Christian Hoskins
@aquilanebula.bsky.social
Public transport specialist, reviewer for Gramophone, occasional traveller & photographer.
Now listening to Copland's Tender Land Suite conducted by the composer with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Probably my favourite of his many works. Aaron Copland born in New York City on this day in 1900.
November 14, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Now listening to Copland's Tender Land Suite conducted by the composer with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Probably my favourite of his many works. Aaron Copland born in New York City on this day in 1900.
Brünnhilde's Immolation Scene
When the universe ends, what song will play over the end credits?
November 13, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Brünnhilde's Immolation Scene
Reposted by Christian Hoskins
Mark-Anthony Turnage’s new opera The Railway Children was recently given a semi-staged performance at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall. Here's Claudia Pritchard's review for the Critics' Circle:
criticscircle.org.uk/the-railway-...
criticscircle.org.uk/the-railway-...
The Railway Children is a first-class ride | The Critics' Circle
The Railway Children: Henna Mun (Phyllis), Jessica Cale (Bobbie), Matthew McKinney (Peter). Photo: Richard Hubert Smith After his visceral but wonderful Festen, Mark-Anthony Turnage’s operatic take on...
criticscircle.org.uk
November 13, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Mark-Anthony Turnage’s new opera The Railway Children was recently given a semi-staged performance at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall. Here's Claudia Pritchard's review for the Critics' Circle:
criticscircle.org.uk/the-railway-...
criticscircle.org.uk/the-railway-...
Another CD I reviewed for the November issue of Gramophone features trumpet works performed by Tine Thing Helseth, including the fine concerto Penderecki wrote in 2015, one of his last works.
November 13, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Another CD I reviewed for the November issue of Gramophone features trumpet works performed by Tine Thing Helseth, including the fine concerto Penderecki wrote in 2015, one of his last works.
This afternoon's listening: Borodin's Symphony 2 conducted by Nikolai Golovanov. Lots of irresistible things in this symphony, not least the horn melody that opens the Andante. Alexander Borodin born in St Petersburg on this day in 1833.
November 12, 2025 at 3:11 PM
This afternoon's listening: Borodin's Symphony 2 conducted by Nikolai Golovanov. Lots of irresistible things in this symphony, not least the horn melody that opens the Andante. Alexander Borodin born in St Petersburg on this day in 1833.
Reviewed Gerd Schaller's recording of Bruckner 8 for the November issue of Gramophone. Releases of the composer have reduced significantly since the bicentenary last year. This is one of the swiftest versions of the symphony on record, but a very impressive interpretation magnificently played.
November 9, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Reviewed Gerd Schaller's recording of Bruckner 8 for the November issue of Gramophone. Releases of the composer have reduced significantly since the bicentenary last year. This is one of the swiftest versions of the symphony on record, but a very impressive interpretation magnificently played.
Visited Osterley House yesterday, a National Trust property in west London. This is the Long Gallery. Not too busy on this November afternoon.
November 9, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Visited Osterley House yesterday, a National Trust property in west London. This is the Long Gallery. Not too busy on this November afternoon.
Reposted by Christian Hoskins
The November issue of Gramophone, in which I try to convince Hugo Shirley that Bernstein's recording of Der Rosenkavalier is a classic (spoiler: I fail).
November 8, 2025 at 6:08 PM
The November issue of Gramophone, in which I try to convince Hugo Shirley that Bernstein's recording of Der Rosenkavalier is a classic (spoiler: I fail).
Today my wife of five years passed the Life in the UK test, featuring lots of questions about British life that I as a native-born citizen would've struggled to answer. Next, a fourth and final application to the Home Office to be made to continue our life together costing £3,029.
November 8, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Today my wife of five years passed the Life in the UK test, featuring lots of questions about British life that I as a native-born citizen would've struggled to answer. Next, a fourth and final application to the Home Office to be made to continue our life together costing £3,029.
Now listening to Alwyn's Symphony 5, his last major work. Recordings by David Lloyd-Jones and the composer on the player this afternoon. William Alwyn born in Northampton on this day in 1905.
November 7, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Now listening to Alwyn's Symphony 5, his last major work. Recordings by David Lloyd-Jones and the composer on the player this afternoon. William Alwyn born in Northampton on this day in 1905.
Just saw this in an estate agent's window while waiting for a bus in South Kensington:
November 6, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Just saw this in an estate agent's window while waiting for a bus in South Kensington:
Film composer, conductor, bandleader and trumpeter John Barry was born in York on this day in 1933. He was also a classical fan, choosing Mahler 9 in both of his appearances on Desert Island Discs in 1967 and 1999. You can see his choices and hear the interview here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...
November 3, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Film composer, conductor, bandleader and trumpeter John Barry was born in York on this day in 1933. He was also a classical fan, choosing Mahler 9 in both of his appearances on Desert Island Discs in 1967 and 1999. You can see his choices and hear the interview here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...
Now listening to Shostakovich's Violin Concerto 2 performed by Lydia Mordkovitch and Neeme Järvi. Music as gloomy as the sky on this November afternoon. An absolutely indespensible recording.
