Philharmonia Orchestra/Dudamel(Decca)There’s a cinematic flourish to many of Hopkins’ compositions, together with fine arrangements of Welsh tunes and pieces dedicated to family Anthony Hopkins, it turns out, has been composing music all his life. Now, at the age of 88, the Welsh-born Hollywood actor makes his Decca debut, securing the services of LA Philharmonic’s outgoing music director Gustavo Dudamel to bring his music to life. So, what does an Oscar winner sound like? Not surprisingly, there’s a significant cinematic influence, inspired by the music that caught the attention of a lad growing up in Margam, a suburb of Port Talbot. The opening Fanfare and March is a catchy, Technicolor splash, like everything here harmonious and written from the heart. Ditto the Khachaturian-flavoured Two Pieces for Orchestra. Welsh roots are honoured too: My Fatherland, featuring six traditional tunes, four sung in Welsh, would not seem out of place at the Last Night of the Proms. Reminiscences abound, including the lively 1947: Suite for Orchestra recalling one of the hottest summers on record. It takes its cue from the streets and mountains surrounding Hopkins’ childhood home, inclu
Aug 21, 2026 → Aug 21, 2026
Philharmonia Orchestra/Dudamel(Decca)There’s a cinematic flourish to many of Hopkins’ compositions, together with fine arrangements of Welsh tunes and pieces dedicated to family Anthony Hopkins, it turns out, has been composing music all…
Read original at The Guardian →1 updates from 1 source.
Philharmonia Orchestra/Dudamel(Decca)There’s a cinematic flourish to many of Hopkins’ compositions, together with fine arrangements of Welsh tunes and pieces dedicated to family Anthony Hopkins, it turns out, has been…
Read original at The Guardian →What this story stands on. Tier 0 is a primary record or the subject's own words; higher tiers must be attributed, never stated as bare fact.
Philharmonia Orchestra/Dudamel(Decca)There’s a cinematic flourish to many of Hopkins’ compositions, together with fine arrangements of Welsh tunes and pieces dedicated to family Anthony Hopkins, it turns out, has been composing music all…
View source →Tier key: T0 = Primary source · T1 = Wire · T2 = Outlet report · T3 = Commentary
Sarah Pochin bought Anglesey property two days after writing to minister about impact of second home ownership on rural communities A Reform UK MP bought an £800,000 second home…
Nearly 90 organisations write to PM urging him to take decisive action to end violence against women and girls • From unwanted touching to rape: the scale of child-on-child abuse…
Fires across England and Wales have prompted a national government alert warning people not to light anything that could spark a wildfire. The warning on Friday evening came as it…
Fans line streets, singing Total Eclipse of the Heart ahead of Welsh singer’s Swansea funeral Thousands of Bonnie Tyler fans lined the streets of her home town in south Wales to…
Royal Albert Hall, LondonEsa-Pekka Salonen led an orchestra of players from London’s Royal Academy of Music and New York’s Juilliard School through 20th-century classics with…
The crowds at the top of Yr Wyddfa, the highest mountain in Wales, are now so huge that seasoned hikers and climbers are simply walking past them. Is everyone just making a…
