Phil Hebblethwaite
@phebble.bsky.social
...writes about music and makes radio programmes, about music
I feel frustrated by nearly every aspect of the BBC chaos, but this really appeals to my sense of humour
Donald Trump’s demand for a billion dollars from the BBC comes from a local Florida law firm. It was sent to the wrong address, and the writer didn’t know what ‘salacious’ really means: ‘Due to their salacious nature, the fabricated statements that were aired by the BBC…’
November 11, 2025 at 1:20 PM
I feel frustrated by nearly every aspect of the BBC chaos, but this really appeals to my sense of humour
David Grossman's move from Newsnight reporter to internal BBC police makes for quite the cameo in this sorry saga
November 11, 2025 at 1:11 PM
David Grossman's move from Newsnight reporter to internal BBC police makes for quite the cameo in this sorry saga
Really sorry to hear about the death of the conductor Neville Dilkes. Excellent musician and man. Helped me out on a doc for Radio 3 after I cold-called him in France. Couldn’t have been more kind. He’d just turned 90 and had got the “good stuff” out to celebrate. RIP
May 28, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Really sorry to hear about the death of the conductor Neville Dilkes. Excellent musician and man. Helped me out on a doc for Radio 3 after I cold-called him in France. Couldn’t have been more kind. He’d just turned 90 and had got the “good stuff” out to celebrate. RIP
The strangest of stories. New from me @vanmusicmag.bsky.social van-magazine.com/mag/molinari...
Bernardino Molinari’s Fifth Season
Plus: How did a conductor with links to Mussolini end up as de facto music director of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra?
van-magazine.com
May 15, 2025 at 3:59 PM
The strangest of stories. New from me @vanmusicmag.bsky.social van-magazine.com/mag/molinari...
Reposted by Phil Hebblethwaite
It's a new VAN day 💌
🌀 Phil Hebblethwaite on musical forgeries
🌀 The extraordinary letters of Pau Casals
🌀 BarTálk, VAN's new review segment
🌀 Elaine Mitchener on Julius Eastman
All this, plus Notes from All Over in our newsletter — come join us ❣️
van-magazine.com/mag/music-fo...
🌀 Phil Hebblethwaite on musical forgeries
🌀 The extraordinary letters of Pau Casals
🌀 BarTálk, VAN's new review segment
🌀 Elaine Mitchener on Julius Eastman
All this, plus Notes from All Over in our newsletter — come join us ❣️
van-magazine.com/mag/music-fo...
March 27, 2025 at 1:47 PM
It's a new VAN day 💌
🌀 Phil Hebblethwaite on musical forgeries
🌀 The extraordinary letters of Pau Casals
🌀 BarTálk, VAN's new review segment
🌀 Elaine Mitchener on Julius Eastman
All this, plus Notes from All Over in our newsletter — come join us ❣️
van-magazine.com/mag/music-fo...
🌀 Phil Hebblethwaite on musical forgeries
🌀 The extraordinary letters of Pau Casals
🌀 BarTálk, VAN's new review segment
🌀 Elaine Mitchener on Julius Eastman
All this, plus Notes from All Over in our newsletter — come join us ❣️
van-magazine.com/mag/music-fo...
There's a brilliant book on forgeries in classical music being published in June. I interviewed its author, Frederick Reece, for my fave mag, @vanmusicmag.bsky.social van-magazine.com/mag/music-fo...
Between Beauty and Lies
Frederick Reece, author of the forthcoming book "Forgery in Musical Composition," speaks to Phil Hebblethwaite about historic cases of copying, plagiarism and fakery.
van-magazine.com
March 27, 2025 at 2:01 PM
There's a brilliant book on forgeries in classical music being published in June. I interviewed its author, Frederick Reece, for my fave mag, @vanmusicmag.bsky.social van-magazine.com/mag/music-fo...
Some really weird shit came out of researching the Vivaldi revival in the 20th century for last week's Radio 3 Essay series. For @newstatesman.com, here's how The Four Seasons got intertwined with Italian fascist politics after WWI www.newstatesman.com/culture/musi...
The fascist afterlife of The Four Seasons
Vivaldi’s masterwork, forgotten after his death, found new popularity when it was co-opted by Italian nationalists.
www.newstatesman.com
March 24, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Some really weird shit came out of researching the Vivaldi revival in the 20th century for last week's Radio 3 Essay series. For @newstatesman.com, here's how The Four Seasons got intertwined with Italian fascist politics after WWI www.newstatesman.com/culture/musi...
Tonight! And every night this week at 9.45pm. New Radio 3 Essay series from me. Vivaldi almost completely vanished from music history when he died in 1741. This is the nutty story of his unexpected resurrection in the 20th century www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 3 - The Essay, Vivaldi - A Man for All Seasons
Phil Hebblethwaite uncovers how a lost composer returned to fame.
www.bbc.co.uk
March 17, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Tonight! And every night this week at 9.45pm. New Radio 3 Essay series from me. Vivaldi almost completely vanished from music history when he died in 1741. This is the nutty story of his unexpected resurrection in the 20th century www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
A re-up for this @newstatesman.com piece seeing as today marks 100 years since the German jazz pianist Jutta Hipp was born. She tasted fame, and then vanished. Here's what happened: www.newstatesman.com/culture/musi...
In search of Jutta Hipp
In 1979, a musician put out a call in a magazine. Did anyone know where the German jazz pianist of the 1950s had gone?
www.newstatesman.com
February 4, 2025 at 2:38 PM
A re-up for this @newstatesman.com piece seeing as today marks 100 years since the German jazz pianist Jutta Hipp was born. She tasted fame, and then vanished. Here's what happened: www.newstatesman.com/culture/musi...
