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The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Review: a masterclass from Randall Goosby at Caird Hall in Dundee
Much of the work of violinist Randall Goosby as the RSNO's Artist in Residence this season has been behind the scenes, giving masterclasses for young string players and working with them on short pieces which will be showcased in Saturday's Glasgow concert of the penultimate week in the orchestra's season. An afternoon recital of chamber music from Goosby in the company of RSNO string players follows on Sunday. His run of concerts began in Dundee, as soloist on the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in the superb acoustic of the Caird Hall. The programme began with a beautifully detailed performance of Debussy's Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune, first flute Katherine Bryan opening the work deliciously sotto voce. Similarly, Goosby, for all his personal self-confidence, had a very tempered approach to the Mendelssohn, and the work was all the better for it. After a crisp account of the first movement cadenza, he and conductor Thomas Sondergard took the gorgeously melodic central Andante at a relatively brisk tempo, with superbly modulated trumpet-playing a highlight alongside rich ensemble string playing. Read more reviews from Keith Bruce: Coming after the Debussy dance-score, there was a light balletic feel to the lively finale, and Goosby followed it with a bluesy encore – likely from his debut solo album, Roots – that encapsulated the young violinist's engaging charm. A further compelling reason to be in the audience at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday evening is the programme's second half symphony by US-based Russian polymath Lera Auerbach. A poet and concert-pianist as well as a composer, her Symphony No 1, Chimera, is almost 20 years old but this – surprisingly – was its UK premiere. Beyond argument symphonic in scale, it is a long way from traditional in structure, and also shares some DNA with the Debussy. Auerbach's inspiration came from fairytale and Greek myth, and the work is peopled with character-studies and constantly in a state of flux, with some very tuneful passages. Rain-stick and tubular bells feature among the percussion, and the distinctive addition of the theremin was immaculately played by Charlie Draper behind the first violins, and often scored as an addition to the strings. The symphony also provided some eloquent soloing opportunities across the orchestra, but particularly from orchestra leader Maya Iwabuchi.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Cruise Mania Erupts at Cannes for ‘Mission: Impossible' Premiere
I perhaps should have known that Tom Cruise had touched down in Cannes when I heard French beatboxers performing the Mission: Impossible theme on the majestic red steps of the Lumière, the theater where Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning would premiere later that night to overwhelmingly positive reviews and a five-minute standing ovation. The goofy rendition of the famous music was a classic Cannes touch—impossibly corny, but infectiously enthusiastic. That enthusiasm extended toward the Croisette where Cruise fans were already lined up for a glimpse of Ethan Hunt himself at just before noon, hours for the evening gala. 'Since we were kids it was a dream to see Tom,' a woman from Nice told me from her perch in the somewhat oppressive sun. Why? 'He's a modern hero,' she added, marveling at how he does his own stunts. Little did she know Cruise was already basically in the building. At the Debussy, one of the many venues in the complex of the Palais, he was about to join his director Christopher McQuarrie for a conversation. It was a surprise for the audience who had gathered to hear the filmmaker talk about his career. McQuarrie spoke for about 25 minutes before moderator Didier Allouch asked him about how the collaboration between him and Cruise, which has now resulted in 11 movies, started. 'I was very surprised when I sat down and met Tom Cruise,' McQuarrie said. 'The Tom Cruise, who I knew from his movies and his publicity, I had a very different picture of who Tom Cruise was. We loved the same movies.' McQuarrie called Cruise a 'student,' who is eager to learn from those around them. 'When you're making a Tom Cruise movie it's not Tom Cruise saying, 'No, here's how you do it,' it's Tom Cruise empowering you and saying, 'What do you want to do?'' McQuarrie added. 'That spotlight, when the first time it's turned on you, is incredibly intense and incredibly clarifying.' Allouch then invited Cruise on stage to tell his side of the story to shrieks from the audience. If Cruise's love of capital-M movies has essentially become a meme, his appearance only supported that. 