Szervánszky, Woodwind Quintet No. 1 (1st movement) Hungarian composers have been well represented in the Friday Performance Picks this year. We have featured Kodály, Bartók, and just a couple of weeks ago Ligeti. Liszt has appeared here several times, although not in 2017. Today I want … Read more
The beloved season of Thanksgiving is on the horizon. Ordinarily I try to pen an essay with some artistic, pedagogic, or seasonal value. But occasionally a topic gets under my skin, and I can’t make it go away. So it goes with this week’s post. … Read more
Bellini, Casta Diva The aria “Casta diva” may be one of the best examples of the bel canto style of the early 19th century. It appears in the first act of the opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835). Bel canto, or beautiful singing, generally means an elegant, … Read more
All Saints Day and All Souls Day are behind us. You may still have Halloween hangover in your house depending on how long the candy lasted. Soon, attention will turn fully to Thanksgiving. Before entering the world of pumpkin pie, I’d like to reflect upon … Read more
While most households are starting to focus on turkey and pumpkin pie, we are putting the finishing touches on the 2017 Advent Calendar. This daily calendar of arts and culture began as a simple idea 7 years ago and continues to grow each Advent season. … Read more
Ligeti, Sonata for Cello Very early in this series I featured a bagatelle by Hungarian composer György Ligeti (1923-2006). It was rather light, short, and humorous—what you might expect of a bagatelle. The Sonata for Cello strikes a very different mood. But I think both … Read more
Would you fly from Kentucky to Krakow just to see this painting? I know two folks who did. People have all kinds of reasons for touring Eastern Europe, including family heritage or a passion for World War II history. But this couple journeyed 17 days … Read more
Reynaldo Hahn, À Chloris The mélodie of the 19th and early 20th century represents in many ways a French version of German Lieder. German Lieder gained prominence with the rise of Romanticism after the turmoil of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. With the … Read more
“When I get home comma I will double-check and call you back period.” Clearly my fondness for corresponding via voice-activation on my iPhone has gone too far. Countless hours of dictating texts while racing through the grocery store have given me an unfortunate habit of … Read more
Merulo, Canzon vigesimaterza a5 and Canzon decimaottava a5 This performance of canzonas by Merulo comes from the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble. You may presume you know all about cornetts but have not encountered a sackbut. But the opposite is more likely true. The sackbut … Read more