November 3, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Now listening to Shostakovich's Violin Concerto 2 performed by Lydia Mordkovitch and Neeme Järvi. Music as gloomy as the sky on this November afternoon. An absolutely indespensible recording.
New to the collection: Malcolm Sargent's recordings for Decca made between 1945 and 1965 on 16 CDs, including Bartók, Beethoven, Handel, Holst, Rawsthorne, Tchaikovsky, Schubert and Gilbert & Sullivan.
November 1, 2025 at 3:08 PM
New to the collection: Malcolm Sargent's recordings for Decca made between 1945 and 1965 on 16 CDs, including Bartók, Beethoven, Handel, Holst, Rawsthorne, Tchaikovsky, Schubert and Gilbert & Sullivan.
#ClassicalDiscussion People of Bluesky, what are your favourite eight symphonies? My list today:
Beethoven 2
Bruckner 7
Rachmaninoff 1
Mahler 9
Shostakovich 8
G Williams 2
Sibelius 2
Tchaikovsky 4
Beethoven 2
Bruckner 7
Rachmaninoff 1
Mahler 9
Shostakovich 8
G Williams 2
Sibelius 2
Tchaikovsky 4
October 29, 2025 at 1:55 PM
#ClassicalDiscussion People of Bluesky, what are your favourite eight symphonies? My list today:
Beethoven 2
Bruckner 7
Rachmaninoff 1
Mahler 9
Shostakovich 8
G Williams 2
Sibelius 2
Tchaikovsky 4
Beethoven 2
Bruckner 7
Rachmaninoff 1
Mahler 9
Shostakovich 8
G Williams 2
Sibelius 2
Tchaikovsky 4
Howard Hanson was born in Nebraska on this day in 1896. Although the Violin Concerto is probably his best known work, the warm and stirring Third Symphony is perhaps his finest piece (one of seven symphonies written over a span of more than half a century).
October 28, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Howard Hanson was born in Nebraska on this day in 1896. Although the Violin Concerto is probably his best known work, the warm and stirring Third Symphony is perhaps his finest piece (one of seven symphonies written over a span of more than half a century).
This evening's listening: Hindemith's Violin Concerto performed by David Oistrakh and the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the composer.
October 27, 2025 at 5:28 PM
This evening's listening: Hindemith's Violin Concerto performed by David Oistrakh and the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the composer.
Have been exploring Antal Doráti's recordings made in London, most of which I've not heard before. I didn't find the famous Firebird performance as impressive as most commentators do, but Bartók's Wooden Prince is superb, one of the finest performances I've heard of this magnificent piece.
October 26, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Have been exploring Antal Doráti's recordings made in London, most of which I've not heard before. I didn't find the famous Firebird performance as impressive as most commentators do, but Bartók's Wooden Prince is superb, one of the finest performances I've heard of this magnificent piece.
Robert Craft's recordings on Sony added to the music collection.
October 25, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Robert Craft's recordings on Sony added to the music collection.
Now listening to Gubaidulina's The Light of the End performed by Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Sofia Gubaidulina born in Chistopol on this day in 1931.
October 24, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Now listening to Gubaidulina's The Light of the End performed by Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Sofia Gubaidulina born in Chistopol on this day in 1931.
Sunday 24 February 1924: Mahler 3 conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler.
October 23, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Sunday 24 February 1924: Mahler 3 conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler.
Reposted by Christian Hoskins
Zoom in on this pic. Criminal.👇
Picture of the East Wing demolition of the White House taken on my flight out of DCA.
October 23, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Zoom in on this pic. Criminal.👇
Now listening to Dean's excellent violin concerto The Lost Art of Letter Writing performed by Frank Peter Zimmermann with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under Joanathan Nott. Brett Dean born in Brisbane on this day in 1961.
October 23, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Now listening to Dean's excellent violin concerto The Lost Art of Letter Writing performed by Frank Peter Zimmermann with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under Joanathan Nott. Brett Dean born in Brisbane on this day in 1961.
This afternoon's listening: Arnold's Symphony 5 conducted by the composer. A marvellously inventive and stirring work, but one that never seems to be performed live. Malcolm Arnold born on this day in 1921.
October 21, 2025 at 3:23 PM
This afternoon's listening: Arnold's Symphony 5 conducted by the composer. A marvellously inventive and stirring work, but one that never seems to be performed live. Malcolm Arnold born on this day in 1921.
A fascinating article. The area housing the data centres apparently now uses more electricity than the whole of Denmark.
news.sky.com/story/inside...
news.sky.com/story/inside...
Inside 'data centre alley' - the biggest story in economics right now
Ed Conway gains access into the heart of "data centre alley" in Virginia - home to the servers that power nearly all the major AI and cloud services in the world.
news.sky.com
October 21, 2025 at 1:49 PM
A fascinating article. The area housing the data centres apparently now uses more electricity than the whole of Denmark.
news.sky.com/story/inside...
news.sky.com/story/inside...