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I’ve been writing this blog since 2009, but there still seem to be plenty of interesting topics to mull over. You can subscribe (it’s free) to follow the blog by email – each new post will pop into your inbox.
The stages that lead up to submitting your book to the publisher
One of my blog readers recently asked me what stages I had to go through before my latest book was accepted by Yale University Press. He was surprised by how complex the process was, so I thought others might find it interesting too. I don't know how it is with other...
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Different kinds of live music
I was lying awake in the night, with music playing in my head as it usually does when I'm awake in the wee small hours. Sometimes I set the music going consciously, as for example when I'm 'practising' something I'm currently trying to learn or memorise. At other...
News of my eighth book
The manuscript of my new book has been accepted by my publisher, Yale University Press, and I'm delighted to be able give you some news of it. (It's due to be published in March 2026.) The book is called Nocturnes and the Fascination of Night Music. It's essentially a...
The Rite at 50
Yes, yes, I know that today is the 100th anniversary of the celebrated premiere of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. But this is my husband Bob's recollection of the 50th anniversary in 1963. Bob was in the Upper Circle of the Royal Albert Hall with a group of students...
Classics Unwrapped on BBC Radio Scotland tonight
Tonight, Tuesday May 28, between 9pm and 9.15pm, BBC Radio Scotland's 'Classics Unwrapped' is playing a track from my new e-album with Erich Höbarth of Mozart piano and violin sonatas. It's the first track on the recording, the 'Allegro con Spirito' from the D major...
Page-turners vs iPads
Since my last post, I've heard from a number of fellow pianists who don't play from memory because they specialise in song recitals or chamber music, and have a vast and ever-changing repertoire. They point out that one good reason to experiment with playing from an...
OK to play from music if gadget involved
Yesterday BBC Music Magazine tweeted that pianist Artur Pizarro had played a concert in which he read from the music, using an iPad to display the notes. It's one of several recent reports about classical musicians using the score, reading from an electronic gadget of...
The Still Pond
Spring seems to be arriving late this year, but my favourite spot in London for spring colours, the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park, is defying the cold weather and starting to look fabulous. Whoever planted the azaleas here was a genius of gardening. This year...
The Guardian Guide to Festivals
".... your ultimate companion to a summer of music", says today's Guardian Guide to Festivals. But is it? Not if classical music is your thing. I subscribe to the Guardian, look forward to reading it every day and love it to bits, but every year when they publish...
‘Reinventing Bach’ by Paul Elie
American author Paul Elie thinks that Bach is particularly well placed to flourish in the age of recording because of the nature of his music. And he feels that Bach, a practical and inventive person, would have approved of all this technological innovation. Read my...
I have joined Twitter
I've just signed up for Twitter. My Twitter username is @susantomespiano and there's a 'follow me on Twitter' button on the left-hand side of this page. It's daunting, because I already feel I'm drowning in email. But the younger generation keeps telling me I really...
Saturday Classics on Radio 3 this weekend
On Saturday 11 May I'm presenting an edition of BBC Radio 3's Saturday Classics programme from 2-4pm, with my choice of recordings. There's some Fauré, Schumann, Chopin, Saint-Saens, Josef Strauss, Billy Mayerl, a couple of pieces of Mozart, and the Bill Evans Trio...
YouTube video
Watch the new YouTube video which is linked to the album of Mozart piano and violin sonatas played by me and Erich Höbarth. The live recordings were made at concerts in Perth last year and have just become available as an e-album. You'll hear a short excerpt from the...
Mozart e-album goes live
My e-album of Mozart Sonatas for piano and violin, made with the wonderful Erich Höbarth, goes live today. You can buy it from CD Baby, and also from iTunes, Amazon, and lots of other download sites like Google Music Store, Shazam, Nokia, Rhapsody and MediaNet. You...
Saturday Classics
I'm going to the BBC tomorrow to record an episode of 'Saturday Classics', which I'm presenting on Saturday 11 May from 3-5pm on Radio 3. Each week a different presenter chooses two hours' worth of classical recordings and chats about their selections. The presenter...