This month, we mark the centenary of one of music’s most iconic figures. On the 100th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Maria Callas, Ashutosh Khandekar examines those special qualities that set the Greek soprano apart from all others.
Another feature that should make you tick is Misha Donat‘s profile of Johann Nepomuk Maelzel, the madcap inventor of the metronome and much besides. Elsewhere, Simon Heighes has a listen to the first-ever near-complete recording of Handel’s Messiah, made in 1906. And Tom Stewart learns how the Glyndebourne Academy is providing rare opportunities to enter the world of opera.
Owen Mortimer finds out how the Symphony Orchestra of India is rapidly winning fans at home and abroad, and, for this month’s BBC Music Magazine interview, conductor Kirill Karabits talks to Rebecca Franks on the eve of his final season in Bournemouth.
Simon Broughton is off to Budapest to get a look at the new House of Music, a magnificent addition to a city already teeming with beautiful and historic venues. For Composer of the Month, Alexandra Wilson salutes the operatic genius of Bellini, while for December’s Building a Library, Claire Jackson picks out the best recordings of Khachaturian‘s richly atmospheric Piano Concerto.
Last but not least, soprano and 2023 Last Night of the Proms star Lise Davidsen picks out five pieces that have helped mould her into the incredible musician she is.
Happy reading!
Click here for the inlay of this month’s cover CD.
