Cello

Cello belonging to artist John Constable to be played for first time in 100 years

Exclusive: Landscape painter was also a keen musician and played a cello made for him by his friend and mentorHe was one of Britain’s greatest landscape painters, with masterpieces including The Hay Wain and View on the Stour near Dedham But John Constable was also a keen musician – and his personal cello, which he commissioned, is to be played in public for the first time in 100 years after its restoration. The instrument was made in 1802 and it is thought Constable may have played it in a...

Cello belonging to artist John Constable to be played for first time in 100 years

Exclusive: Landscape painter was also a keen musician and played a cello made for him by his friend and mentorHe was one of Britain’s greatest landscape painters, with masterpieces including The Hay Wain and View on the Stour near Dedham But John Constable was also a keen musician – and his personal cello, which he commissioned, is to be played in public for the first time in 100 years after its restoration. The instrument was made in 1802 and it is thought Constable may have played it in a...

Danish String Quartet review – captivating performance from a world-class group

Wigmore Hall, LondonThe quartet communicated intimately and naturally in a programme of music by Shostakovich, Ravel and Stravinsky A hushed chord sustained by the second violin, viola and cello. Fragments of a melody played as a distant memory by the first violin, which reached slowly upwards to a final crystalline harmonic. Pizzicato, diminuendo, silence.

Danish String Quartet review – captivating performance from a world-class group

Wigmore Hall, LondonThe quartet communicated intimately and naturally in a programme of music by Shostakovich, Ravel and Stravinsky A hushed chord sustained by the second violin, viola and cello. Fragments of a melody played as a distant memory by the first violin, which reached slowly upwards to a final crystalline harmonic. Pizzicato, diminuendo, silence.

Mabe Fratti and Bill Orcutt: Almost Waking review – cellist and guitarist unite for tender harmonies and torrid tangles

The Sun and the Moon: Saatchi Gallery's ambitious new summer show turns its gaze to the sky

From a giant glowing Sun and immersive installations that can't be photographed, to ancient Arctic snow goggles and textiles inspired by the Apollo missions, the exhibition spans centuries of human imagination. From the moment early humans looked upward and tried to make sense of the sky, the sun and the moon have been at the centre of everything - faith, timekeeping, agriculture, mythology, and art. This summer, Saatchi Gallery's major new exhibition, The Sun and The Moon attempts something...

What I've learned about the trombone

I’ve been playing the trombone since fourth grade. Today, I’m going to share what I’ve learned about, especially the technical aspects of playing such an instrument. But first, what’s a trombone?

Is there a pianist in the house? How audience members – and fellow musicians – have saved the show

A Sydney screening of La La Land with live orchestra was rescued by a brave (and skilled) amateur pianist. What happens when classical performers, or their instruments, suddenly collapse? Plus, Tavener’s mystic pantomime finally gets to the stageMusic’s equivalent of catching a home run at a baseball game happened on Saturday in Sydney, when a 21-year-old university student jumped in to save a performance of the movie La La Land with live orchestra.

Is there a pianist in the house? How audience members – and fellow musicians – have saved the show

A Sydney screening of La La Land with live orchestra was rescued by a brave (and skilled) amateur pianist. What happens when classical performers, or their instruments, suddenly collapse? Plus, Tavener’s mystic pantomime finally gets to the stageMusic’s equivalent of catching a home run at a baseball game happened on Saturday in Sydney, when a 21-year-old university student jumped in to save a performance of the movie La La Land with live orchestra.

AI is blowing up music. How should the Grammys handle it?

Today I’m talking with Harvey Mason Jr., who is CEO of the Recording Academy — that’s the outfit that puts on the Grammy Awards. I last talked to Harvey in 2024, when it was obvious that generative AI would upend the music industry, but still not exactly clear how that would happen.  Well, it’s been 18 months since that conversation, and you’re going to hear Harvey say that AI is now “omnipresent” in music production. And Harvey knows what he’s talking about — he is himself a legendary...