Articles
Friday Performance Pick – 145
Tárrega, Recuerdos de la Alhambra Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909), considered the “father of the classical guitar,” is best known for his Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Memories of Alhambra) written in 1896. My travels in Spain have not taken me to Alhambra yet, but it appears to be a rather … Read more
Golden Autumn
Spring inspires the poet, but autumn offers the painter his most glorious banquet! Or, so it seems to me. Oh, I do love fall. They say that one’s birth-season becomes the dearest season. Born in late September, I think that may account for my feelings. … Read more
Friday Performance Pick – 144
Puccini, O mio babbino caro This week we venture into opera with a popular aria “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini’s one-act comedy Gianni Schicchi. If you don’t know the opera, you may still recognize the tune from television ads or movies. We have had 143 … Read more
Entrepreneurship in Music
Dr. Fabiana Claure will make a special musical presentation at our symposium “Teaching the Arts Classically” this coming Saturday, October 7. Fabiana now holds the position of Director of Career Development and Entrepreneurship in Music at the University of North Texas. What does all that … Read more
Friday Performance Pick – 143
Mozart, Sonata in A Major, K. 331 This week I have found myself searching through Mozart’s compositions for some musical examples related to a music theory project. The Mozart Sonata in A Major (K331) kept coming to mind, and now I can’t get it out … Read more
Overcoming Obstacles to Art
Recent conversations with a close friend have set my thoughts directly on this question: what obstacles keep people from appreciating the arts? The first bugaboo, of course, is the verb appreciate. To me, it’s an obstacle in and of itself. When combined with words like … Read more
Beauty in Tragedy
Those of you who attended our last conference on Teaching the Arts Classically already know Dr. Matthew Post. Matt heads up the Classical Education outreach efforts at the University of Dallas. So, if you are engaged in Classical Education or just interested in it, Matt … Read more
Friday Performance Pick – 142
Clara Schumann, Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22 Clara Schumann (1819-1896) became one of the most celebrated pianists in Europe for much of the 19th century. Her career began at an early age with a concert tour to Paris in 1830, spurred by … Read more
Sym + posium
I’ve always liked the Greek preposition syn. Meaning “together” (altered to sym before certain consonants), these three letters struck me decades ago when I first realized that symphony meant “sounding together.” The next coolest application (for me) came with the term synaesthesia while in college. … Read more