At the beginning of this week, I had the very sad news that Professor Robert Pascall, internationally-renowned Brahms scholar, wonderful teacher, and dear friend, had died. Robert was the most amazingly generous, inspirational man and had friends and grateful students all over the world. I wanted to take a moment
A couple of days ago, I found myself having a Twitter exchange on a subject that I find fascinating and infuriating in equal parts. Several people were having a discussion about Brahms, and Brahms biography, and biographical approaches and writing styles. ‘Purple prose’, one person argued, was necessary in Brahms’s
Before March is entirely overtaken by talks, concerts, and various other exciting things (some of which you’ll find listed over here on the Events page), I’ve been enjoying a quiet weekend at home – the last in while – of trying to get ahead with prep and having a bit
In the midst of a flurry of Schubert, a broadcast on Medici TV and the general celebratory noises emanating from the Wigmore Hall last week as they reach their 115th birthday, you could be forgiven for having missed something which (to this music researcher, anyway) is more exciting than all
As anyone who has the vaguest interest in cinema, DVD collecting, watching the TV or even bus posters will know, superheroes are in. They have been for a while: men of steel, fortuitous victims of nuclear/chemical accidents, test subjects of government projects – heck, even sparkly vampires. They battle the
On Thursday evening of this week, if I do say so myself, I did something rather brave. Here I am, shy little Brahmsian that I am (ok, well, not that shy, but still)… and I stood up in public, and talked about Shakespeare. This might not seem like an earth-shattering
This week, something VERY exciting has happened. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the first book in the world which has my name on the cover. Hurrah! Brahms in the Home and the Concert Hall is a project some four years in the making, from the conference in 2011 that prompted
