Classical MusicClassical Music Playlist, July 15, 2024Leonard Bernstein premiered his Chichester Psalms on July 15th, 1965. Composed on a commission from the Chichester Cathedral in England, the work is an uplifting prayer for peace with texts of Psalms sung in Hebrew. It's today's Midday Masterpiece.
Symphonic Sidebars: A Third Symphony From A “Rodney Dangerfield” ComposerMarch 26, 2015 | Kent TeetersNext up in our series on extraordinary symphonies, Franz Berwald's Symphony Number Three.
First Listen: Missy Mazzoli, 'Vespers For A New Dark Age'March 24, 2015With secular texts, soaring vocals and electronics, Mazzoli twists the traditional vesper prayer service to reflect our high-tech times.
Pretty Yende: An Opera Star Whose Rise Began With A FallMarch 20, 2015A mishap in soprano Pretty Yende's Metropolitan Opera debut still makes her laugh, but that night ended with a standing ovation. Now she's in Los Angeles for The Marriage of Figaro.
Sviatoslav Richter: The Pianist Who Made The Earth MoveMarch 19, 2015For the centennial of the great Russian's birth, critic and piano maven Steve Wigler recalls a herculean talent who shook Carnegie Hall to its foundation.
The 'Irish Melodies' Of Poet Thomas MooreMarch 17, 2015Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, Renee Montagne talks to music commentator Miles Hoffman about 18th century poet Thomas Moore. He's best known for the famed, "Irish Melodies."
Oboist Reclaims Mozart's Lost ContemporariesMarch 15, 2015Does the name Jan Antonín Koželuh mean anything to you? It doesn't register even to most classical music geeks. But Albrecht Mayer would like to change that.
Let Ethan Hawke Introduce You To A Fine, Forgotten PianistMarch 11, 2015His first documentary has an unlikely subject: an unknown, octogenarian classical pianist.
These Tunes Are Music To Your Cats' Furry EarsMarch 7, 2015When you leave the house, do you ever turn on some music to keep your cat company?
Young Composer's Work Dropped For Nazi MelodyMarch 6, 2015The New York Youth Symphony canceled its Carnegie Hall performance of a piece that it recently premiered by Estonian-American composer Jonas Tarm. At issue is his use of a Nazi theme.
Bryan Hymel's Hefty High CsMarch 3, 2015A young tenor from New Orleans elegantly launches high Cs in a stirring but punishingly difficult Rossini aria. This is why we listen to opera!