Thomas Beecham – the celebrity conductor

Of the celebrated British 20th century conductors none divides opinion more than Sir Thomas Beecham. He revolutionised orchestral standards in Britain and created cultural organisations that survived him but his acerbic wit and notoriety as a philanderer often brought him into conflict with the establishment. As a conductor Beecham was blessed with perfect rhythm,

Hi-Q Supercuts classical in store

Over the last 12 years the Hi-Q Records label has re-issued a significant quantity of classical music, largely from well-known composers, virtuosos and conductors, with its favourably reviewed ‘Supercuts’ series. By a label that specialises in classical music, some 60 LPs have been faithfully reproduced from the original analogue EMI master tapes, cut

A Flamenco fiesta

In October, The Record Album will be showcasing a selection of flamenco recordings from the personal vinyl collection of guitarist Brian Bailey, known also by his stage name of Paco Torres, who died last year. Brian was a talented musician who played both the piano and classical guitar. It was the brilliance of his guitar

Dima’s wonderful collection

Born to two immensely gifted parents, the violinist Julian Sitkovetsky and the pianist Bella Davidovich, the great Dmitry Sitkovetsky defected from the Soviet Union in 1977 by feigning mental illness at the age of 22. Now settled in London, he has become one of the world’s great classical violinists and an enormously distinguished