Category Archives: Pitman Reviews
John Pitman Review: Eldbjørg Hemsing’s ‘Arctic’
Arctic is a new release by Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing that asks questions, through music, about the effects of climate change on the Arctic region, and on the life that exists there. Ms. Hemsing, who grew up near the Arctic Circle, says “the Arctic is often misrepresented as stark and uninhabitable wasteland.” Yet Hemsing explains… More
John Pitman Review: Leif Ove Andsnes’s ‘Poetic Tone Pictures’
All Classical Portland’s Program Director John Pitman has long admired the artistry of Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, having featured his recordings regularly over the past 30-plus years. His newest release is especially exciting because it includes rare recordings of the complete Poetic Tone Pictures by Czech composer Antonín Dvořák. In his latest interview with John, Mr…. More
John Pitman Review: Hilary Hahn’s ‘Eclipse’
All Classical Portland Program Director John Pitman shares his latest review of a new album by violinist Hilary Hahn, which includes Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, the Violin Concerto by Alberto Ginastera, and Pablo de Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy for violin and orchestra. The album, Eclipse, is available now on Deutsche Grammophon. As American violinist Hilary Hahn states,… More
John Pitman Review: Sheku Kanneh-Mason’s “Song”
All Classical Portland Program Director John Pitman shares his latest review of a new album by British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. The album is called “Song,” and is available now on Decca Records. Back in January 2022, (which simultaneously feels like yesterday and a decade ago) I interviewed both Sheku and his sister, Isata Kanneh-Mason, about… More
John Pitman Review: Summerland – Premieres by William Grant Still
All Classical Portland Program Director John Pitman shares his latest review of a new collection of works by William Grant Still. Regarded by many as the most important black classical composer of the 20th century, and indeed called “Dean of Afro-American Composers” in his lifetime, William Grant Still (1895-1978) remains an important figure in the… More
American Music for Independence Day
This Independence Day, All Classical Portland is commemorating the 246th anniversary of the passage of the Declaration of Independence, by celebrating American composers and musicians on the air. Read on for some of the highlights you’ll hear when you tune in at 89.9 FM in Portland or anywhere in the world via the live player on… More
John Pitman Review: Corazón – An American cellist’s impressions of Latin America
All Classical Portland Program Director John Pitman shares his latest conversation with American cellist John-Henry Crawford. Corazón is Crawford’s second release and reflects the cellist’s own experiences in performing in Mexico and Central America, as well as visiting family members there, such as his brother who is a member of the Peace Corps. Corazón reunites… More
John Pitman Review: Simone Dinnerstein’s Trilogy is complete, with Undersong
Program director John Pitman shares his latest conversation with pianist Simone Dinnerstein, where they discuss her new CD titled Undersong. Dinnerstein chose this word, an archaic term meaning “refrain”, which can be found both in the individual pieces (Schumann’s Arabesque, and Kreisleriana; Couperin’s Les Barricade Mysterieuses), and throughout the entire program. Hear more of their… More
John Pitman Review: Víkingur Ólafsson explores Mozart & Contemporaries
In his newest recording for Deutsche Grammophon (released September, 2021), Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson explores Mozart’s music in the context of composers who came before him and who helped Mozart shape his distinctive and immediately recognizable style. Ólafsson speaks with program director John Pitman about how he made connections between Mozart and Carl Philipp Emanuel… More
John Pitman Review: Sheku and Isata find their “Muse”
“Muse” is the name of the debut recording by cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and his sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. The siblings have recorded together before, in the 2020 release, “Carnival of the Animals”, and have performed live many times. “Muse” includes two major 20th century cello sonatas, by Samuel Barber (1932); and Sergei Rachmaninov (1901), as… More
