Porter, I Love Paris Our 7-year-old granddaughter, Patti, loves Paris. The walls of her room are covered with images of the city. I’m not sure what prompted this. She has visited Germany twice but never set foot in France. Visiting Paris is her dream and … Read more
While learning is not wasted on the young, adult learning has a magnificence unattainable by children. Alas, there’s no suitable descriptive for “adult learners.” The acronym SOTA populated university bureaucratese back in the 1980s when my mother took the plunge and entered college for the … Read more
Mozart, Serenade No. 10 “Gran Partita,” K. 361 A few months back we featured Gounod’s Little Symphony for Winds and mentioned the Harmonien. We quoted Horace Fitzpatrick: From about 1756 onward the Emperor [in Vienna] and the Austrian nobles kept house bands called Harmonien, usually … Read more
Those born in the US right after the Second World War arguably have had the easiest life of any humans ever living on the planet. This statement does not apply to people who served, suffered, and died in the Korean, Vietnam, and Middle-East Wars or … Read more
Dvorak, Serenade for Winds Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) was raised in the small village of Nelahozeves 20 miles north of Prague. The town is situated on the Vltava (Moldau), which runs through Prague and is a significant factor in Czech culture. Dvorak’s father was a butcher … Read more
We are living in a different world. These words could continue in countless directions, especially right now. But one particular direction has my attention. Those who create, teach, or learn must build strong houses. These houses need to rest on the solid foundation of time-tested, … Read more
Fasch, Concerto in D We hit something of a milestone today with our 300th performance pick. Plus it’s a new year (although the second post of the year). So a work that’s upbeat and cheerful seems right, and one by a composer who is likely … Read more
No matter what the circumstances, the idea of a “new year” brings hope. Hope at this point means different things to each of us. But one hope that never fails involves that sense of excitement every time we start down the path of learning. True, … Read more
Happy New Year to all our readers! With the Advent Calendar and the holidays behind us, we resume a more normal webinar schedule. We hope you will join us for these January events: Getting to Known Mozart’s The Magic Flute Our grandkids love this famous … Read more
Berlioz, Roman Carnival Overture Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) originally wrote the Roman Carnival Overture as part of his opera Benvenuto Cellini, which is a mostly fictional tale about the historical Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571). The opera was not a success, receiving only three performances initially in 1839. … Read more