Hank Reynolds
Lauridsen, O Magnum Mysterium The poignant text of O magnum mysterium has been set many times. It appeared at least as early as the 10th century as a chant in the Daily Office of Matins. O magnum mysterium, et admirabile sacramentum, O great mystery, and … Read more
Evans and Nordqvist, Jul, jul, strålande jul Composed in 1921 by Gustaf Nordqvist and Edvard Evans, Jul, jul, strålande jul has become a Christmas standard in Sweden. My search for an English translation turned up very little, and that suggests to me that the song has … Read more
The Coventry Carol, arranged by Michael McGlynn Amid the joy and festivities of the Christmas season, we encounter a dark tale: the Slaughter of the Innocents. The story of King Herod ordering the death of Bethlehem’s male children under the age of two is recorded … Read more
Respighi, Pines of Rome I have considered trying to identify musical works likely to appeal to boys. I’m not sure how to define the age range, but I suspect it doesn’t matter. Music that appeals to young boys probably appeals to old boys. It’s like … Read more
Janáček, Pohádka Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) composed Pohádka in 1910. Pohádka means tale (or fairy tale) in Czech, so we can consider it in our recent series focusing on music for children. The tale is based on the epic poem The Tale of Tsar Berendyey by Vasily Zhukovsky (1783-1852). Zhukovsky’s life and … Read more
Schoenberg, A Survivor from Warsaw I have a more sympathetic view of Schoenberg than many of my friends, and I think that owes something to the fact that one of the first works of his that I encountered was A Survivor from Warsaw. I have always … Read more
Ravel, Ma mère l’Oye (Cinq Pièces Enfantine) Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite consists of five short pieces for children. Originally written for piano four hands in 1910, Ravel created the orchestral version the succeeding year. We have featured works by Ravel several times in this series, more … Read more
Puccini, Vissi d’arte (from Tosca) Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) can claim several operas as being among the most frequently performed, La Bohème in particular. Within his operas are several arias that are among the most famous, Nessun dorma from Turandot in particular. Vissi d’arte from Tosca qualifies on both counts … Read more
Saint-Saëns, The Carnival of the Animals Returning to the subject of children’s music, we have to include in our list of works The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). He has been described as a greater child prodigy than Mozart, but his mother resisted exposing … Read more
Liszt, Les Préludes I sometimes think of Franz Liszt (1811-1886) as a neighbor. You can find numerous references to him and to his house throughout the materials on this site. Professor Carol wrote about the house this past summer as she sat outside with the … Read more