A Lark Ascending

Nice tribute here from classical pianist Peter Donohoe: How Keith Emerson's inventiveness influenced my musical career

I've seen Kofi a few times (including with the WSQ in Cheltenham). Most recently with Chris Biscoe's Mingus band just before Xmas.

At the Crucible Studio in Sheffield Tony Kofi - alto; Alan Barnes - alto; John Turville - piano; Adam King - bass; Rod Youngs drums Excellent evening of 'mainstream' jazz (though the couple next to me found it a bit too 'modern', a bit 'all the same' [I can recall finding jazz like that when I first heard it]). Mainly originals - blues, ballads, bossas. A really beautiful 'Isfahan' in the second half; and a playful 'If I Should Lose You' in the encore with the drummer playing eight bars and then calling in one of the others randomly to do eight; you could see the young bass player really having to rely on his reflexes but loving every minute and Turville launched into a wonderful stride passage which brought grins to all the musicians. A real sense throughout that the musicians were enjoying themselves...the audience certainly did. Two Nottingham lads aboard (Kofi, Turville) - what with Julian Siegel also coming from there, we'll soon be talking of the Nottingham school of jazz.

Enjoyed this...intriguing historical counterfactual novel with alternative life directions explored. A bit overlong - the (admittedly evocative) Blitz section seemed to make much the same point in several scenarios. Wonderful popular history. Tried to read John Julius Norwich's book on Venice 15 years back and had to give up after 1/3 through as I got my doges muddled. This focuses on the seaborne empire from 1204 though to the 16thC. Especially good in the great set pieces - the sack of Constantinople, the rivalry with Genoa, the Cretan revolt, the Battle of Chioggia, the fall of Negroponte and Lepanto. Good lord it was tough living in the Middle Ages (though it's tough living today if you are unfortunate enough to be in Syria or Iraq). All things I either only had a dusting of knowledge of or no knowledge at all. Have his book on the Mediterranean clash between the Ottomans and the West leading to the battle of Lepanto heading my way now. Also two music books: The Bartok is an excellent read - polished off in just over a week (just to indicate how compelling it was!) - a clear biography but with extensive commentary on the music (a bit too technical for me, but clear enough to use later when listening). I'm in the middle of the second - a beautiful and very humble book from the first violinist of the Takacs Quartet, tracing his arrival as the 'new boy' in the 90s through to becoming an established member. Explores his musical and human relationships with the other members, getting to know the music ever more deeply and the evolution of the quartets themselves in Beethoven's time.

Now this one I did enjoy. Unusually, a film where the bad guys win.

Disc 1 of the Viv. (and disc 2 24 hours later)

RIP Didn't expect that. Although subtlety was never his strong suit and I lost track of him after about '72, Emerson played a big part in shaping my musical curiosity between '70-'72, first with ELP and then digging back to The Nice. I first consciously became aware of Sibelius, Mussorgsky, Copland, Bach (and, unconsciously, Bartok and Janacek) through his rock arrangements [I also recall reading him raving about Ginastera and contemporary South American music in the early 70s, the first time I was aware there was classical music from that part of the world]. Probably less obvious was the way he shaped my ear for jazz (not much of that in Yes or Genesis!) - I could pick out when he went 'jazzy' from hearing that fuddy-duddy music on TV, but it was in the Emerson context that I began to think 'I'd like to hear more like that'. The Nice's take on 'Blue Rondo a la Turk' had a lot more Bach in it than Brubeck's original - admittedly great lifted slabs, probably remembered from music lessons, but very exciting to a 14 year old with no classical training. I still play the first 'Emerson Lake and Palmer' and 'Pictures at an Exhibition', 'The Nice' and 'Elegy' with great pleasure.

Islamabad, Pakistan: A man walks with his daughter at a park where trees are in blossom for spring Photograph: B.K. Bangash/AP http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2016/mar/09/photo-highlights-george-martin-tributes-solar-eclipse

Disc 3: Cello Concerto, Clocks And Clouds, Violin Concerto, With Pipes, Drums, Fiddles

Had much the same reaction to this as I had to 'Inside Llewyn Davis'. Thin plot line, didn't really get the jokes, seemed to lean too heavily on knowing references to old movies and pastiche reconstructions. Probably means more to people really up on their Hollywood. Not a big draw in North Notts on a cold March afternoon - had the theatre entirely to myself.

18 No.1

Other pictures from the recent eclipse seen in the southern hemisphere here: https://www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2016/mar/09/total-solar-eclipse-thousands-gather-across-asia-and-australia-in-pictures

Don Quixote has some beautiful cello (and viola) up front. Wide range of recordings from over the years to choose from. And if you're up for something a bit more challenging: Won't pretend to be thoroughly au fait with this but every time I've listened it's made me want to come back again. 'Ricercare una Melodia' is particularly striking.

No. 26 of latter. And now, as the servants bring me breakfast...

RIP A wonderful presence on many records I have. Especially fond of:

Don't believe it...angels used to deliver his groceries.

