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𝐉𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐅 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐇𝐌𝐒... 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐌 One of the nineteenth century's most admired composers almost disappeared from concert halls. When 𝐉𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐟 (𝟏𝟖𝟐𝟐–𝟏𝟖𝟖𝟐) was at the height…

𝗝𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗛 𝗞𝗘𝗜𝗟𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗛 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗞𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗵 was one of the most accomplished representatives of the Central European Kapellmeister tradition. His conducting was generally direct, structurally…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗬𝗠𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗬 𝗪𝗔𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗘: 𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗗, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗬𝗥𝗘𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗧, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 “𝗪𝗔𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗬𝗠𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗬” 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗲𝗿: 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝗡𝗼. 𝟯 𝗶𝗻 𝗗 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿, 𝗪𝗔𝗕 𝟭𝟬𝟯 — 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝟭𝟴𝟳𝟯) — 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗥𝗼𝘇𝗵𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗸𝘆 — 𝗥𝗲𝗰.…

𝗗𝗜𝗠𝗜𝗧𝗥𝗜 𝗠𝗜𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗢𝗦 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Dimitri Mitropoulos was one of the most intense, selfless and visionary conductors of the twentieth century. He conducted without a baton, frequently without a score and with…

𝗞𝗨𝗥𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗨𝗥 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Kurt Masur was sometimes characterised as a sober, traditional conductor: dependable, serious, architecturally disciplined and resistant to interpretative eccentricity. Such descriptions are not entirely wrong, but they…

𝗘𝗨𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘 𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗬 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Eugene Ormandy remains inseparable from the Philadelphia Orchestra and the famously sumptuous sonority that became known throughout the world as the “Philadelphia Sound.” During his extraordinary tenure—first…

𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗭 𝗥𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗥 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Fritz Reiner was one of the supreme orchestral disciplinarians of the twentieth century. His conducting combined extraordinary precision, rhythmic tension, transparent textures and an almost unequalled ability…

𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗞 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Bernard Haitink’s greatness was rarely proclaimed through theatrical gestures, violent tempo manipulation or the deliberate imposition of a conductor’s personality upon the score. His authority emerged gradually,…

𝗦𝗘𝗜𝗝𝗜 𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗪𝗔 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Seiji Ozawa was one of the most internationally influential conductors of the post-war era. His art united rhythmic precision, luminous orchestral colour, exceptional transparency and an instinctive…

𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗔𝗭𝗘𝗟 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Lorin Maazel was one of the most technically formidable conductors of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. He possessed an exceptional ear, an almost photographic memory, absolute…

𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗚𝗜𝗨 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗕𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗘 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Sergiu Celibidache occupies a unique and paradoxical position in the history of recorded performance. Few major conductors distrusted recording technology more profoundly, yet few left behind such…

𝗟𝗘𝗢𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗞𝗢𝗪𝗦𝗞𝗜 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Leopold Stokowski was one of the most imaginative, controversial and influential conductors in recording history. His art was founded not only upon interpretation, but upon the very…

𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗢 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗔 𝗚𝗜𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗜 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Carlo Maria Giulini possessed one of the most unmistakable conducting personalities of the twentieth century. His authority did not depend upon theatrical aggression, autocratic display or…

𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭’𝗦 𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗦 Hector Berlioz occupies a unique place in nineteenth-century music. He was neither a conventional symphonist in the Beethovenian tradition nor principally a composer of absolute music. His greatest creations…

𝗚𝗘𝗢𝗥𝗚 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗧𝗜 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Georg Solti’s discography is one of the most formidable in twentieth-century music. He was a conductor of incisive rhythm, explosive dramatic instinct, dazzling orchestral control and extraordinary…

𝗚𝗘𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗘 𝗦𝗭𝗘𝗟𝗟 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 George Szell is often remembered as the supreme orchestral disciplinarian: a conductor of relentless rehearsal, exact ensemble, perfectly balanced textures and uncompromising technical standards. Under his direction,…

𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢 𝗔𝗕𝗕𝗔𝗗𝗢 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Claudio Abbado’s finest recordings reveal a conductor whose authority rarely depended upon weight, domination or theatrical self-display. His interpretations were founded upon listening, transparency, rhythmic flexibility, instrumental…

𝗟𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗜𝗡 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Leonard Bernstein left one of the most extensive, varied and immediately recognisable recorded legacies of the twentieth century. He was not only a conductor but also a…

𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗩𝗢𝗡 𝗞𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗝𝗔𝗡 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Herbert von Karajan left one of the largest recorded legacies of any conductor. He repeatedly returned to the same compositions, sometimes recording them three or four…

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 Listening to classical music while driving is not the same as listening to it at home, in a concert hall, or…

𝗞𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗥 — 𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗗𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿 was one of the most beloved British singers of the twentieth century: a contralto of rare depth, humanity and spiritual intensity. Her career…

𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗞𝗬 𝗔𝗦 𝗝𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗘: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗝𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 Few great composers spoke about other composers with the same mixture of 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘆, 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, and sometimes devastating cruelty…

𝗔 𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗣𝗦 (𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰) Since March 2024, I have been creating and administering a growing network of Facebook groups devoted to classical music, bringing together listeners, collectors, readers, and…