Blogs

archive-post-image
Malcolm Williamson’s Pieces of Peace
These days, with the horrors that are unfolding on every continent, we look for peace. But what, exactly, might we be looking for? Australian composer Malcolm Williamson (1931–2003) moved to London when he was in his 20s and started on
Read more
archive-post-image
Visions of Innocence
Chabrier, Stravinsky and Debussy
John Eliot Gardiner Conducts Chabrier, Stravinsky and Debussy With Isabelle Faust Visions of innocence evoke an ethereal glimpse into a world untouched by the burdens of experience, where purity lingers untainted by complexities and disillusionments. These fleeting moments capture the
Read more
archive-post-image
From Reviled to Beloved: O Holy Night
Poet Placide Cappeau (1808–1877) was so inspired by the new stained glass windows in his church in Roquemaure, France, that he wrote a poem, ‘Minuit, chrétiens’ in its honour. It’s a powerful poem urging Christians to use midnight as the
Read more
archive-post-image
Versions of The Lovely Cradle Song: Fauré’s Berceuse
Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924) created his Berceuse in early 1880, first for violin and piano. It was heard by the publisher Julienne Hamelle who immediately snatched it up for publication. The work, for muted violin and piano, has a rocking accompaniment,
Read more
archive-post-image
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Bass Player Orin O’Brien and the New York Philharmonic
It’s difficult today to imagine how one would feel as the first woman member of the New York Philharmonic or any orchestra for that matter. At age thirty-one, in 1966, Orin O’Brien won the position and joined this illustrious group,
Read more
archive-post-image
Ten Most-Asked Questions About Leonard Bernstein
The movie Maestro, based on the life of conductor Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre, was released on Netflix on 20 December 2023. Today, we’re looking at data from search engines to find out what questions people are asking
Read more
archive-post-image
The Words That Go With the Music
The Wacky World of Erik Satie’s Performance Directions
Erik Satie: Gymnopédies & Gnossiennes Anyone who has ever had the good fortune to look through a score of Parisian composer Erik Satie’s piano works will likely have come away amused, baffled, or even irritated. Satie’s performance directions take us
Read more
archive-post-image
Dreaming of a White Christmas
1942’s Academy Award for Best Original Song went to Irving Berlin for his song ‘White Christmas’, created for the song and dance film, Holiday Inn. Singer Jim (Bing Crosby) loses his girl Lila (Virginia Dale) to his dancing partner (Ted),
Read more