It's a nice old Victorian/Edwardian theatre - still quite a few about and they make nice venues. Opera North varies on language. English National Opera always do their productions in English (I think!). I prefer the original language as long as there are surtitles.

A very nice series from recent years. I know British classical music excites little interest beyond these shores (not a complaint, we're quite happy to keep it to ourselves!) beyond a few pieces, but if you want something accessible but different: Don't be scared by all the sheep! I'm not a great John Tavener fan (way too 'mystical' and god-bothering for me) but this piece has becoming very popular over the years - one of those rare contemporary pieces to get a foothold into concert platforms: Engaging piece though I'm not sure this version exists any more. There have been other recordings (again unusual for a contemporary piece).

Womenfolk: British Folk Music by Women Nice article here from the States about some of the current wave of female folk talent - mentions Lady Maisery, The Rheingans Sisters (also cover stars of the new fRoots), the Songs of Separation project and Nancy Kerr. And a nice little review on another outstanding young contemporary folkie, Jim Causley: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/09/jim-causley-review-west-country-folk-cecil-sharp-house-london Devon based with a lost of West Country material in his repertoire.

59 No.3 of the first.

Conwy, Wales: A starling murmuration ascends over RSPB Conwy. Most of the birds will soon return to mainland Europe, Scandinavia and Russia after spending the winter at the site. Photograph: Richard Bowler/REX/Shutterstock Now't beats a good murmuration http://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2016/mar/07/photo-highlights-of-the-day-dog-races-and-rolling-horses

Albinoni made very nice driving music to and from Nottingham (one disc each way) even though it was dark, miserable and wet, singularly devoid of sunshine and olive groves. Concerto off first. Sounds like lovely comfort music today (regularly crops up as background music in TV programmes) but I wonder how it sounded in the late 18thC when the clarinet (or basset clarinet here) was a new instrument? Greatest hits single disc from the second. I love the strings on "Soave Sia Il Vento" - almost Steve Reich!

Cosi Fan Tutti (Opera North, Nottingham Theatre Royal) Lovely evening. Pretty sparing on the staging - opened with a huge box camera coming almost to the stage edge with the opening taking place in front; then the front slid up to reveal the inside, also a drawing room. No other scene changes. Despite it's daft plot (the instant fallings in love and ability to disguise identity with a change of costume) this always seems a very modern opera with its underlying cynicism. The four lovers played their parts with marvellously exaggerated gestures. Despina's down to earth realism always comes across as the most attractive character, nicely played here. Marvellous music (the horns and woodwind sounded very distinct jumping out of the pit). The conductor waved his stick fetchingly. Proper review of an earlier performance in Leeds here: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/04/cosi-fan-tutte-review-opera-north-grand-theatre-leeds (Apologies for picture size - couldn't find a smaller one showing the full stage). [Sung in English. Wish they'd still use surtitles - diction was clear in the recitatives but once the orchestra started and more exaggerated singing in the arias (not to mention the multiple voice sections) it was hard to catch the words (even when repeated, as they are...a lot). Remember there was a big controversy many years back about surtitles with the county set very much against them. Would have thought we'd have got past this by now - not everyone in the theatre would know the piece).

A few Brit cello pieces. The Elgar concerto is an obvious choice but this new recording couples it with the lesser known, beautifully nocturnal Walton Concerto. You also get Holst's lovely 'Invocation' and a short solo suite by Imogen Holst, 'The Fall of the Leaf'. There's a feast of mid-20thC cello on this 2CD. I particularly like the Cello Symphony...would appeal to those who like late-Shostakovich (Britten and Shostakovich were mutual admirers). Oration is a very moving cello and orchestra piece, Bridge's reflection on the First World War. Another beautiful early 20thC concerto. On a smaller scale, a wonderful collection of pieces. I've played this regularly for thirty odd years. All records illustrated are the ones I play. No idea where they stand in the 'who's best?' sweepstakes. There are often multiple alternatives.

The Crusades (BBC4 Three Part series) An interesting if a bit ordinary documentary covering the First, Third and Seventh Crusades. Found the last part most interesting as I knew nothing about the Seventh Crusade or the subsequent defeat of the Mongols by the Mamluks prior to wiping out the last crusader kingdoms. Suffered like a lot of pre-modern history programmes from deciding what to show on screen given the dearth of visual evidence - some lovely illuminated manuscript pictures and plenty of crumbling castles and (not so crumbling) abbeys but did the usual thing of having the presenter jet setting round the world to stand in front of contemporary Cairo, Jerusalem or Paris and try to find vague connections between the scene and the narrative (lots of mysterious ladies at windows whenever whores were mentioned; a description of a massacre with a group of chaps playing cards in a cafe!). Standard paste in library music - the expected Gregorian Chant and Arabic music but some strange choices of Romantic classical music at points of high drama - Finlandia at one point! Sorry, going all train spotter - 'I say, in episode 12 of Downton Abbey, supposedly set in the 1920s, it showed a Mark 3 doubled boggied guards wagon; everyone knows these were not introduced until 1933.'