Posts / Photos

𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟮𝟬 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗘𝗠 Any ranking of the Grande Messe des morts, Op. 5 is inevitably open to debate. Some recordings stand out for their ceremonial grandeur, others for…

𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗡 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Hermann Scherchen was one of the most radical, intellectually adventurous and unpredictable conductors of the twentieth century. He cannot be classified simply as a specialist in modern…

𝗠𝗔𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗝𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗟𝗨𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗭 𝗗𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗔 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟭 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 During his lifetime, 𝗚𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘃 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿 inhabited one of the great paradoxes of musical history.…

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 𝗕𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗜 — 𝗔𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟰 — 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮: 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 Before the modern pop idol, before the cinema star, before mass media…

𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡 — 𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗝𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 — 𝗢𝗫𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟰 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦, 𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟱–𝟱𝟰 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡 — 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗔 𝗥𝗨𝗜𝗡, 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗔 𝗗𝗜𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 The music Robert Schumann composed…

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…

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…

𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗢 𝗠𝗨𝗧𝗜 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Riccardo Muti is one of the defining conductors of the modern Italian tradition: a musician of rhythmic authority, textual discipline, theatrical instinct and uncompromising respect for the…

𝗦𝗜𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Sir Thomas Beecham was one of the most charismatic, cultivated and immediately recognisable conductors of the twentieth century. His interpretations rarely depended upon severity, intellectual demonstration…

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…

𝗟𝗘𝗢𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗞𝗢𝗪𝗦𝗞𝗜 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Leopold Stokowski was one of the most imaginative, controversial and influential conductors in recording history. His art was founded not only upon interpretation, but upon the very…

𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗬𝗠𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗤𝗨𝗘 Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique requires far more than orchestral brilliance. A truly great interpretation must reconcile two apparently opposing qualities: the extravagant narrative of hallucination,…

𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗢 𝗧𝗢𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗜 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Arturo Toscanini was one of the decisive figures in the creation of modern orchestral performance. His reputation was built upon fidelity to the written score, rhythmic discipline,…

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,…

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…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗬 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗘𝗗 𝗦𝗬𝗠𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗖 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗜𝗥𝗘 The symphonic canon is far narrower than the actual history of orchestral music. Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius and Shostakovich occupy their…

𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡 — 𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗝𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 — 𝗢𝗫𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟬 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦, 𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟬–𝟰𝟰 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗢, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 The marriage to Clara did not merely change Robert Schumann’s private…

𝗬𝗢-𝗬𝗢 𝗠𝗔 — 𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗗𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦, 𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗢 Few classical musicians have combined technical mastery, intellectual curiosity, personal warmth and cultural influence as naturally as Yo-Yo Ma. His career has not…

𝗧𝗔𝗗𝗔𝗔𝗞𝗜 𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗔 — 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬, 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗡𝗢𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗧𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗮𝗸𝗶 𝗢𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗮 is one of the most distinguished Japanese conductors of the post-war generation: a musician whose career has united 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻…

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 𝗕𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜 — 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟬𝟮 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁 Franz Liszt belongs to that rare class of artists whose lives…

𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧: 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗡𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟵 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗢 ════════════════════════════ 𝗜. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗧 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗥 After 𝗔𝗗𝗔𝗠, the symbolic chapter of self-renaming, Mozart enters a more practical and public phase…

𝗗𝗩𝗢𝗥̌𝗔́𝗞 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗨𝗦: 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦, 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗬𝗠𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗬 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶́𝗻 𝗗𝘃𝗼𝗿̌𝗮́𝗸 and 𝗝𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘂𝘀 belong to two different generations, but they share one essential historical idea: both transformed the musical identity of…

𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗛𝗠𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗚𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗡: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥-𝗔𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗭 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 This remarkable photograph shows 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗺𝘀 in 𝗚𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻, Austria, with members of the family of 𝗩𝗶𝗸𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝘇𝘂 𝗔𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘇. The image is commonly identified…

𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗭 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗟: 𝗛𝗔𝗬𝗗𝗡’𝗦 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗜𝗟, 𝗘𝗨𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘’𝗦 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗥, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘇 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝘆𝗲𝗹 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗻: 𝟭𝟴 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟳𝟱𝟳, 𝗥𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗹, 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗗𝗶𝗲𝗱: 𝟭𝟰 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟴𝟯𝟭, 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀, 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Among the composers who carried the…