Louis Couperin, Suite in A Minor The Couperin family formed a Parisian dynasty from the late 16th century through the mid-19th. Louis Couperin (1626-1661) was the third son of Charles (1595-1654) and the oldest to reach adulthood. His two younger brothers gained prominence as well: … Read more
Few stage works are more famous than Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Let’s find out why! Free Webinar: Tuesday, August 17 at 8 pm Eastern We’ll start with the basics, including the colorful background to the story and the interesting label given the work: a dramma giocoso … Read more
Jocelyn Hagen, Hands Jocelyn Hagen (b. 1980) is an American composer born in Minnesota and raised in North Dakota. Her work tends to focus primarily on choral music although she writes in various genres and has a particular interest in multi-media works. Just as the … Read more
This is a confusing time of year. It’s barely August, yet in most places, school is days away from starting. May I go on record for saying (along with many of you) that this phenomenon mucks up the natural progression of summer and her traditions? … Read more
Mancini, Theme from The Pink Panther You don’t run across bass quintets often, perhaps for obvious reasons, but this arrangement adds an appropriate element of whimsy to the famous Mancini theme for The Pink Panther. Henry Mancini (1924-1994) is best known for his numerous film … Read more
I’m officially a student again. Unable to decide which course to select, I enrolled in two summer courses offered by Memoria College. The first covers the philosophy and pedagogy of Classical Education, taught by the inimitable Martin Cothran, a colleague and friend whose clear thinking … Read more
Sarasate, Zigeunerweisen Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908) was one of the premier violin virtuosos of his day. He wrote approximately 50 compositions, all for the violin. Most of these fall into the category of virtuosic showpieces. The most famous of these are his Carmen Fantasy and … Read more
“Did you pack the dongle?” The dongle? What kind of thing is a dongle? And why would I pack one? Dongles, as you probably know, come in various shapes and sizes. (Mine is a thin, sleek metal box about the size of a deck of … Read more
Music to celebrate Summer? Yes, composers across time have captured the themes of summer, from storms and squalls to the stillness of the air in August’s heat. In our next webinar on July 27, and beginning with a rollicking Medieval round, Professor Carol will lead … Read more
Koussevitzky, Concerto for Bass Last week we featured a bass concerto by Wanhal, and I want to stick with the theme of works for double bass just a little while. As a child, the Russian-born Serge Koussevitzky (1874-1951) studied violin, cello, piano, and trumpet. But … Read more