'It's not complicated, we love movies, we love telling stories,' Cruise said of his relationship with McQuarrie. Wearing head-to-toe burgundy, Cruise talked up his intense, studious obsession with the cinema. And McQuarrie provided stories from the set of Final Reckoning to back that up. Specifically, they talked up the two big set pieces: One in which Cruise as Ethan Hunt careens around a half-submerged submarine and another in which he hangs off the side of a biplane eventually crawling into pilot it. 'Remember that when you're watching Tom inside this semi-submerged rotating room inside the submarine: that is housed inside a 60-foot diameter, 1000-ton, 360 degree rotating fully submersible steel gimbal in an 8.5 million liter tank,' McQuarrie said. 'And he's inside it.' So how do they think of this stuff? Well, according to McQuarrie the 'craziest' stunt involving the plane came because he showed Cruise a TikTok. '[It] was the result of my foolishly showing Tom a TikTok video thinking he'd simply be amused by it,' McQuarrie said. 'And he said, 'I can do that.' And I said, 'No you can't.' And he said, 'Yes.' And then he went about developing the process to do it.' And does Cruise feel fear when he's rendering himself nearly unconscious hanging off the side of a plane for longer than is safe for the human body? No. Not really. 'I don't mind kind of encountering the unknown,' Cruise said. 'I like the feeling. It's just an emotion for me and it's something that is not paralyzing. It doesn't bother me.' He added, 'How do I feel about fear? I'm like, 'Oh, that's exciting.' Get the adrenaline going.' The stop at Cannes is part of Cruise's farewell tour for Mission: Impossible, the franchise that has consumed nearly 30 years of his life. He's now turning to more prestige-y seeming entertainment that might take him away from all that death defying for a bit. His next project is a film by Alejandro González Iñárritu that could very well mark an Oscar comeback. But is this the true end of Ethan Hunt? Cruise skirted the question posed by Allouch. 'Just let us show the movie tonight,' Cruise said. 'It's 30 years culmination of this. I'd rather just people see it and enjoy.' Of course, the premiere was a tough ticket. But fans gathered on the Croisette to catch a glimpse of Cruise even if they couldn't get into the building. As soon as he emerged from his car, cheers erupted, and Cruise, wearing sunglasses, stopped for selfies and autographs. And as Cruise and the cast posed for photos on Cannes famous red carpet, a 40-piece live orchestra played the Mission: Impossible theme. It was a step up from the beatboxers, but eventually segued into a house version of the song, staying true to the Cannes brand.
Irish Independent
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘Mystery boat tour' - how I made friends and explored cities, castles and gardens on my first river cruise
I said ahoy in April as I set sail on the Debussy, a Riverside Luxury Cruises ship, where I was wined and dined for four nights.
Times
21-04-2025
- Times
Travelling in Japan gives me Paris syndrome in reverse
It is Easter and while bells are merrily pealing through the western world to celebrate Christ's resurrection, I'm bathing naked in a hot spring at Fukuji, in the Japanese Alps. The singing of birds, the sound of leaves rustling in the spring breeze and the body's immersion in hot water on a bed of rocks feel no less transcendental than listening to the voice of angels at Notre-Dame cathedral. In fact, I find everything about Japan magical. To the point that it could qualify as an addiction, a pathology in search of a name. It is the Paris syndrome in reverse. Have you heard of Paris syndrome? Japanese tourists suffer from it most. In a nutshell, those visitors' view of Paris is so idealised that when they finally get to visit the French capital, some of them experience such acute disappointment that they end up at psychiatric hospitals' emergency rooms suffering from hallucinations, tachycardia, fainting spells and feelings of persecution. Every year, a few of them need repatriation. I suffer from a diametrically opposed syndrome. This week, on my fourth trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, I am experiencing it again, as potent as ever. The symptoms are a state of permanent wonder, a feeling of intense satisfaction and deep marvel at the perfection of the Japanese lifestyle and mentality. Being French, and therefore sceptical, I do my best to try to find fault lines that may crack this idyllic image. However, to this day, I haven't identified