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,
Latest article
Spotlight
-
Feng Yi Ting: A Historic Femme Fatale In Luminato Festival July 9th, 2013 Feng Yi Ting on Luminato Fesival’s 2013 playbill attracted me in a similar way that The Infernal Comedy featuring John Malkovich attracted me in 2010. The former was Canadian film and stage director Atom Egoyan’s modern interpretation of the Chinese -
Music and Religion:
Lord have Mercy! July 8th, 2013The Roman Liturgy consists of texts and rites that make up a sacred service. One form of service, inherited from ancient Jewish practices, developed into the liturgy of the Divine Office, also known as the Canonical Hours. The Divine Office -
Quatuor Ebène July 6th, 2013 Classical or jazz? That is the question – Quatuor Ébène ‘We are so jetlag!’ said Mathieu Herzog, viola player from Quatuor Ébène. Great, I thought. In front of me were four handsome Frenchmen, who studied extensively with the Ysaye Quartet -
Tournedos à la Rossini July 5th, 2013 Today, we remember Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) as the most prominent composer of Italian opera in the first half of the 19th century. But, when he was a young man growing up in Bologna he was simply known as “La Grassa,” -
In touch with Charles Dutoit July 2nd, 2013 When I heard that Charles Dutoit is performing at the Guangzhou Opera House in July, a wave of nostalgia swept over me – I decided to reminisce about my summer at the Canton International Summer Music Academy in Guangzhou, seven -
The Cowherd’s Tower
Paul Hindemith and Gertrud Rottenberg I June 30th, 2013Paul Hindemith: String Quartet No. 3 in C major, Op. 16 The attentive and regular reader of my “In Love” column has surely come to understand that when it comes to musicians, artists and composers, love might not be the -
A Vision of Eternity
Schubert’s String Quintet June 29th, 2013Franz SchubertString Quintet in C major, Op. 163, D. 956(Stern, Casals, Tortelier, Schneider, Katims) (1956) In the autumn of 1822, Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828), a quiet, shy, gentle and introverted man of short stature, contracted syphilis. Affectionately called “Schwammerl,” a -
“Strangolapreti” June 28th, 2013 Giovanni Pierluigi Palestrina: Stabat Mater Picturesquely located in a glacial valley on the southern foothills of the Alps, the small town of Trento — also known as Trient — played a pivotal role in deciding the fate of the Roman