For as long as composers have been writing music, they’ve been inspired by the mystery, mood, and mythology of the night. We’ve gathered ten pieces of classical music about the night that explore themes associated with the hours after dark,
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On This Day
14 December: Martin Fröst Was Born December 14th, 2023Clarinet superstar Martin Fröst has been described as having “a virtuosity and a musicianship unsurpassed by any clarinettist, perhaps any instrumentalist, in recent memory.” In 2014 he received the Léonie Sonning Music Prize, one of the world’s highest musical honours, -
On This Day
13 December: Bomsori Kim Was Born December 13th, 2023In Korean, the name “Bomsori” basically means “the sound of spring,” but professionally, the violinist Bomsori Kim has earned the nickname “Competition Huntress.” Indeed, she has won a long list of competitions, including the 62nd ARD International Music Competition, the -
Carols Without Words
Leroy Anderson December 11th, 2023That wonderfully inventive composer and arranger Leroy Anderson (1908–1975) may be best known at Christmas time for his Sleigh Ride, with the neighing trumpet horses at the end. However, in 1950, he created a lovely arrangement for the Boston Pops -
5 Magnificent Arias
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio December 11th, 2023In 1734, Johann Sebastian Bach was at the top of his game. His compositional powers were simply out of this world, and he composed six musically and textually interrelated cantatas for the twelve days of Christmas. He called the collection -
December 10th: A Birthday of Two Composers and Organists!
César Franck and Olivier Messiaen December 10th, 2023Today was the birthday of César Franck (1822-1890) and Olivier Messiaen (1908- 1992). Born in different places and centuries, Franck and Messiaen did not share the same soundscapes in their compositions. Yet, these two composers shared a few things in -
Our Favorite Funny and Musical Animals December 10th, 2023 Who doesn’t love their pets and animals in general? Musicians do too of course. According to musicians, our pets are quite musical. Leave it to us to make musical jokes about them. In case you thought I’d exhausted all our -
Miracles, Virgins and Resurrection
New Testament in Music II December 10th, 2023Let us continue our exploration of classical music inspired by the New Testament. Roughly one third of the recorded teachings of Jesus are set as parables. These seemingly simple and memorable stories all convey messages that are central to Jesus’ -
On This Day
10 December: Konstantin Lifschitz Was Born December 10th, 2023Konstantin Lifschitz stunned the international music scene with his recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations in 1994. The recording received a Grammy nomination and was celebrated as the most convincing Bach interpretation since Glenn Gould. Critics praised his “joy and energy