a single failing. I know what you are going to say: we gaijins tend to see Japan through rose-tinted glasses. Reality is darker and Japanese society can feel claustrophobic, rigid and sexist for its own citizens. All the same, Japan's perfection moves me to tears. • 16 of the best Japan tours A few years ago, I found myself silently crying in my miso soup in a family restaurant in Nara. The place was made of wood, hay, sand and stone, there were no contemporary devices, no plastic. We could have been living in the 17th century, the place would have looked the same. The lady serving us was in simple traditional clothes and the utensils used were made of ceramics and wood. Needless to say, the food was heavenly. And then, suddenly, out of nowhere, rose the music of Debussy, followed by Bach and Ravel. The emotion was too intense. I had not been prepared for this temporal collision, this explosion of beauty in a marriage of true minds as East met West. I can never completely switch off, even in Japan. World affairs are my other fix in life. I was amused to hear that the socialist MP and former French president François Hollande suggested creating a new status in France for 'scientific refugees'. On his radar are American and US-based scientists either deprived of funding by the Trump administration or simply in need of a more welcoming and less illiberal environment. Britain and Germany are obviously well placed to lure those bright minds to their shores. However, France, with this potential special status (easing all the red tape for 'scientific refugees') alongside its top-notch and affordable health system and free education for children could prove particularly tempting. A few weeks ago, we learnt that Volodymyr Zelensky spoke every day to Emmanuel Macron. This week, I heard that King Charles spoke 'very often' to the French president. I was therefore not surprised to discover that Macron would beat Trump to Windsor. He, it seems, will enjoy all the tra-la-la of an official state visit in Britain at the end of May while Donald Trump will have to wait until the autumn. In truth, Britain and France have far more in common these days, and important matters to discuss and agree on, than most countries. Being the two main military powers in Europe, their recent show of unity and determination on Ukraine has been both inspiring and heart-warming. Long may it last! Giles Coren is away
New York Times
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Harp Needs More Modern Music. That's Easier Said Than Done.
I once asked a colleague who runs a concert series what came to mind when he thought of harp music. 'A nothingburger,' he replied. I laughed, not because I was shocked but because I agreed. Sure, I'm a professional harpist. So is my mother. Some of my earliest exposure to music was through classics of our repertoire, and while learning the instrument, I had my steady diet of Saint-Saëns, Debussy, Fauré and Ravel. Frankly, though, all those composers wrote more interesting works for the piano, which is better suited to quick modulations and coloristic variety. The harp has its hindrances, and a lot of composers are terrified of writing solo music for it. This instrument has 47 strings, each tuned like the white notes of a piano, with the player's feet delegated the task of engaging flats and sharps using seven pedals. It's an ingenious design, but only up to a point. Tuning is relatively unstable. The sound is boomy, with metal bass strings that are woofy and indistinct, like organ pedals. Why bother? Well, I can't imagine playing the harp without interrogating its potential. If there's anything I want for my instrument, it's for there to be a new repertoire worthy of presenting to audiences like that of the piano or the violin. I want the harp to be a site of ingenuity. I don't want Debussy or Ravel to be the latest composers to have written canonical works for it. Composers and harpists keep trying, but more work still has to be done for the story has to continue. The harpists who have inspired me traversed new paths. Andrew Lawrence King's freakishly colorful and delicate recordings on period harps was a game changer in understanding the boundaries of expression in early repertoire. We owe a huge amount to Ursula Holliger, who was responsible for incredible commissions from the likes of Toru Takemitsu, Elliott Carter and Harrison Birtwistle. Take some time and listen to Zeena Parkins's 'Three Harps, Tuning Forks and Electronics,' in which a panoply of extended techniques (a flurry of scratches, fluxes and beatings on the soundboard) are organized into a beautiful and cohesive essay on form. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
