March
Another disc out this month – Partners in Time with Tasmin Little. A recital programme as a recording project is really quite an old-fashioned concept – but fashions come around again and again! The disc was launched at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London before an invited audience and also open to the public – free – and about 500 people were there. The disc was “Record of the Week” on Classic FM.
February
During this year I will give playing several trio concerts with Emma Johnson (clarinet) and Natalie Klein (cello). We are championing the trio written by John Ireland which has recently been reconstructed from the MS found in the British Library. For some time it was thought lost but now becomes an important piece in a relatively small repertoire for this combination. The first concerts this month were in Jersey and Norwich.
January
A new disc with Emma Johnson of sonatas by Bernstein and Copland together with music by John Dankworth was released by Naxos.
The month also included a flurry of concerts with the Britten Sinfinia taking in Krakow, Birmingham, London (Wigmore Hall), Norwich and Cambridge. The programme was broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and also recorded for release on CD by the Orchestra’s own label. I was also privileged to work for the first time with a legend of the flute-playing world – William Bennett.
August – december 2008
The arrival of my son, Jack, has meant life has been more hectic than usual - so I have not kept this blog going too effectively! Apart from our new arrival, here is a potted summary of the rest of 2008:
John Ireland piano music (volume 3) was issued by Naxos in September and continues my long running complete edition. This was supposed to be the final installment but in the last couple of years some hitherto unknown early manuscripts have come to light and there is talk of a fourth volume which will also include the Legend for piano and orchestra and the wonderful piano concerto. Watch this space……
October was busy mainly with concerts with Tasmin Little. Together we were getting to grips with a new sonata programme which we recorded during November for BIS. In December Faber Music published the final books (grades 6-8) in my series with Paul Harris Improve your Aural.
July 2008
Another busy month with concerts in the Petworth, Aboyne and Henley Festivals followed by two weeks in the USA. 14 appearances there included solo repertoire by Liszt, Alkan, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Scriabin, Ravel, Ireland and a Haydn Concerto. Collaborators included Sergey Antonov (winner of the gold medal at the Tchaikovsky competition this year) and Icelandic Tenor Garder Thor Cortes. Also this month, Naxos issued a new recording – John Ireland Piano Music vol. 3.
June 2008
The busiest month this year (so far) started with a trip to the Czech Republic to perform in a new International Music Festival at the historic town of Kutna Hora. Two concerts featured piano Trios by Rachmaninoff and Eben and Messiaen’s quartet for the end of time – challenging music that needed plenty of rehearsal time. After returning there were three recitals with Tasmin Little (one recorded by BBC Radio 3 for future broadcast), a solo recital (Bach, Schumann, Rachmaninoff and Chopin) and a further concert with Emma Johnson.
May 2008
Finished a very long project for Faber Music this month. “Improve your Aural” (grades 6-8 ) will be published later this year. The final book was written with Paul Harris and the accompanying CD in collaboration with Ned Bennett.
April 2008
A short trip to Denmark for a recital with Julian Lloyd Webber and another new CD recording this month. The new disc is for Naxos and features Emma Johnson and John playing Sonatas by Copland and Bernstein together with music by John Dankworth and a new virtuoso version for clarinet and piano of melodies from Bernstein’s West Side Story.
March 2008
As well as concerts with Emma Johnson and Tasmin Little, John Lenehan recorded a disc for Toccata Classics of music for violin and piano by Julius Rontgen. This prolific Dutch composer is all but forgotten these days but, on the evidence of this repertoire, is surely due for a revival. The violinist was Atsuko Sahara, - a winner of the Uralsk International Violin Competition.
February 2008
The highlight of this month was a trip to India to perform in Mumbai with the Symphony Orchestra of India – a newly formed group (India’s first fully professional orchestra). The repertoire was Beethoven’s Triple Concerto (with the SOI music director Marat Bisengaliev and Raphael Wallfisch) and a trio concert. Both events drew large and enthusiastic audiences. Classical music is alive and well in India!
December 2007
On the border between Europe and Asia sits the small town of Uralsk, Kazakhstan. It is the home of an annual international violin competition. Together with Benjamin Frith, John attended as official accompanist and also performed with previous competition winners.
November 2007
Another London concert this month – this time at the Wigmore Hall in a concert billed as “Princes and Poets – 100 years of the French cello tradition”. Organised by the London Cello Society and L’Association Francaise du Violoncelle the programme brought together seven of France’s finest cellists – five of them performing with John Lenehan. A packed hall included Yan Pascal Tortelier and several who had made the journey from Paris to hear this unique event.
October 2007
Interest in the new Sony releases lead to interviews on BBC radio 3’s “In tune” and Classic FM’s Sunday night “Guest list”.John Lenehan also made his debut at one of London’s newest venues – the Cadogan Hall, in a recital with Emma Johnson.
September 2007
Sony Classical release three discs featuring music by Philip Glass, Michael Nyman and Ludovico Einaudi performed by John Lenehan. Classic FM magazine praised playing “by one of our most celebrated musicians” and Gramophone noted “Delicate articulations, subtle shadings,measured control and finely poised sensitivity.”
August 2007
A chance to arrange and orchestrate for an operatic superstar such as Angelika Kirschslanger does not come along so regularly – so John was delighted to accept the invitation to produce arrangements of Christmas-related repertoire for her latest CD. He attended the sessions in early September in Vienna – Christmas did come early this year!
July 2007
The Newport Festival, Rhode Island, USA (which features in “America’s Elite 1000—the Ultimate List,” and “Top 50 Outstanding Festivals & Events”) invited John Lenehan once again (his fifth visit). In a crazy two weeks he took part in 16 concerts performing rarely heard piano music by Mendelssohn, Bizet, Liszt, Rubinstein and Liszt as well as much chamber music.
