Rameau: Suite from Castor et Pollux Elegant, refined, ornamented, sensitive – all terms applied to the mid-18th-century Rococo style. The 1717 painting by Jean-Antoine Watteau epitomizes the style. It depicts a fête galante on the island of Cythera, the birthplace of Venus, with happy, carefree aristocrats enjoying the … Read more
Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme In contrast to the composers known as the Might Five, discussed in the prior post, Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was far more committed to the use of Western European forms. Russia had looked West since the time of Peter the Great’s … Read more
Quantz: Capriccio in G Major Yesterday began in Brandenburg an der Havel, at least for Professor Carol and me as we neared the end of our journey on the Elbe River from Prague to Berlin. The rest of the day was spent in Potsdam, the … Read more
