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# **Mozart: Knight of the Order of the Golden Spur** In **1770**, during the celebrated Italian journey that confirmed his European reputation, **Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart** received one of the highest distinctions the Holy See…

𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧: 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗭𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗚 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟵 𝗔 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗟’𝗦 𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗 ════════════════════════════ 𝗜. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗦 𝗟𝗜𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 In September 1777, Mozart left Salzburg with his mother, 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝘇𝗮𝗿𝘁, to seek his…

𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐒 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀 “𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐊𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐑” 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐬 1864–1949 Composer, conductor, Germany, after the premiere of the opera 𝐃𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫 (The Knight of the Rose) Sitting, from left: 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐡,…

𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗢𝗙𝗙: 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗪𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗦 𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗗 The relationship between Alexander Scriabin and Sergei Rachmaninoff has often been simplified into a picturesque opposition: the mystical revolutionary against the last great Romantic, the…

𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗭 𝗥𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗥 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Fritz Reiner was one of the supreme orchestral disciplinarians of the twentieth century. His conducting combined extraordinary precision, rhythmic tension, transparent textures and an almost unequalled ability…

𝗟𝗲́𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘂 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗼𝘇𝗮𝗿𝘁 Among the great lyric tenors of the twentieth century, few embodied elegance, musical intelligence and vocal purity as completely as Léopold Simoneau. His was not a…

𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗩𝗢𝗡 𝗞𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗝𝗔𝗡 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 Herbert von Karajan left one of the largest recorded legacies of any conductor. He repeatedly returned to the same compositions, sometimes recording them three or four…

𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗨𝗡𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗬 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗘𝗗 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 The operatic repertory is not a neutral museum of masterpieces. It is the result of institutional tradition, language, economics, star singers, political history, editorial availability and theatrical…

𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡 — 𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗝𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 — 𝗢𝗫𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟲 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗗 𝗔𝗡 𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗔 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 In the early 1830s, Robert Schumann began to…

𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡 — 𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗝𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 — 𝗢𝗫𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟯 — 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 To understand Robert Schumann, one must begin with a simple…

𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧: 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟲 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗬𝗦 ════════════════════════════ 𝗜. 𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗬 𝗔𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 The sixth chapter marks a decisive transformation in Mozart’s early life. Until now, Wolfgang had astonished Europe…

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…

𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗬 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗦 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗛𝗠𝗦 𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗘 𝗜 — 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘅𝘀𝗲𝗻, 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟱–𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟴 Chapter 2 follows Johannes Brahms from the protected promise of…

𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗼𝘇𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝘂𝗿, 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟳𝟳𝟬 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗫𝗜𝗩 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝟭𝟳𝟳𝟳 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. This…

𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐥: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐆𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 There are singers whose fame rests on sheer vocal splendor, and there are others whose greatness lies equally in the intelligence…

**𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗’𝗦 𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗬 - Chapter 6 — Tralaliera** **1) Italy as Campaign: Leopold’s Grand Strategy** Leopold approached the **Italian tour of 1769–1771** like a **military campaign**. Every practical detail had to serve a…

# **Catholicism and Freemasonry** **(Book: Mozart, His Character, His Work** by Alfred Einstein) The attitude of educated and high-ranking Catholics in the eighteenth century toward religion was aptly captured—long before Mozart—by “Madame,” **Élisabeth Charlotte**,…

# **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…

# **Handel - Orlando - Nicholas McGegan ** [https://www.patreon.com/posts/handel-orlando-146976172?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link](https://www.patreon.com/posts/handel-orlando-146976172?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link) **Madness, Heroism, and the Collapse of the Baroque Ideal** **Orlando** is one of the most psychologically daring operas ever written by **George Frideric Handel**. Premiered…

𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐇𝐍 – 𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐒. 𝟑 & 𝟒, 𝐀 𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓’𝐒 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 – 𝐀𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐓 Symphony No. 3 in A minor, **𝐎𝐩. 𝟓𝟔 “𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡”** Symphony No. 4 in A major, **𝐎𝐩. 𝟗𝟎 “𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧”** A Midsummer…

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…

𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗔𝗖 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡 𝗔𝗧 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟, 𝟭𝟵𝟲𝟬 — 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗜𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗧 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗗 𝗔 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘 The 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 Gala Opening Night concert of 27 September 1960 was much more than the opening of another…

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…