Posts / Photos

# **Jose Carreras and Kiri Te Kanawa** attend the Jose Carreras 50th Anniversary Gala in aid of The Jose Carreras International **Leukaemia Foundation** and Mencap, at the Royal Albert Hall on December 11, 2008…

# **Handel - Rinaldo - Nicholas McGegan** [https://www.patreon.com/posts/handel-rinaldo-146976726?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link](https://www.patreon.com/posts/handel-rinaldo-146976726?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link) **Magic, Crusade, and the Birth of Italian Opera in London** **Rinaldo** occupies a unique and decisive place in Handel’s career: it was **his first Italian opera…

# **Mozart: Early Compositions and the Astonishing Years from 7 to 11** By the age of six, **Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart** was already composing with ease: **five minuets, a sonata, and an allegro**, works that,…

# **NICHOLAS McGEGAN — A LIFE IN 20 CHAPTERS** *A narrative biography of one of the most influential Baroque conductors of our time* ## **Chapter 1 — Manchester Beginnings (1950)** Nicholas McGegan was born…

# **Handel - The Occasional Oratorio - Robert King ** [https://www.patreon.com/posts/handel-oratorio-144926391?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link](https://www.patreon.com/posts/handel-oratorio-144926391?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link) The genesis of **Handel’s *****Occasional Oratorio***** (1746)** cannot be understood without the turbulent atmosphere of mid-18th-century London. In the winter of 1745–1746, England…

# **Handel - Joshua - Oratorio - 1848 - Laurence Cummings ** [https://www.patreon.com/posts/handel-joshua-144842909?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link](https://www.patreon.com/posts/handel-joshua-144842909?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link) When Handel composed *Joshua* in **summer 1747**, he was in one of the most turbulent yet creatively brilliant phases of his…

# **HANDEL’S FUNERAL AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY — A FULL NARRATIVE**A ## **I. London in Mourning — April 1759** In the days following George Frideric Handel’s death on the morning of **April 14, 1759**, London…

# **THOMAS TALLIS – A LIFE** ## **I. Beginnings in an England on the Brink of Change** Thomas Tallis was born around **1505**—a date never precisely fixed—into an England poised between medieval stability and…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟎 — 𝐀 𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃 When 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 became 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝’s lover…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟗 — 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐎𝐓 Among the many women who entered 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤…

𝐋𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐤𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐤𝐢 (1882–1977) was a British-born conductor and one of the most innovative and charismatic musical figures of the 20th century. Born in 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧, he studied at the 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 and began…

𝐖𝐎𝐉𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐇 𝐆𝐑𝐙𝐘𝐌𝐀Ł𝐀 — 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃, 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 The figure of 𝐖𝐨𝐣𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐆𝐫𝐳𝐲𝐦𝐚ł𝐚 occupies a far more important place in the life of Fryderyk Chopin than his relative absence from popular biographies…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟕 — 𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐘𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐇 𝐆𝐑𝐙𝐘𝐌𝐀Ł𝐀 Among the many people who entered…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 The move to Paris changed almost every external circumstance of Fryderyk Chopin’s life. Warsaw had…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐖 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟏𝟎–𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟎 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑 — 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐉Ó𝐙𝐄𝐅 𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐍𝐄𝐑 When 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 completed his piano…

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄... 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀'𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐔𝐒 Decades before the musical avant-garde became fashionable, one remarkable composer was already reinventing the future of music. When 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐯𝐞𝐬 (𝟏𝟖𝟕𝟒–𝟏𝟗𝟓𝟒)…

𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐌 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂... 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐓 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐅𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 One of the twentieth century's greatest American composers transformed not only the concert hall, but also the institutions that shaped generations of musicians.…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟴 𝗔 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱: 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆, 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘆, 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗡𝗼 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗲…

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…

𝟭𝟬 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿-𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘅 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟭. 𝗛𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗝. 𝗦. 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗵 At just 20 years old, Mendelssohn conducted the 1829 performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, the first major performance…

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 𝟭𝟵 𝗙𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁, 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗺 Long before 𝗟𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝗺𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁 existed in its mature form,…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟴 𝗔 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱: 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆, 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘆, 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗡𝗼 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 — 𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟮 For years, 𝗛𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘇 had struggled…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 — 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟭𝟴𝟯𝟯…