From The Colour of Pomegranates to the Armenian genocide: some notes on Tigran Mansurian

Posted on by Geoff Andrew

If you’ve ever seen Sergei Paradjanov’s remarkable and unforgettably odd film, you will probably recognise the striking tableau above as one from Sayat Nova, released in the West as The Colour of Pomegranates. However much I admire the movie for its bold originality and painterly beauty, I must confess that its radical, highly allusive style … Continue reading From The Colour of Pomegranates to the Armenian genocide: some notes on Tigran Mansurian

‘In a class of his own’: some notes on pianist Igor Levit

Posted on by Geoff Andrew

London, as any fule kno, is a great city for live music; spoilt for choice almost every night, you could spend a fortune, if you had such a thing. (I don't, by the way.) But if you choose carefully and avoid the big, expensive gigs, you can pack in a fair bit. It's all about quality. For me … Continue reading ‘In a class of his own’: some notes on pianist Igor Levit

Following in Hildegarde and Lili’s hallowed footsteps: today’s wonderful women composers

Posted on by Geoff Andrew

It is International Women’s Day, and while I appreciate that some may consider it presumptuous for a male to offer a few recommendations pertaining to female excellence, I hope there won’t be too many objections to this particular celebration of women’s genius. Only this week I read an article by Susanna Eastburn in the Guardian … Continue reading Following in Hildegarde and Lili’s hallowed footsteps: today’s wonderful women composers

America After the Fall – a very timely exhibition

Posted on by Geoff Andrew

I could not resist making an early visit to the Royal Academy’s latest exhibition, entitled ‘America After the Fall: Painting in the 1930s’. For one thing I knew it included one my favourite American paintings, Grant Wood’s famous and much parodied ‘American Gothic’ (1930, above), which I’ve loved since I first discovered it as a … Continue reading America After the Fall – a very timely exhibition