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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In touch with Adrian Spence (Camerata Pacifica) July 3rd, 2012 Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “the best chamber music reason to get out of the house”, Camerata Pacifica has committed to exploring the breadth of chamber repertoires and new voices since its foundation in 1990. In 2012, the -
Magical Mozart July 2nd, 2012 If you are into opera, Mozart, and Masonic lore, then Magic Flute is the right fit. What you encounter in San Francisco Opera’s new production of this masterpiece is a tremendous artistic and visual landscape. These ingredients combine to form -
Krzysztof Penderecki June 29th, 2012 One of the most versatile, multi-faceted and stylistically diverse composer of modern times, Krzysztof Penderecki was born 23 November 1933 in Dębica, Poland. Education and Early Compositions After initially taking private music lessons, Penderecki enrolled in the State Higher School -
The Cultural Ambassador – pianist Xu Zhong June 29th, 2012 Once a French concession, Shanghai, with its rich culture and roadside platanes, is regarded as the ‘Paris’ in China. Pianist Xu Zhong, who grew up in Shanghai and furthered his study with Dominique Merlet in Paris, is perhaps one of - Let’s get the Party started!
Franz Liszt and Caroline de Saint-Cricq June 28th, 2012One of the foremost musical personalities and arguable the greatest virtuoso of his day, Franz Liszt (1811-1886) expanded the technical limits of the piano and the performer in both his own playing and in his compositions. However, what really distinguished -
Cello Concerto Overview – Two Three and Four cellos! June 27th, 2012 Virtually every time I mention that I play the cello, the response is an enthusiastic “Oh I love the cello!” Despite the fact that the soulful instrument is very popular today, the solo concerto repertory is not abundant like the -
Franz Liszt versus Sigismond Thalberg June 26th, 2012 The culture of the traveling virtuoso, so prevalent in the first half of the nineteenth century and clearly reincarnated in today’s concert environment in which pianists like Lang Lang play more than 300 concerts a year, brought forth a unique -
Mozart and his World: Salzburg I June 25th, 2012 For one reason or another, the name Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has become a marketing cliché, selling everything from alcohol to chocolates. Perfectly sane and healthy people swoon at the mere mention of his name, and he is habitually referred to
