Korngold, Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 Erich Korngold (1897-1957) made his mark in two separate musical worlds. In his childhood, his works were praised by composers like Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler. He was in many ways their heir-apparent in Vienna. At age … Read more
Using a lone figure illuminated by dusty rays of light, the painter Karl Spitzweg juxtaposes the tumult of human consequences against Mercy’s irrevocable dawn. Here we see a man who, only hours before, was cavorting in full-blown pleasure as Carnaval’s excesses wound to a roaring … Read more
Shostakovich, Polka (from The Golden Age) What makes music funny? Should we even ask the question? The writer E.B. White said, Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it. I almost always defer to E.B. White … Read more
The purge is on. It was triggered in this case by a leak from the garage ceiling that began to soak several stacks of boxes. Inside were files from my university career representing three decades of research and teaching materials. For me, it’s excruciatingly difficult … Read more
Schubert, Shepherd on the Rock Years ago, Dr. Stanley Shumway, my primary professor in my doctoral studies, claimed that he could teach most of music theory using only the Chopin Mazurkas. I thought about that and concluded that I could teach most of music theory … Read more
The word counterpoint literally means juxtaposing one point against another. In the case of music, it means sounding one set of pitches (such as a melody) against, or in simultaneity with, another set of pitches. Most of us first experience counterpoint early when we sing … Read more
Stravinsky, Pastorale Last week we focused on the rousing galop in Rossini’s William Tell Overture. But, as we noted, much of the work involves a pastorale scene portraying idyllic life in the Swiss Alps. A pastorale evokes shepherds and rustic rural life. The musical form has … Read more
We followed a wintry storm last week across Texas and Louisiana and up into North Carolina. When we pulled up to our forested Bed & Breakfast near the coast, it looked like a scene from White Christmas. The effect was dazzling. Two images stand out … Read more
Rossini, William Tell Overture When I was growing up, there was at least one Classical piece we all knew. Young boys would sing it on the playground along with shouts of “Hi Yo, Silver.” I knew reasonably early on that this piece had been composed … Read more
Every family has a storyteller. Or else, a story about a storyteller who touched their lives. Growing up, it was my father who told the stories. My mother told almost none, even though both of my parents clawed their way through the same Depression with … Read more