Naxos Recordings Bring the Joys of Lesser Known Violin Concertos
If you love classical music, you have already been feasting repeatedly on recordings of the often-performed violin concertos by Brahms, the Bruch no. 1, the Mendelssohn e minor, and the Tchaikovsky. In other words, the “biggies.”If you love the genre, you will find...
Music from the Coronations of the Tsars
My father was born in Russia in 1903. He actually saw Tsar Nicolas II and his family once or twice. They would take the Trans-Siberian Railway to vacation in Kostroma province and step out onto the train platform in Galich, my dad’s home town, to greet the people. My...
A Field Guide to Cadences
All evenings of classical music end eventually – even most performances of Meistersinger. But after the final notes have died away, why not ask this question before you grab your coat and head for the exit? How did that piece of music end?Unless you were...
Pure Music or Human Document . . . a new way to listen to music
Today I’d like to suggest a new way of listening to music. I’m proposing that while we listen to music, we can understand it better by evaluating how well it functions in two opposing categories: Human documents reveal something deep and true about their...
Greatest Gift Possible for Lovers of Classical Music: A Membership in Classical Archives
If you’re searching for a present for someone who loves classical music, I have a great suggestion for you this morning. Buy that person a membership in Classical Archives. I’ve been a member for more than two years and I’m telling you, it is the greatest online...
Leave `Em Wanting More: Reflections on composers who wrote too much or too little
“Always leave them wanting more” is a quote that’s been attributed to P.T. Barnum, Walt Disney and even the American songwriter Bobby Womack. No matter who said it, it makes a lot of sense.If a composer writes too little, his or her stature can grow. If a composer...
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