As a mythological character, Hercules is one who has always captured our attention. Famed for his strength and for his adventures around the known world, he’s caught the attention of writers and musicians for centuries. The stories and feats of
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Mozartwoche Salzburg 2017
Vienna Philharmonic: Yannick Nézet-Séguin/Rolando Villazón January 17th, 20171 February 2017Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concert Arias for Tenor and Orchestra, KV 420, 431, 36, 21 The vast majority of Mozart’s independent arias is composed for the soprano voice. However, there are a handful of concert arias for the tenor -
Forgotten Pianists: Josef Hofmann January 16th, 2017 Pianist Josef Hofmann (1876-1957) was born outside Kraków, Poland, to music parents. His father was Kazimierz Hofmann, who was a noted composer, conductor of the Kraków theatre, and professor of piano and harmony at the Warsaw Conservatory; his mother was -
Steady as a Rock
Niels Gade, Sophie Hartmann, and Mathilde Staeger January 15th, 2017As long as anybody could remember, Niels Gade had always been in love with music! He taught himself to play a variety of instruments, and started composing at a super early age. Once his musical education was formalized, he steadfastly -
Picabia and Dada: Painting and Music January 15th, 2017 « Notre tête est ronde pour permettre à la pensée de changer de direction » (Our head is round to allow thoughts to change direction) – Francis Picabia A current exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York -
Musical Giants of the 20th Century: Double Bass Players January 15th, 2017 A conversation about giants could not leave out the double bass and we have three wonderful players to introduce you to, if you have not encountered them before. Born in Russia in 1874 Serge Koussevitzky was primarily known as the -
Thoughts from a concert reviewer’s desk January 14th, 2017 There was a time, not so long ago and at least within my living memory, when critics were regarded as significant arbiters of taste and culture who could, seemingly, make or break a career with one well-aimed stroke of their -
“The Orchestra is my Instrument”
Georges Prêtre (1924-2017) January 13th, 2017He was described as a “sound wizard and a musician with an unparalleled intensity.” And after seven decades of working with top orchestras, high-octane performers and cutting-edge composers, the French conductor Georges Prêtre has died at the age of 92. -
Composers and their Poets: Amy Beach January 13th, 2017 American composer Amy Beach (1867-1944) was both a composer and an accomplished pianist with an extensive international career. She wrote about 117 art songs, some of which she also wrote the words. She wrote in a very European idiom and