Chaliapin in the 1930s By Jonathan Summers, Curator of Classical Music Welcome to another in the occasional series of podcasts showcasing treasures from the classical collection of the British Library Sound Archive. Actor and author Simon Callow shares his passion for the great Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin (1873-1938) whose recordings…

This week’s selection comes from Jonnie Robinson, Lead Curator of Spoken English. H-dropping – the tendency for some speakers to omit the initial sound in words like house – has a long history. It’s extremely common in England, Wales and parts of the Caribbean, but rare in Scotland, Ireland…

Bohemian Quartet (Tully Potter collection) Guest blog by Edison Fellow Rosalind Ventris, a concert violist and teacher of viola and chamber music at the Royal Irish Academy of Music Listen to these two examples of the opening of Smetana’s String Quartet No.1 in E minor ‘From my life’. First, the…

This week’s selection comes from Adonis Lebotho, Social Media Intern for Unlocking our Sound Heritage. I recently came across Robert Pogue Harrison’s Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition, a book on the cultural, historical and philosophical significance of gardens. Throughout, Pogue reflects on the relationship between ‘care and gardens’.[1]…

In the run up to Open House London 2019, Dr Niamh Dillon highlights the work of architect Ernö Goldfinger.