hungarian violinist Sándor Végh and Hilary Tunstall-Behrens, the International Musicians Seminar held at Prussia Cove in Cornwall has become one of the world’s most respected classical music institutions. In this episode, cellist and IMS Artistic Director Steven Isserlis looks back at the beginnings of IMS. We hear from the founder Hilary Tunstall-Behrens, his nephew Peter, and some of the musicians who came to Cornwall in the early days to immerse themselves in music and the landscape: Lesley Hatfield, Krysia Osostowicz, Daniel Philips, Christoph Richter, Susan Tomes and David Waterman.

    Artistic Director: Steven Isserlis @StevenIsserlis

    Contributors in order of appearance:

    Hilary Tunstall-Behrens, Co-Founder

    Peter Tunstall-Behrens

    Susan Tomes

    Krysia Osostowicz

    Christoph Richter

    Daniel Phillips

    Lesley Hatfield

    David Waterman

    Featuring IMS recordings:

    Haydn Sting Quartet Op.50 No.2, Open Chamber Music 2020, St Mary's Church, Penzance - Krysia Osostowicz, Juliette Roos, violin, Hélène Clement, viola, Christoph Richter, cello

    Mendelssohn Octet, Open Chamber Music 1978, St Michael's Mount - Sándor Végh, Sachiko Nakajima, Ola Rudner, Erich Höbarth, violin, Kim Kashkashian, Michel Rouilly, viola, Marcy Rosen, Steven Isserlis, cello.

    Fauré Piano Quintet No.2, Open Chamber Music 2021, St Pol de Leon Church, Paul - Lesley Hatfield, Grace Park, violin, Robin Ireland, viola, Madelyn Kowalski, cello, Antoine Préatk, piano.

    Narrator: Samuel West @exitthelemming

    Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @Melissafitzg

    With thanks to Chris Doggett for the archive digitisation.

    Special thanks to Capriccio for the use of the recording of the Brahms Op.111 played by the Salzburg Camerata, conducted by Sándor Végh.

    Cover Artwork: Bananadesign Ltd

    Follow us on Twitter @ims_pc

    Follow us on Instagram @ims_pc
    www.i-m-s.org.uk