First day off and I decided to buy (well, order) some new glasses.

“Here is a great subject which I can gratefully embrace … which allows me to dismiss the more hideous aspects of life as mere figments of the imagination.” Thomas Mann on Pfitzner’s Palestrina, premiered in Munich #OTD in 1917.

Last concert of the season for me until Edinburgh Festival in August.

Celebrating tonight with two pretty heavy concertos and then off into oblivion...

wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/20240…

Tristan and Isolde premiered on this day in Munich in 1865

Very exciting to see the original score in the Richard Wagner museum in Tribschen, Lucerne. We publish a facsimile of the autograph- details here barenreiter.co.uk/tristan-and-is…

A great gift for the ardent Wagnerian

There is some absolutely insane and earth-shattering artistry here

“On Wednesday we [play C.P.E. Bach].”

A photograph I'd never seen before of Nijinsky. Holy cannoli.

Tonight's listening

Our concert at Saffron Hall this evening! First there was the performance, completing our complete cycle of Bach's keyboard concertos, then there was the lock-in with the one and only Mahan Esfahani ماهان اصفهانی.

What a way to inspire people! 💫

Still massively confused by British people who say they have to sleep off jet lag and then when asked where they've been, say 'Greece.'

By far the longest of Bach’s keyboard concertos, Harpsichord Concerto No. 1 is also the one with the most extended virtuosity for the keyboard. Join us this weekend for the final instalment in our concert series with Mahan Esfahani ماهان اصفهانی.
📍8 June Saffron Hall
📍12 June Wigmore Hall

Congratulations Gad Barnea !

Mahan Esfahani ماهان اصفهانی talks about our series so far performing the complete cycle of Bach’s keyboard concertos. Next week, we conclude the series with Bach’s D minor keyboard concerto – the “big enchilada”, as it is more fondly known.

📅 08.06 Saffron Hall
📅 12.06 Wigmore Hall

Hendon

Happy birthday!

A soft drink ad in Iran from the 1960s - I approve 1000%

Harold Bloom's 14 talks on Shakespeare's 7 major tragedies(Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra).[Audio, 8hrs]
Di (Yee) - Currently not here
youtu.be/yZndDTG0ckQ?si…

The Britten Pears Arts 75th Aldeburgh Festival starts next week. Lovely to get messages from friends who will be joining us for the celebrations and to have such positive responses to the programme. “Aldeburgh is a model for other organisations across the country” Thanks The Telegraph

'I wrote The Last Empire of Iran to tell the story of the Sasanian dynasty from beginning to end. It is a narrative that covers some of the most important events of human history. And over the past 1,400 years, the story has lost none of its power.'
quillette.com/2020/07/31/les…