Kaupo and I had a nice few days together in Edinburgh a week or so ago, and he's posted some early content up on his blog under the title: "When city sleeps". See the rest of the set here.
Kaupo Kikkas: “When city sleeps”
Author: Sean Shibe
Pre and post Aldeburgh festival activities
Aldeburgh: practise, beach, bed.
Today I was working on alternate fingerings for the second song in Tippett's Songs of Achilles and it was raining outside. it is the rain and it smells of christening; it is the rain and it tastes of silver Transported in an instant to the first time working on these songs in humidity and the [...]
Achilles’ blank slate
I realised that it's been nearly a year since I was at the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont... Working there last Summer was, as ever, an inspirational experience, and a highlight was surely working with Spencer lang on Tippett's Songs for Achilles. I'm returning to these songs with tenor Robert Murray when I arrive at [...]
Rodrigo’s Aranjuez with The Little Orchestra
This last week I've had the pleasure of working on Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with The Little Orchestra, a work that gets the reputation for being a classical guitarist's warhorse concerto, but curiously, that I've performed RELATIVELY seldom over my career so far. It's been really cool to rediscover forgotten secrets, unearth some new ones, [...]
3 programmes, 3 countries
I really need to start booking UK train travel well in advance - a month ago I grabbed the cheapest unreserved ticket for Scotland-bound trains on 24/03, not quite clocking on to the fact that yeah, that'd be the day of the Easter break beginning... Needless to say standing for 3 hours with two suitcases [...]
Rant: Farewell to Stromness by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
Often background information we hear about pieces seems non-applicable to an interpretation; here's a case of its application being more obvious. I play the ground bass to Farewell to Stromness in a couple of different ways, then play the exposition, having settled on the opening 2 bars with fleshy tone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSnspSwkLDA
BBC Music Magazine Cover CD/New 2016 dates
I've taken the time to add in some concert dates including some that are pretty exciting! Sharing a little of the Wigmore Hall stage with Mahan Esfahani and Avi Avital in February, off to Germany to play in Heidelberg with Isang Enders in April, and making my debut at the Aldeburgh Festival over the Summer! [...]
Bayerische Rundfunk listen again link
A performance from last night's performance in Munich (Milla nightclub) is available online here. I featured accompanying the fab 'cellist Isang Enders along with the violinist and fellow BBT alumna Byol Kang in works by Westhoff, Bach, Piazzolla and Beethoven.
Schubert edition notes
...at a strictly practical level Schubert was able to keep himself warm, without expense, by staying in bed, where he was often found trying out his songs with guitar accompaniment; there is no recorded instance of a composer taking a piano to bed... Apart from his hilarious turn of phrase, what is particularly comical about [...]
Concerts near London this week
I'll be taking the train down to Faversham in Kent (19/11, 1930) and up to Stansted (22/11, 1500) this week, performing works by Dowland, Bach, Britten, Rodrigo and Ginastera. Check the diary page for details. The above image is the view I had over the course of last week's journey on the Inverness - Thurso [...]
Back for a short Scottish tour
Over the next week or so I will be performing in Scotland in Inverness (12/11), Thurso (13/11) and Corstorphine in Edinburgh (15/11). Check the diary page for full details! Sadly missing the Ullapool fields of gold this time around...
Scottish Chamber Orchestra Tour Diary
Tuesday 29 July 2014 A first rehearsal is always something to test your nerves. Even if you know the individual players and conductor personally, playing the first note will alter all previous conceptions – a new dimension of their personality starts to unfold. This rehearsal turns out not to be long, but through the New [...]
A Note on Wigmore Hall lunchtime programme for 03/02/14
John Dowland – Forlorn Hope Fancy, Fantasia Johann Sebastian Bach – Prelude, Fuga and Allegro BWV 998 Hans Werner Henze – Drei Tentos (Du schoenes Baechlein, Es findet das Aug’ oft, Sohn Laios) Benjamin Britten – Nocturnal after John Dowland When exploring the relationships between the musics of England and Germany I discovered fertile [...]
Appearing on BBC Radio 3 In Tune
Watching Mad Men, drinking wine, changing strings. Could I possible encapsulate the various problems of my age (binge drinking, multitasking so to ruin the few good TV series we have) in one photo? Tragedy I know. But I change my strings for a reason! I will be bringing some Catalan warmth to the Broadcasting House [...]
BBC Radio 3 Iplayer link for Britten performance
Here's a link to the BBC Iplayer page for the BBC radio 3 New Generation Artist's lunchtime concert featuring Robin Tritschler and I performing Benjamin Britten's Songs from the Chinese at 00:15 minutes in. It's available for the next 7 days.And the original chamber duo below :)Although obviously I didn't use a lute.
BBC Radio 3 Broadcast Britten – Songs from the Chinese with Robin Tritschler
Hey hey 😀 I'm just back from Ullapool where the guitar festival up there came to an end this Sunday. The drive up was beautiful as always. Allan Neave, Sasha Savaloni and Ross Wilson played a few quartets (like the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, thanks to the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet for that) [...]
Concerts page updated
Various concerts have been added to the Diary 2013 page, including dates at the Big Guitar Weekend in Glasgow, the Ullapool Guitar Festival, several BBC recording dates and a solo recital at the Aberdeen Music Hall.
Upcoming BBC 3 Broadcasts
In the coming week I can be heard on the radio: Sunday 21st July: 1700-1815 Falla Canciones Espanolas, with Clara Mouriz (mezzo-soprano) Villa-Lobos: Etudes (selection) Friday 26th July: 2230-2300 Albeniz: Asturias Mompou: Suite Compostellana In Marlboro music festival at the moment having a wonderful time. Enjoy your summers 🙂
Sean Shibe 