Author Wendell Berry doesn’t leave his Kentucky farm often, but this past weekend he agreed to be our honored guest at the Classical Consortium Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Amid the gilded cornices and sumptuous chandeliers in the historic Seelbach Hotel, Berry graced us with a … Read more
Kodály, Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8 (3rd movement) Fasten your seat belt. The cellist on the video that follows takes a deep breath at the beginning for a reason. It’s easy sometimes to forget about the physicality of playing an instrument (or singing at a … Read more
Earlier today we were about to cross the Mississippi River at Memphis, en route from Texas to a conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Crossing the Mississippi is a big deal in our family. We do the countdown every time: “12 more miles, 6 more miles, 3, … Read more
J.S. Bach, Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009 In August last year we did several consecutive posts on the Baroque suite. The suite consisted of a collection of dances forms, usually an allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue. Suites could often include other dances as … Read more
Yesterday I phoned one of the hotels where I’ll be speaking in 2017. The name and location isn’t important, because this could happen at any hotel or conference center. I asked whether a piano would be available for me to use for my talks. Having a keyboard … Read more
Charpentier, O Dieu, que n’étois-je en vie; Messe de Minuit pour Noël (Sanctus) I had planned to feature Charpentier’s La Messe de Minuit pour Noël (Midnight Mass for Christmas) last week during the Christmas season, but we decided it was important to say something about the tragic loss … Read more
In our day, talking about “Truth” will raise some eyebrows. Particularly in academic circles, the trend has been to deny that there’s such a thing as truth universal to all men. That view has gained a wide acceptance in our society as a whole. Belief … Read more
It was just after 2 a.m. when I saw the news flash. A Russian military plane leaving Sochi had crashed into the Black Sea en route to Syria. Like many of you, I was still awake at this wee hour. Returning from a midnight Christmas … Read more
Merry Christmas to all of our readers, students, and friends. We thank all who have followed our Advent Calendar this year. It was our honor to share the journey with you. On this Christmas Day, we invite you to listen to and contemplate this simple and … Read more
I had intended for today’s post in our 2016 Advent Calendar to focus on the tasty seasonal treats we enjoy as Christmas draws nearer. One I had in mind was marzipan, the almond paste used in so many European treats and particularly popular at Christmastime. … Read more