Poulenc’s musical style, thematic materials and even tonal structures build from established musical practices, which are transformed into something unique. The American composer and essayist Ned Rorem concocted an amusing little recipe to explain the Poulenc sound. “Take Chopin’s dominant

Cello Concerto in B-Flat Major, Wq. 171, H. 436 III. Allegro assai From CPE Bach Cello Concertos (1997) Released by CD Accord CPE Bach: Cello Concerto in B-Flat Major, Wq. 171, H. 436 – III. Allegro assaiThe cellist Tomasz Strahl

As a clarinettist myself, it was fairly nerve-wracking phoning up the principal clarinet of the Berlin Philharmonic, one of the best orchestras in the world. “Hello? Hello? Is that Mr. Ottensamer? I’m very sorry, it’s a bit crackly at my

The Second Vatican Council, colloquially known as “Vatican II” and held in the early 1960’s, sought to address the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and a society living in a modern and industrialized world. Bishops around the world had

Most of us associate the pipe organ with liturgical, that is, religious use. But did you know that the instrument was originally associated with gladiatorial combat during the time of the Romans? Gladiatorial games usually began with an elaborate procession