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𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗠 𝗙𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗪𝗔̈𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗘𝗥 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Wilhelm Furtwängler remains one of the most powerful, individual and controversial conductors preserved on record. His interpretations were founded not upon literal regularity but upon organic growth,…

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…

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,…

𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗢 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗘𝗥 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Bruno Walter occupies a unique position in the history of conducting. He belonged directly to the final world of late Romanticism, worked closely with Gustav Mahler and…

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…

𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗢 𝗞𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗥 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Otto Klemperer’s recorded legacy is frequently reduced to a convenient stereotype: monumental tempos, massive sonorities and granite-like severity. Those qualities certainly formed part of his mature style,…

𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗫 𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗛𝗡’𝗦 𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗦 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗨𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧, 𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 Felix Mendelssohn has often been admired for his elegance and simultaneously underestimated because of it. His music appears so lucid, balanced…

𝗝𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗛 𝗛𝗔𝗬𝗗𝗡’𝗦 𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗦 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗨𝗦 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗬𝗠𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗬, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 Joseph Haydn is often introduced through a series of familiar labels: “father of the symphony,” “father of…

𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡 — 𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗝𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 — 𝗢𝗫𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟭 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗗𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗔 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 When Robert and Clara Schumann left Leipzig for…

𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧: 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟵 𝗔 “𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗔𝗗𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦” ════════════════════════════ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡 After 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻, Solomon brings the narrative into one of the most painful zones of Mozart’s adult…

𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧: 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟴 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗬 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗡 ════════════════════════════ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗 After 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱, Solomon turns to one of the strangest and most…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗬 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗘𝗗 𝗦𝗬𝗠𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗖 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗜𝗥𝗘 The symphonic canon is far narrower than the actual history of orchestral music. Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius and Shostakovich occupy their…

𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡 — 𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗝𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 — 𝗢𝗫𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟬 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦, 𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟬–𝟰𝟰 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗢, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 The marriage to Clara did not merely change Robert Schumann’s private…

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 𝗕𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜 — 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟬𝟳 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 The death of 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 in 𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟳 was one of the first great…

𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧: 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟳 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗘𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗗 ════════════════════════════ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗛𝗜𝗠 After the inward family tragedies of 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗱 and “𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗮,” Solomon turns outward again, but…

𝗗𝗩𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗞’𝗦 𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗦 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗨𝗦 Antonin Dvorak is sometimes reduced to three familiar emblems: the New World Symphony, the Cello Concerto and the Slavonic Dances. Yet his…

𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗠 𝗙𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 — 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢’𝗦 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 Wilhelm Furtwangler’s public image was that of an austere, intensely concentrated conductor, almost entirely absorbed by music. Behind this formidable artistic personality, however,…

𝗬𝗢-𝗬𝗢 𝗠𝗔 — 𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗗𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦, 𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗢 Few classical musicians have combined technical mastery, intellectual curiosity, personal warmth and cultural influence as naturally as Yo-Yo Ma. His career has not…

𝗚𝗘𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦 The relationship between 𝗙𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻 and 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱—the literary pseudonym of Aurore Dupin—is usually presented as one of the great love stories of…

𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧: 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟲 “𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗠𝗔 𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗔 𝗠𝗜𝗔” ════════════════════════════ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 After the painful story of 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗱, Solomon turns to one of the most delicate and tragic…

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 𝗕𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜 — 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟬𝟲 — 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘇 After 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮, the young Franz Liszt entered the city that would give his…