The German jazz pianist Jutta Hipp was born 100 years ago on February 4. She signed to Blue Note in the early 50s, then moved to New York. In 1960, she disappeared. What happened? New from me for @newstatesman.com www.newstatesman.com/culture/musi...
In search of Jutta Hipp
In 1979, a musician put out a call in a magazine. Did anyone know where the German jazz pianist of the 1950s had gone?
www.newstatesman.com
January 30, 2025 at 11:41 AM
The German jazz pianist Jutta Hipp was born 100 years ago on February 4. She signed to Blue Note in the early 50s, then moved to New York. In 1960, she disappeared. What happened? New from me for @newstatesman.com www.newstatesman.com/culture/musi...
A piece of sycophancy celebrating a British hero or a musical depiction of the worst in British arrogance and folly? Me on Ralph Vaughan Williams's Sinfonia antartica for the new issue of @newstatesman.com www.newstatesman.com/culture/musi...
Ralph Vaughan Williams’ bitter symphony
The composer’s exhilarating Sinfonia antartica was met with a mixed response on premiere – and still sits oddly in his oeuvre.
www.newstatesman.com
January 17, 2025 at 10:57 AM
A piece of sycophancy celebrating a British hero or a musical depiction of the worst in British arrogance and folly? Me on Ralph Vaughan Williams's Sinfonia antartica for the new issue of @newstatesman.com www.newstatesman.com/culture/musi...
Civilisation should never be forgiven for not giving him the cash to make a film for the last 19 years of his life. What the hell
January 16, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Civilisation should never be forgiven for not giving him the cash to make a film for the last 19 years of his life. What the hell
Werd to my fellow nerds: this is a great record shop. Thought they’d closed down but they’ve just re-opened in a new spot, opposite Highgate tube www.riseaboverecordsandrelics.com/l
Rise Above Records and Relics - Vinyl Records Bought And Sold
We’re a second hand record shop based in North London. We specialise in high quality rare and collectable original pressings.
www.riseaboverecordsandrelics.com
December 7, 2024 at 3:32 PM
Werd to my fellow nerds: this is a great record shop. Thought they’d closed down but they’ve just re-opened in a new spot, opposite Highgate tube www.riseaboverecordsandrelics.com/l
Berlioz thought he was cooked, but then he had an unexpected hit with a piece of Christmas music. His response: of course you like it, because you're a halfwit. New one from me @newstatesman.com www.newstatesman.com/culture/musi...
Berlioz’s Christmas hit
The composer was not religious but saw his L’enfance du Christ as a deeply human story – and audiences deemed it a triumph.
www.newstatesman.com
December 5, 2024 at 3:55 PM
Berlioz thought he was cooked, but then he had an unexpected hit with a piece of Christmas music. His response: of course you like it, because you're a halfwit. New one from me @newstatesman.com www.newstatesman.com/culture/musi...
Berlioz trying to get past line four in a piece of writing is very relatable
November 28, 2024 at 5:36 PM
Berlioz trying to get past line four in a piece of writing is very relatable
A pretty niche bit of Bach, but very minimalist and future-sounding. He transcribed a load of violin works by other composers for keyboard. Here's the largo from a Vivaldi concerto played on harpsichord by János Sebestyén. I score it 5/5 www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fih...
Concerto in G major BWV 980 (after Vivaldi) : II. Largo
YouTube video by Johann Sebastian Bach - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 27, 2024 at 12:09 PM
A pretty niche bit of Bach, but very minimalist and future-sounding. He transcribed a load of violin works by other composers for keyboard. Here's the largo from a Vivaldi concerto played on harpsichord by János Sebestyén. I score it 5/5 www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fih...
Not sure World of Echo, the London record shop, is on here yet. So, a PSA: their weekly newsletter is full of incredible recs. And here is their look back at the year: worldofechomusic.com/pages/hindsi...
Hindsight 2024
The Page only can edit in LayoutHub Editor
worldofechomusic.com
November 27, 2024 at 11:31 AM
Not sure World of Echo, the London record shop, is on here yet. So, a PSA: their weekly newsletter is full of incredible recs. And here is their look back at the year: worldofechomusic.com/pages/hindsi...
Reposted by Phil Hebblethwaite
Unboxing latest album. 😂
A Flat City, Son Of Dave
Easy to get on #bandcamp
#vinyl #cd #newmusic #sonofdave
A Flat City, Son Of Dave
Easy to get on #bandcamp
#vinyl #cd #newmusic #sonofdave
November 19, 2024 at 7:41 PM
Unboxing latest album. 😂
A Flat City, Son Of Dave
Easy to get on #bandcamp
#vinyl #cd #newmusic #sonofdave
A Flat City, Son Of Dave
Easy to get on #bandcamp
#vinyl #cd #newmusic #sonofdave
From a couple of days ago: What are you Haydn? A spin-off feature from a series I did for Radio 3 on musical hoaxes, which have an uncanny ability to ask the most pertinent questions and how and why we believe in things... www.theguardian.com/music/2024/n...
What are you Haydn? The hoaxers who fooled the classical music world
One wrote six sonatas and claimed they were by Haydn. Another used a ghostwriter to write his symphony – and pretended to be deaf. So how did they manage to hoodwink the experts?
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2024 at 3:30 PM
From a couple of days ago: What are you Haydn? A spin-off feature from a series I did for Radio 3 on musical hoaxes, which have an uncanny ability to ask the most pertinent questions and how and why we believe in things... www.theguardian.com/music/2024/n...
Love a good musical hoax, so I made a series about them for Radio 3. Starts next Monday evening… www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 3 - The Essay, Classical Deceptions
Phil Hebblethwaite explores hoaxes and controversies in classical music.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 21, 2024 at 2:24 PM
Love a good musical hoax, so I made a series about them for Radio 3. Starts next Monday evening… www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...