Tag Archives: slow moments

“Transcending all” : Slow moments with J.S. Bach

Posted on 4 February 2022 by sw508

Goodness, SW, I hear you thinking…how brave! How courageous! How utterly foolhardy! How is it possible to even begin to present anything which can never come close to doing such a great composer justice. Well of course it’s not possible … Continue reading →

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Slow moments with SW: Samuel Barber, infinite sadness.

Posted on 11 June 2021 by sw508

Samuel Barber – oh yes, you are thinking, he wrote that Adagio didn’t he. And you would be right, he did, and it has become the work of choice to play to mark solemn occasions and commemorations. And because we … Continue reading →

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Slow moments with SW: Elgar (…..)

Posted on 16 April 2021 by sw508

Only one slow moment this time dear readers – and I think you will agree that it is more than enough for the soul: the slow movement of Elgar’s violin concerto. What, you may reasonably ask, has prompted this little … Continue reading →

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Slow moments with SW: Bartók

Posted on 1 April 2021 by sw508

The contrast between the musical language of Rachmaninov and that of his contemporary Bartók is striking. The one firmly in the full “romantic” sonata-form-based mode, the other pushing those formal boundaries forward and absorbing the influences of the folk music … Continue reading →

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Slow moment with SW: Rachmaninoff – a brief encounter.

Posted on 19 February 2021 by sw508

Scene: a railway waiting room somewhere in SE England in the 1930s. A man and a woman are sitting at a table over a cup of tea. Celia: I say Trevor, must we, really? Trevor: I’m afraid so, old thing, … Continue reading →

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Slow moments with SW: Mozart – serene intensity

Posted on 2 October 2020 by sw508

H’mm, something of a challenge this one, I fear. How on earth does one choose? Not quite the “stick a pin in the Köchel Catalogue” approach, but perhaps a chance to share some of my favourites plus a special request … Continue reading →

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Slow moments with SW: Reynaldo Hahn – poignant seduction

Posted on 21 August 2020 by sw508

“When he takes his place at the piano, with a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, everyone is quiet and gathers around to listen. Every note is a word or a cry. His head is slightly tilted back: his … Continue reading →

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Slow moments with SW: Gerald Finzi – elegiac radiance

Posted on 12 June 2020 by sw508

A change of gear this time, I thought, and what better than to explore some of Gerald Finzi’s ‘slow moments’. How does one begin to describe their essence? Imbued in places with a searing introspection, in others with sheer spiritual … Continue reading →

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