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𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐘: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐆𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60, by 𝐋𝐮𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐠 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧, occupies one of the most singular places among his nine symphonies.…

𝐌𝐎𝐙𝐀𝐑𝐓’𝐒 𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐘 𝐍𝐎. 𝟒𝟏 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 “𝐉𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑” 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐂 𝐀𝐑𝐓 Mozart completed his 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐍𝐨. 𝟒𝟏 𝐢𝐧 𝐂 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫, 𝐊. 𝟓𝟓𝟏, on 10 August 1788. It was the last of…

𝐌𝐎𝐙𝐀𝐑𝐓’𝐒 𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐘 𝐍𝐎. 𝟒𝟎 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝟏𝟕𝟖𝟖 Mozart’s 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐍𝐨. 𝟒𝟎 𝐢𝐧 𝐆 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫, 𝐊. 𝟓𝟓𝟎, completed on 25 July 1788, stands at the centre of one of the most astonishing…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐖 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟏𝟎–𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟎 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 The first people…

𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐑 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐔𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐑 Otto Klemperer’s life was marked not only by exceptional musical achievement, but also by illness, exile, physical disability and repeated personal catastrophe. Among…

𝟭𝟬 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿-𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗼𝗱 𝟭. 𝗛𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁 Before devoting himself entirely to music, Gounod studied theology, attended the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice, and even wore clerical…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟮𝟬 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘆 — 𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟴 When 𝗛𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘇 returned to France from…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟬 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘅 𝗱𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗔 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗛𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 — 𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟲 For 𝗛𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘇, the…

𝗠𝗔𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗝𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗟𝗨𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗭 𝗗𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗔 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟵 𝟭𝟵𝟬𝟳: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝗹𝗲 At the beginning…

𝗠𝗔𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗝𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗟𝗨𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗭 𝗗𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗔 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟵 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗹𝗺𝘂𝘁𝘇: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 When 𝗚𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘃 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿 completed his student years in Vienna, his future profession…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟴 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗲 — 𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟱–𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟲 When 𝗛𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘇 returned…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗔 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘀 — 𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟮 When 𝗛𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘇 arrived in Paris in 𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟮,…

𝗡𝗜𝗞𝗢𝗟𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗞𝗬-𝗞𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗞𝗢𝗩’𝗦 𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗦 Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov is frequently described as a supreme orchestrator, as though colour were the principal—or even the only—reason for his enduring importance. The description is accurate but incomplete. His…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟰 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗔 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 — 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗮 𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟬–𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟭 As adolescence drew to its end,…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟯 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗲𝗿 — 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗮 𝟭𝟴𝟭𝟱–𝟭𝟴𝟭𝟲 In the memory of 𝗛𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘇, love and music seemed…

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…

𝗪𝗢𝗟𝗙𝗚𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗛 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Wolfgang Sawallisch represented one of the last great manifestations of the traditional German Kapellmeister: a conductor whose authority was founded not upon personal exhibitionism, but upon complete…

# 𝗡𝗜𝗞𝗢𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦 ## 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 𝗢𝗡 𝗔 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗙ü𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗲𝗿 **𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘇𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀** is not a conventional biography of **𝗪𝗼𝗹𝗳𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘂𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘇𝗮𝗿𝘁**, nor is it a…

# 𝗡𝗜𝗞𝗢𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧 — “…𝗜𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗔𝗟𝗪𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖” ## 𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗙ü𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗲𝗿 Few conductors of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries transformed musical interpretation as radically as…

𝗙𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗭 𝗩𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗘𝗚𝗚 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧’𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗘𝗠 Few minor figures in musical history have exercised such a decisive influence over the fate of a masterpiece…

𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧: 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟯𝟮 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 ════════════════════════════ 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛: 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦 After 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆, Solomon does not end his biography with the corpse, the grave, the…