Stravinsky, Symphony of Psalms I count this among the works that I once knew well and then let languish. It seems to be a long list, which I guess is to be expected after spending years listening voraciously as a student, and then turning to … Read more
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 6 I’m not a big reader of composer biographies. It always seemed to me more productive simply to dive into the music, which was the real focus of my interest. Of course, it’s useful to know something about the circumstances of the … Read more
Poulenc, Theme and Variations It has been a few years since we featured anything by Francis Poulenc. That was the short French chanson Margoton va t’a l’iau. I noted then French composer Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) developed a reputation for lighthearted and whimsical compositions, and yet … Read more
Barber, Knoxville: Summer of 1915 Summer may not start officially until June 21, but I grew up with the firm understanding that summer meant summer vacation, which commenced at the beginning of June. And I grew up in Houston where, if one looks only at … Read more
Shostakovich, Festive Overture I have decided to listen to more Shostakovich for awhile. No, it’s not exactly my Lenten discipline. After all, I really like Shostakovich, so it doesn’t involve any sacrifice. I used to enjoy a steady diet of his music, collecting and learning … Read more
Bernstein, A Simple Song Simplicity is a virtue, the virtue of removing everything extraneous to something in order to reveal its true essence. After enduring the hoopla of the Super Bowl this week, I’m convinced it is mostly a forgotten virtue. I remember a lecture … Read more
Schoenberg, Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) This is Andrew Pudewa‘s challenge. Professor Carol and I were having dinner with Andrew recently when the subject of Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) came up. Now, not everybody is a fan of Schoenberg. Those of us in classical education who have a … Read more
Janáček, Pohádka Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) composed Pohádka in 1910. Pohádka means tale (or fairy tale) in Czech, so we can consider it in our recent series focusing on music for children. The tale is based on the epic poem The Tale of Tsar Berendyey by Vasily Zhukovsky (1783-1852). Zhukovsky’s life and … Read more
Schoenberg, A Survivor from Warsaw I have a more sympathetic view of Schoenberg than many of my friends, and I think that owes something to the fact that one of the first works of his that I encountered was A Survivor from Warsaw. I have always … Read more
Prokofiev, Peter and the Wolf Several times in the course of writing this series (four years now) I have taken up a topic that I stick with for a few weeks, although I try to be sure each week’s entry can stand alone. Last week … Read more