Author Archives: Mark Pullinger

Lockdown walks: On reaching a Vivaldi century

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Mark Pullinger

“Vivaldi didn’t write 500 concertos. He wrote the same concerto 500 times.” It’s unlikely that Igor Stravinsky ever actually said this – it was probably coined by Luigi Dallapiccola – but it’s an amusing line anyway, intended to poke fun … Continue reading →

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Vivaldi Top Ten Concertos

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Mark Pullinger

Working – and walking – my way through nearly 500 Vivaldi concertos during lockdown, I’ve whittled them down to a “top ten” playlist of my favourites. My only criteria were “no nicknames”, to encourage people to listen beyond the ubiquitous … Continue reading →

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Breaching the fortress: Budapest Festival Orchestra plays away in Ravenna

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Mark Pullinger

Iván Fischer/ Budapest Festival Orchestra Rocca Brancaleone, Ravenna, 1st July 2020 The Budapest Festival Orchestra has had a busier lockdown than most. Every member has taken part in its “Quarantine soirées”, streamed chamber recitals often introduced by Iván Fischer himself, occasionally … Continue reading →

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Mercurial Martha: Argerich springs a surprise in recital with Renaud Capuçon in Hamburg

Posted on June 27, 2020 by Mark Pullinger

Martha Argerich, Renaud Capuçon Laeiszhalle Hamburg, 25th June 2020 This was 24-carat special. Since its long overdue (and grossly over-budget) debut in 2017, the shiny new Elbphilharmonie has dominated Hamburg’s musical life. However, the Laeiszhalle – over a century older … Continue reading →

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Musical gifts from Karina Canellakis and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Mark Pullinger

Canellakis/ Netherlands Radio Philharmonic TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, 19th June 2020 Bouquets are usually given at the end of a performance, but Karina Canellakis and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra began their concert in TivoliVredenburg with a floral offering, Puccini’s Crisantemi (Chrysanthemums). This closing event in the Avrotros … Continue reading →

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