Standing with a dozen others outside the main administration building, Cooke Hall, on the campus of Highlands Latin School, I watched as swaths of thick clouds chugged past, as if daring us earthlings to catch a glimpse of the eclipse. Before us, out on the … Read more
Chesnokov, Tebe Poem Many readers of this site will recognize his anthem “Salvation Is Created” (Spaseniye Sodelal), featured way back in Friday Performance Pick 8 Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov (1877-1944). We sang it in youth choir when I was growing up, although I did not grasp … Read more
Scriabin, Poem of Ecstasy The Poem of Ecstasy by Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) often goes by its French title Le poème de l’extase. It is one of only five symphonic works written by Scriabin, along with Prometheus: Poem of Fire and three numbered symphonies. He tended … Read more
Lyadov, Kikimora In last week’s post on Glazunov, we briefly mentioned Anatoly Lyadov [Liadov] (1855-1914) as another member of the Belyayev circle. Lyadov also studied composition with Rimsky-Korsakov, but he was expelled from the conservatory for failure to attend class. He was later readmitted and … Read more
Glazunov, Symphony No. 4 The composer and conductor Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936) was a stabilizing influence on Russian music during the turbulent transition from late 19th-century Romanticism to the early Soviet period. Balakirev recognized Glazunov’s talent in 1879 and introduced him to Rimsky-Korsakov, with whom Glazunov … Read more
Kedrov, Otche Nash Traveling through Russia with Professor Carol took me to quite a few Orthodox churches and monasteries in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and along the Volga River. We traveled on our own much of the time, but I also tagged along on some of … Read more
Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture Is there a more famous piece of “classical” music than Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture? To answer that question, we need to think about the things that contribute to a given work’s fame. And I don’t mean the kind of fame that a work … Read more
May I share a melody and invite you to think about lilacs today? Composed by Sergei Rachmaninov around 1900, the song Siren enhances a poem by Ekaterina Beketova (1855-1892) who, in her short life, wrote poignant verses begging to be set to music. In the … Read more
Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade Scheherazade has to rank as one of Rimsky-Korsakov’s most colorful orchestral suites. Composed in 1888, it was inspired by the stories of One Thousand and One Nights. The King has a distressing habit of executing his wives after a single night, but Scheherazade … Read more
Shostakovich, Galop The galop was a popular ballroom dance in the 19th century that took its name, as you might expect, from the galloping of horses. It was fast and furious. Galops tended to be short, lasting only a couple of minutes, since otherwise they … Read more
