Posts / Photos

𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡 𝗦𝗘𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗛 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣𝗛 𝗪𝗢𝗟𝗙𝗙 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 “𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆” 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿, 𝟭𝟳𝟬𝟴–𝟭𝟳𝟭𝟰 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗵 When Johann Sebastian Bach…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗥𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗳𝗮𝗹 To choose a recording of a Wagner opera is never a neutral decision. It is not only a question of sound quality, famous…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗣𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲 To conduct the operas of 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿 is not simply to conduct opera. It is to enter one…

𝗔 𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗣𝗦 (𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰) Since March 2024, I have been creating and administering a growing network of Facebook groups devoted to classical music, bringing together listeners, collectors, readers, and…

𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧’𝗦 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗦 — 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 / 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲̀𝗿𝗲, 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀 Mozart’s operatic career extends from the precocious theatre pieces of his childhood to the supreme masterpieces…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 — 𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗘 𝗜 𝗥𝗨𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗘𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡’𝗦 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗘 After the rupture with 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱, Chopin’s life enters its final and most desolate…

𝗞𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗦 𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗗𝗧 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗗 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗠𝗔𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗥 Klaus Tennstedt belongs to that rare category of conductors whose art cannot be explained only by technique, career posts, discography, or repertoire. He was…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 — 𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗘 𝗜 𝗥𝗨𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗘𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝟭. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 — 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗔𝗦 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦 An introductory post on Hughes’s central idea: that the emotional lives of musicians…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 — 𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗘 𝗜𝗜 𝗥𝗨𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗘𝗦 𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗥 — 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗥𝗧, 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗡 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 After the dazzling and restless world of 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁, Rupert Hughes turns to a…

𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀. I wish you all a beautiful day filled with 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰, 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆. Classical music is not only a treasure from the past; it is a living…

𝗣𝗜𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗣𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝘀 — 𝟭𝟳𝟯𝟮–𝟭𝟳𝟵𝟵 𝗣𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝘀 is one of the French writers who most profoundly influenced the history of classical music, above all because he created…

𝗠𝗜𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗟 𝗗𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗦, 𝗗𝗢𝗡 𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗫𝗢𝗧𝗘, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀 — 𝟭𝟱𝟰𝟳–𝟭𝟲𝟭𝟲 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀, the author of 𝗗𝗼𝗻 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝘅𝗼𝘁𝗲, occupies a unique place in the history of literature and…

𝗛𝗔𝗬𝗗𝗡, 𝗕𝗬 𝗝. 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗡 - 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟯 𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗗𝗢𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗨𝗦 The young 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗛𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗻 did not find his…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦— 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗔𝗦 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 The lives of great musicians are often told as if they belonged only to art: dates of birth, places…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 — 𝗝𝗘𝗔𝗡-𝗕𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘 𝗟𝗨𝗟𝗟𝗬: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗛 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗡 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗝𝗲𝗮𝗻-𝗕𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝗟𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 was one of the most brilliant, dangerous, and theatrical personalities…

𝗘𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗼 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗼 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗢𝗳 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗼 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗼 was one of the most famous singers in the entire history of opera and perhaps the first operatic tenor…

𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗚𝗜𝗨 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗕𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗥: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗬𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗, 𝗦𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 Among the great Bruckner conductors of the twentieth century, 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘂 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲 occupies a position unlike anyone else. He was not a “Brucknerian”…

𝗚𝗨̈𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗥: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗦𝗬𝗠𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗖 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗦 Among the great Bruckner conductors of the twentieth century, 𝗚𝘂̈𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗱 occupies a place of exceptional authority. His Bruckner is not theatrical,…

𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗵 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗣𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗵 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗵 — born on 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬, 𝟭𝟵𝟰𝟬, in 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘂, then Germany and today Wrocław, Poland — belongs to that rare category of musicians whose life…

On November 25, 1927, 𝗠𝘆𝗿𝗮 𝗛𝗲𝘀𝘀 made her debut with the 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝗢𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮 in Schumann’s Piano Concerto. 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸 conducted. 𝗠𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗱 in the Chicago News commented that 𝗛𝗲𝘀𝘀 performed “in a way…

𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗡 𝗝𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗡 𝗢𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘂𝘀 For 𝗟𝘂𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗴 𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻, his own works were never simply finished objects, never trophies of success, never monuments before which…

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗪𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗸 (1819–1896) at the age of 18 Pencil drawing by 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺, Prague, November 1837 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁-𝗦𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗻-𝗛𝗮𝘂𝘀 𝗭𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗮𝘂 This portrait of 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗪𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗸 was drawn in 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲 by the Viennese painter 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵…

𝗚𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘃 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿 — 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲: 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀, 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘂𝘀 𝗜. 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 The story of Gustav Mahler begins not with music,…