The Academy Podcast

In this episode of the Academy podcast, we look back at our through-the-night performance of Gavin Bryars’ iconic work Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet – a piece centred upon an unknown homeless man’s vocal refrain – at Tate Modern in April 2019.

Over the last twenty years, the Academy has worked creatively with hundreds of people who are or who have been homeless. This particular project was a collaboration with Streetwise Opera, who formed the choir for the performance; and Gavin Bryars’ ensemble and Southbank Sinfonia, who played alongside members of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, West London Mission and The Connection at St Martin’s

Produced by Ben Eshmade

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In the latest episode of the Academy podcast, we eavesdrop on a conversation between harpsichord heroes Mahan Esfahani and John Constable.

Mahan, who was inspired to take up the instrument as a child, in part, after seeing the Academy perform live, has made it his life’s mission to rehabilitate the harpsichord in the mainstream of concert instruments. He has a busy and varied solo career and can regularly be heard on BBC Radio 3, most recently presenting a 3-part series, ‘The Alternative Bach’.

John Constable is Principal pianist and harpsichordist for the Academy, a post he has held since 1984. He was principal pianist of the London Sinfonietta from when it was founded in 1968 up until 2017.

Hear Mahan Esfahani in performance with the Academy in the cities of Flensburg (28 July)  and Kiel (29 July). Click for details and tickets.

Produced by Ben Eshmade.

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In a fascinating episode of the ASMF podcast series, Ben Eshmade meets Jeremy Denk, one of America’s foremost pianists, ahead of our tour of the USA together in February / March 2019.

A must-listen for piano players and fans alike, Jeremy offers an insight into his life as a busy concert pianist, delves into the repertoire of Mozart, and reflects on the art of music-making. The winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship also talks about his love of writing and about studying at Indiana University – a link he shares with Academy Music Director Joshua Bell, who also appears in this podcast episode.

Jeremy joins the Academy of St Martin in the Fields for a 12-date tour of the USA from 21 February – 10 March 2019.

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In this very special edition of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields Podcast, we eavesdrop on a conversation between Lady Marriner and Sir David Attenborough speaking about the history, performances and recordings of the Academy and our founder Sir Neville Marriner.

Molly Marriner, widow of Sir Neville, had a vital role in supporting and nurturing the orchestra – who she describes as family – through its early years, and Sir David became a good friend of the Marriners after meeting Sir Neville on a tour to Japan in the 1960s. The Academy’s partnership with Sir Neville Marriner became the most recorded of any orchestra and conductor, but it began simply as a group of friends, regularly gathering to rehearse in Sir Neville and Molly’s front room in South Kensington.

As the Academy approaches its 60th anniversary year, we joined Molly and Sir David in the very same room to hear some of their memories.

Podcast producer: Ben Eshmade

Photographer / Videographer: Fraser Watson

 Listen on SoundCloud:

Watch exclusive video clips from the recording below:

MUSICAL EXCERPTS

All musical excerpts in this podcast are from Academy recordings, conducted or directed from the violin by Sir Neville Marriner.

Mozart – Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (No. 10) from Mozart Double Piano Concertos with soloists Lucas and Arthur Jussen. Provided courtesy of Universal Music Netherlands.

Corelli – Concerto Grosso in F major, Op. 6, No. 6

Elgar – In The South

Listen on our website:

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Hear from two of the world’s most in-demand musicians in this podcast about the new Overture for Violin and Orchestra, which has been specially written for the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and Music Director Joshua Bell by composer and double bassist Edgar Meyer.

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Audio clips from the world premiere of Edgar Meyer’s ‘Overture for Violin and Orchestra’ recorded at the Bravo Vail Music Festival in 2017

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In this episode of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields podcast series, Ben Eshmade talks to members of the Academy Chamber Ensemble in the group’s 50th anniversary year. Get a behind-the-scenes insight to life with this world-renowned ensemble, as musicians Tomo Keller, Stephen Stirling, Stephen Orton and Lynda Houghton discuss the group’s rehearsal techniques, favourite repertoire and most memorable on-tour moments.

Audio clips in this podcast:

Mendelssohn / Gershwin

Schumann

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The incomparable pianist Murray Perahia delves into the details of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos in an Academy Podcast two part special running alongside the Perahia Plays Beethoven series at the Barbican over the 2016/17 classical season. In Part 2, Murray focuses on Beethoven’s Piano Concertos Nos. 4 & 5.

Musical extracts heard in this episode are from Murray and the Academy’s live recording of the Beethoven Piano Concertos under the baton of Sir Neville Marriner in 1988, reproduced here with the kind permission of Sony (available here: www.amazon.co.uk/d/B001IMFHUM).

The post Perahia Talks Beethoven – Part 2 appeared first on Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

The incomparable pianist Murray Perahia delves into the details of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos in an Academy Podcast two part special running alongside the Perahia Plays Beethoven series at the Barbican over the 2016/17 classical season. In Part 1, Murray focuses on Beethoven’s Piano Concertos Nos. 1-3.

Musical extracts heard in this episode are from Murray and the Academy’s live recording of the Beethoven Piano Concertos under the baton of Sir Neville Marriner in 1988, reproduced here with the kind permission of Sony (available here: www.amazon.co.uk/d/B001IMFHUM).

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Join us on the Academy Podcast for a glimpse into the mind of the sensational clarinettist Martin Fröst, as we discuss Copland’s Clarinet Concerto and go on the hunt for the soul of the clarinet, ahead of our January 2017 European tour and London performance at Cadogan Hall on 2 February.

Musical extracts heard in this episode are from Martin’s ‘Dances to a Black Pipe’ album, reproduced here with the kind permission of BIS, and available to purchase here: http://www.eclassical.com/frost-martin-1/clarinet-w-martin.html

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The ASMF Podcast takes the opportunity to look back at one of the defining moments in the orchestra’s history: recording the soundtrack for the multiple Oscar-winning film Amadeus. We speak to Sir Neville Marriner and colourful British thespian Simon Callow, reflecting on their memories of the events and characters working on the Oscar-winning film, and conductor Ludwig Wicki, who explains the challenges and potential pitfalls of performing a film score live ahead of Amadeus Live on 14 October 2016.

Musical extracts heard in this episode are from the Academy’s recordings in the Philips Complete Mozart Edition (available here) reproduced here with the kind permission of Universal.

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