Chabrier, España The music of French composer Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894) was a strong influence on composers Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, and Francis Poulenc, and is considered by some to be a major factor in the early modern music. Gustav Mahler referred to España, today’s performance … Read more
It may be Pumpkin-Spice season (or Peppermint, for the eager-beavers), but around here it’s Book Season. True, book season runs 12 months a year. Still, something about the first cold grey skies looming above leafless trees drives a person to seek a cozy chair, a … Read more
Ravel, Piano Concerto in G Major We have an in-depth treatment of Maurice Ravel (1875-1837) in our Composer Showcase, in which we feature many representative works along with information about the man and his times. But even though “in-depth,” we necessarily had to pick and … Read more
I am watching a rehearsal of the Nielsen Symphony No. 3 “Espansiva,” written in 1911 by the late-Romantic Danish composer Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). Leading the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra is an elegant, tall woman named Michelle Merrill. Her efficient techniques for rehearsal are laced with quiet … Read more
Finzi, Channel Firing Last November, around Veteran’s Day, we featured several works that dealt with World War I. George Butterworth’s 1911 setting of Housman’s The Lad’s in Their Hundreds presaged the death of so many, including Butterworth himself. We also featured Ivor Gurney’s In Flanders … Read more
I streamed the movie version (1969) of Hello Dolly on Monday afternoon as a treat for my sick granddaughter. She dug into the sofa, the way all sick kids do, surrounded by discarded Kleenexes and cough-drop wrappers. My goal was to show her something cheery, … Read more
Boulanger, Complete Works for Solo Piano This week’s performance pick presents all of the solo piano works by Lili Boulanger (1893-1918), her Prelude in D-flat major (1911), Trois Morceaux (1914), and Theme and Variations (1915). Lili’s older sister, Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979), became perhaps the foremost … Read more
I remember learning, late in high school, that the name “Halloween” was an incarnation of “Hallowed-Eve.” With minimal knowledge of the liturgical calendar, and no understanding that the “eve” in question was the night before All Saint’s Day (November 1st ), the whole thing puzzled … Read more
Saint-Saëns, Morceau de concert “Morceau de concert” simply denotes a concert piece. The French morceau can refer to portion of something, like a bit of food, or morsel. Camille Saint-Saëns (dates) composed this piece, originally called a Fantasie, in 1891 for the horn player Henri … Read more
I admire people who manage to write a blog-post every day. Among them are friends like Charlene Notgrass whose heartfelt daily essays never fail to delight and inspire me, particularly in the way she illustrates them with classic artwork and historical photos from agencies like … Read more