Hank Reynolds
Mozart, Variations on “Ah! Vous dirai je maman” I have “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” on the brain. Having two small grandchildren in the house can do that as the melody takes on an important developmental role. But the tune “Ah! Vous dirai je maman” has … Read more
Cole Porter, Too Darn Hot Professor Carol was in Ljubljana, Slovenia, for the first time earlier this summer. I’ve never been, but she tells me we’re moving there. She described its many attributes, all of which sound nice. But she left out two very important … Read more
Rossini, La Gazza Ladra Overture Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) made his fortune early composing operas and then, at the young age of 37, he quit. With 34 operas under his belt, he spent the last 40 years of his life writing no operas and very little … Read more
Walton, Viola Concert (3d Movement) William Walton (1902-1983) became a chorister at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford in 1912 and began his studies at Oxford University at the young age of 16. He immersed himself in the modern styles of Stravinsky, Debussy, and Sibelius. While … Read more
Stephen Foster, Hard Times Come Again No More Each year as the Fourth of July approaches, I look for a Performance Pick that speaks to our American heritage. We’ve gone in many directions: Vieuxtemps’ variations on “Yankee Doodle,” works by Copland, Ives, Bill Monroe, and … Read more
Beethoven, Piano Sonata Op. 57 (Appassionata) Rip out the front page! I can take a hint, especially if it’s more or less a directive issued publicly. Professor Carol said in her last post that perhaps I might feature a middle-period Beethoven sonata as a Friday … Read more
Corelli, Concerto in D Major, Op. 6, No. 4 Way back at the beginning of this series, we had a brief discussion of the concerto grosso. We’re talking about Performance Pick 10, a concerto grosso by Handel—218 picks ago. We briefly mentioned Corelli and his … Read more
Britten, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra For those of you with children in the home, summer can be a challenge. Schedules change, activities increase, disruptions mount. And there is always the threat of some well-laid plan being rained out or, worst of all, … Read more
Mahler, Symphony No. 7 (Finale) I came to Mahler by an unusual path. At least, I always thought it was unusual until I read that Arnold Schoenberg became a fan of Mahler the same way. That is, by way of his Symphony No. 7. I … Read more
Freer, Etude #1 for Timpani – Scherzo We turn to something a little different today. Last week we looked at the clavichord, an instrument probably unfamiliar to most readers. Today we look at an instrument that is probably very familiar. The timpani is a staple … Read more