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𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗚𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗩 𝗞𝗟𝗜𝗠𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗚𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗩 𝗠𝗔𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗡 𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗡𝗔 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 The idea of encounters between 𝗚𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘃 𝗞𝗹𝗶𝗺𝘁 and 𝗚𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘃 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿 is not only plausible but historically very likely. Both stood near the center…

𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗦 - 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗜 — 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗬 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗢𝗤𝗨𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗛 What follows is the first developed section of this large historical panorama: a series of relationships, encounters,…

𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗦 - 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗜𝗜𝗜 — 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗪𝗔𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗥 In this third stage, the Classical inheritance begins to dissolve into a much more personal, unstable, and visionary world.…

𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗦 - 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗜𝗜 — 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗚𝗟𝗨𝗖𝗞 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗡 In this second great historical block, the center of gravity shifts from the mature Baroque world toward the age…

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐭: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐲𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐀 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 There are painters who refine inherited forms, and there are…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗦𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗚𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗞𝗬 𝗔 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗨𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗚𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗡 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 The relationship between 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘀𝘆 and 𝗜𝗴𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗸𝘆 was one of the most fascinating artistic encounters of…

𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘀𝘆 - 𝗟𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲 𝗟’𝗢.𝗥.𝗧.𝗙.- 𝗝𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗻 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocwzBaYWVG8 𝗗𝗘𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗦𝗬: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗦 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗔 𝗔𝗦 𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗬, 𝗦𝗬𝗠𝗕𝗢𝗟, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗘 For Claude Debussy, the sea was never merely a stretch…

𝗗𝗘𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗦𝗬: 𝗔 𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗬 𝗪𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗬, 𝗔 𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗜𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗖𝗛 𝗢𝗙 𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 By the last decade of his life, Claude Debussy was already a figure of immense artistic authority, yet inwardly his world…

𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁: 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆, 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗜. 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 Jules Massenet was born on 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟮, 𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟮, in Montaud, near Saint-Étienne, into a cultivated but not…

𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗩𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗞 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗜𝗚𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗦: 𝗔 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗖 𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗬 For many listeners, Antonin Dvorak remains above all the composer of the “New World” Symphony, the Cello Concerto, the Slavonic Dances, and Rusalka. Yet one of…

𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗩𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗞: 𝟭𝟬 𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗗𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 Antonin Dvorak is often presented as a genial national composer, a master of melody, and the author of some of the most beloved orchestral music ever written.…

𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻: 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗗 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿 — 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻: 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝗢𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗸𝗵 — 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘄 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝗢𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮 — 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿: 𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗞𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 — 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗱: 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟯, 𝟭𝟵𝟲𝟱. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRjzGVcbv08 𝗞𝗛𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡’𝗦 𝗩𝗜𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗢 𝗜𝗡 𝗗 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗢𝗥 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱…

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗹 — 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟯 𝗟𝗔𝗪 𝗢𝗥 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖? 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗟 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗛 (𝟭𝟳𝟬𝟮–𝟭𝟳𝟬𝟯) By the beginning of the eighteenth century, the essential question in Handel’s life was no longer whether…

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 Franz Liszt’s extraordinary life brought him into contact with nearly every major composer of the 19th century. From the final years of the Classical tradition…

𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐟𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐲 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝 There are composers whose lives unfold within a single world, and there are others whose destiny seems split…

𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐢 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐳: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐧 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 There are pianists whose fame rests on a few immortal works, and there are others whose importance lies in the…

**𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗’𝗦 𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗬 - 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟲 — 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀: 𝗠𝗼𝘇𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗯𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗵** **𝗜. 𝗔 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝗔 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗠𝗼𝘇𝗮𝗿𝘁** Swafford begins this chapter with a striking…

𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗜 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗬: 𝗚𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗬, 𝗦𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗔 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 After the premiere of 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 in Paris in 1829, Gioachino Rossini did something almost without precedent in the history…

𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗧𝗟𝗘: 𝟮𝟱 𝗤𝗨𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗔 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 Aristotle, one of the greatest philosophers in history, shaped the entire course of Western thought. Philosopher, scientist, political thinker, and observer of human nature,…

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀: 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟳𝟯𝟬𝘀: 𝗔𝗻 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗜. 𝗔 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝗿 London in the 1730s was not merely a great musical…

𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵ü𝘁𝘇: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵ü𝘁𝘇 (1585–1672) stands as the most important German composer before Bach and 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗾𝘂𝗲. He was…

𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗹: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗹 (1653–1706) was a leading German Baroque composer and 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.…

𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐎𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐡: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝 There are violinists whose fame rests on brilliance, others on beauty of tone, and a very rare few whose…

𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶 (1653–1713) was one of the most influential composers of the Baroque era and 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰. Born…