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𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟱 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁, 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗶, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗰 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗼𝘀𝗶 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 — 𝟭𝟴𝟯𝟬–𝟭𝟴𝟯𝟯 Shortly before leaving Paris for Rome, 𝗛𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘇 received…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟰 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 — 𝟵 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟴𝟯𝟮 When…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟭 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 — 𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟳–𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟵 After seeing 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗵𝘀𝗼𝗻…

𝗠𝗔𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗝𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗟𝗨𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗭 𝗗𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗔 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟳 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘃 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗹𝗺𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝗿 By the autumn of 𝟭𝟵𝟬𝟭, 𝗚𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘃 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿 stood at the summit…

𝗠𝗔𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗝𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗟𝗨𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗭 𝗗𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗔 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟯 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 — 𝟭𝟴𝟵𝟭 When 𝗚𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘃 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿 left Budapest for Hamburg in 𝟭𝟴𝟵𝟭, he was…

𝗠𝗔𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗝𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗟𝗨𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗭 𝗗𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗔 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟬 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴 For the young 𝗚𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘃 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿, love rarely arrived as tranquillity. It came instead as 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻,…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟳 𝗔 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗨𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗺: 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝗿 — 𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟯–𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟰 Once 𝗛𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘇 had declared his intention…

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 𝗕𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗩 — 𝗔𝘁 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿, 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟳 — 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 Rome was not simply another city in 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁’𝘀 restless itinerary. It was the place…

𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗥 𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗭𝗜𝗡́𝗦𝗞𝗜 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝟭. 𝗧𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗞𝗢𝗩𝗦𝗞𝗬 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗨𝗧𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗥, 𝗢𝗣. 𝟳𝟭 — 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗧 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗢𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮 Recorded at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London, September 1956 Westminster This should unquestionably occupy one…

𝗝𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗔 𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗜𝗡 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Jascha Horenstein belonged to a generation of conductors for whom interpretation was founded upon structural understanding, stylistic responsibility and absolute concentration rather than theatrical personality. His performances…

𝗙𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗭 𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗭𝗧’𝗦 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗦 Franz Liszt’s reputation has often been distorted by two opposing myths. To some listeners, he remains primarily the supreme nineteenth-century virtuoso: the dazzling showman who transformed the piano into…

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 𝗕𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜 — 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟭 — 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗯𝗯é 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 After the brilliance of 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿 and the intellectual kingdom of the 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴, Franz…

𝗘𝗨𝗚𝗘𝗡 𝗝𝗢𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗠 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Eugen Jochum is remembered above all as one of the supreme Bruckner conductors of the twentieth century, but that description captures only part of his achievement. His…

𝗡𝗜𝗞𝗢𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Nikolaus Harnoncourt did not merely change the way Baroque and Classical music was performed. He transformed the modern understanding of what interpretation itself could mean. For him,…

𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡 — 𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗝𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 — 𝗢𝗫𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟮 — 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡’𝗦 𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘 — 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗜𝗧 𝗜𝗡𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗟𝗬 There was always something dramatic…

𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧: 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟯𝟬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥 ════════════════════════════ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗚𝗜𝗖 After the darkness of 𝗔 “𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗮𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀”, one might expect Mozart’s final year to…

𝗦𝗜𝗥 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗜 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Sir John Barbirolli was one of the most affectionate, instinctive and profoundly humane conductors of the twentieth century. He did not seek orchestral perfection as an…

𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗛 𝗞𝗟𝗘𝗜𝗕𝗘𝗥 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Erich Kleiber was one of the great representatives of the Central European conducting tradition, yet he never belonged comfortably to any single school. His performances combined rhythmic…

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…

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,…

𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡’𝗦 𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗦 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗟 Robert Schumann was perhaps the composer who most completely transformed private thought, literary imagination, emotional contradiction and unstable memory into music.…

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…

𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗡’𝗦 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗦: 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗬 To choose Beethoven’s twelve “true” masterpieces is not simply to choose his most famous works. Fame is not enough. Beethoven wrote works so central to Western…