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…
Composers
A Day in the Life of a Pair of Violists
As some of you may know, I began my musical career as a violist. I was very fortunate to be able to begin playing professionally in a symphony orchestra before…
Classical Music Is So Relaxing!
Or is it? One of the things frequently said about classical music is: “I love classical music because it’s so relaxing!” When I encounter this observation I can only think…
Whether to Laugh or Cry
Two recent items published on-line by the League of American Orchestras reminded me of the importance of allowing music to speak for itself – to deliver its own message. The…
Discovery Orchestra Chat 105 – Interpretation
The content of a piece of classical music has been fixed since it was finished by the composer who wrote it. But what about the words “Moderately Fast” or “Loud”…
Art for Life’s Sake
On the evening of Monday, April 8, 2013 cellist Yo-Yo Ma delivered the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He called…
Thank you so much for inviting us to attend the Saint-Saens “Organ Symphony” recording session. I have always enjoyed listening to this work. As is always the case, your tutorial was excellent! I cannot believe how much more I now know about the “Organ Symphony”. And with more understanding comes a better appreciation. The Discovery Orchestra is much bigger than I remember. Their performance was excellent and truly exciting! A really big pipe organ performed by Mark Miller further enhanced the entire listening experience.