Gounod, Petite symphonie pour vents You likely know the French composer Charles Gounod (1818-1893) from his Ave Maria in which he superimposed a lyrical melody over Bach’s Prelude in C Major from the Well-Tempered Clavier (Book I). Among his operas, Faust (1859) and Romeo et Juliet … Read more
We all can imagine the situation: Jordon or Kayla resists practicing, will not prepare for lessons, and certainly does not appreciate the time, money, and effort expended to make lessons possible. So, is it worth it to continue? First, a disclaimer. I had to be … Read more
What’s So Great About Beethoven? Shortly after his death in 1827, Beethoven’s influence cast a giant shadow over the 19th century. He became more famous than any previous composer, and his legacy held later composers to an almost impossible standard. But why? Professor Carol explains … Read more
Gabrieli, Canzona per Sonare N. 4 It was just about 200 weekly posts ago that we featured a canzona by Giovanni Gabrieli – 199 posts to be exact. Gabrieli did make a more recent appearance here last year with the more somber Beata es virgo, … Read more
“What classical music do you recommend that I play in the background for my kids?” This question came up during last week’s conference with the Classical Consortium entitled The Art of Soulcraft. Answering it is a bit of a delicate dance because I first need to … Read more
The Art of Soulcraft We want to thank all who attended last week’s online conference of The Classical Consortium entitled “The Art of Soulcraft.” If you missed it, or want to relive all or part of it, the conference recordings are available for free viewing. … Read more
Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, BWV 1049 Very early on in this series, we featured Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 filmed in Köthen’s Hall of Mirrors. It was an occasion to discuss Bach’s time in Köthen (from 1717-1723), where Bach lived and worked when he … Read more
Our major conference “The Art of Soulcraft” is tomorrow, August 7, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. EDT. Registration is free. Christopher Perrin came up with the title for this one-day conference—at least I think he did. Such words vibrate with Perrin’s marvelous predilection for quiet, … Read more
Announcing the First in a New Series of “Sprints” Through History A Sprint Through Russian History August 18, 8:00 p.m. EDT A sprint through Russian history? Isn’t Russian history hard? Not actually. Across more than a thousand years, just two dynasties ruled the vast Slavic … Read more
Copland, Fanfare for the Common Man American music can be difficult to define, especially when so much of our music has its roots elsewhere. Many American composers were born in other countries and immigrated here. Many went abroad to receive their training, soaking up primarily … Read more