Gentle Goodbyes
The first and final movements of many symphonies and concertos end with a bang! “Send them home on a high note!” But that is not universally the case. George Marriner…
Musical Style
The Joke’s On Us
Have you ever attended a symphony orchestra or chamber music recital, when suddenly the person next to you or near you began to chuckle or laugh under their breath? You…
Why Do They Write That Way?
Maestro Maull jumps headlong into the dissonant writing of early 20th Century composers. . .from the perspective of asking what their motivations for composing in such a fashion might be….
Pedal Point City
This harmonic device has been used for hundreds of years and derives its name from a compositional practice employed by church organist-composers like Bach. In this episode George Marriner Maull…
Happy 40th Anniversary NJYS!
The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS) celebrated its 40th anniversary this weekend in Newark at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Prudential Hall. The truth is…NJYS has been celebrating all…
Discovery Orchestra Chat 177 – The Firebird Suite Lullaby & Finale Play-Through
This Chat Video features the final two movements of Stravinsky’s “Firebird” Suite with our Listening Guide on screen. Performed by the Vienna Symphony courtesy of Naxos of America.
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.