Welcome to the June issue of BBC Music Magazine!
It may be almost 50 years since Margaret Thatcher became the UK’s first female prime minister but – love her or loathe her – her legacy lives on. Despite her notoriety, she has never been the subject of a full-blown opera… until now. This issue, composer Joseph Phibbs and librettist Dominic Sandbrook tell our editor Charlotte Smith about their new operatic work based on the Iron Lady’s time in office.
Our cover star this issue is violist Timothy Ridout. As one of the world’s leading advocates for his instrument, Ridout has gone from strength to strength, recently winning BBC Music Magazine’s Instrumental Award for his solo album combining Bach’s monumental Partita No. 2 with contemporary repertoire. On page 24, he tells Rebecca Franks about his desire to expand the viola repertoire by collaborating with contemporary composers and unearthing forgotten gems.
We're also looking at the Glastonbury festival. No, not that one. Decades before today’s iconic event, Glastonbury hosted a festival whose first ever outing included a rare opera sensation, as Andrew Green reveals. And we examine how music and food have enjoyed each other’s company since time immemorial. Georgia Mann explores this tasty partnership.
Amid the misery of World War II, Vaughan Williams's serene Fifth Symphony offered a sense of calm and even optimism to some. Terry Blain tells the story of this great British symphony - and picks four great recordings (and one to avoid).
On this month's cover CD
On this month's cover CD we're celebrating the 150th birthday of the great Spanish composer Manuel de Falla (1876-1946). We've got performances of two of de Falla's most exciting and evocative works, El amor brujo and Nights in the Gardens of Spain. Performers include the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductors Josep Pons and Thomas Dausgaard, plus pianist Javier Perianes and flamenco singer María Toledo.
Click here or on the image below to see the track details for this month's cover CD.
