Thou Shalt Not
The intense feelings associated with forbidden love – in this case between a woman and her brother-in-law – are given musical voice in Gabriel Faure’s romantic Suite from Pelleas et…
Faure
Discovery Orchestra Chat 115 – A Very Special Melody Part 2
The orchestral version of Pelleas et Melisande is used to illustrate Gabriel Faure’s lilting Sicilienne rhythm – listen for the prominence of the harp and flute in this Chat! Watch…
Discovery Orchestra Chat 111 – A Very Special Melody
A composer will sometimes create a melody that is so beautiful, so haunting, that it just stands out as one of the best melodies ever. This was the case when…
The ‘Art Song’ Challenge
The term ‘art song’ has always disturbed me a little bit. What song is not a work of art, and therefore not an ‘art song?’ Are ‘art songs’ in the…
Discovery Orchestra Chat 103 – Another Episode of Program Music
Maestro Maull gives us a piece of program music that he has loved since he was 18. Program music is written by composers when they have a specific picture to…
Your “listening guide” amazes me, in that it is a means of illustrating the role of various instrumental sections in communicating and “telling” a story. My background is science and technology so the 1 -1 ½ hours listening to a symphony with your presentation was an exciting learning experience I was not expecting.You are an exceptional talent and personality to be able to introduce someone like myself to the very complicated language of a symphony.