February 2012
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Elliott Carter on Elliott Carter →
No embed on this one, but the click-through is worth the time.
Elliott Carter is arguably one of the most important and distinguished composers of the 20th century, and his music seems to run the gamut of style. In this interview series, he discusses his origins as a composer while a soundtrack of his own music lays the background. Listen for his more populist works (think Copland) and for his...
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Bernstein's Mahler 9 Score for the NYPhil →
Ever wonder what a conductor sees when he flips through the score as he waives his arms in front of an orchestra? Click through the link.
(Complete with a recording to listen to as you follow the score!)
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A series of portraits...
jacquesdupuis:
Chopin.
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A rose by any other name may not be so sweet.
There is an entire division of academic study in music devoted to how works ought to be played, outside of technique. Some scholars specialize in particular composers, others in entire stylistic periods. The goal of all is to determine the correct, consistent way of interpreting the music. In terms of what the average concert-goer hears when arriving in the auditorium, this may be one of the most...
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Really interesting interview of Philip Glass by his second cousin Ira Glass, who host’s NPR’s This American Life. Listen for a glimpse into the beginning of Philip Glass’s early ‘professional’ life as a musician and how he learned what style means for a composer.
January 2012
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In the spirit of the last video and of Lacrime di Giulietta, here is another visually inspiring video. Copland’s “Hoedown” from Rodeo.
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Take a pencil to write with on aeroplanes. Pens leak. But if the pencil breaks,...
– Margaret Atwood, in her sage list of 10 Rules for Writing.
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December 2011
11 posts
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I have never acknowledged the difference between ‘serious’ music and...
– Kurt Weill, 1940
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Really interesting interview with Boston area composer John Harbison. His thoughts are particularly interesting when considering the role of new music in philosophical terms and how the audience relates to it.
The transcript below the post on NewMusic Box brings up other interesting ideas, but the video is a good early-evening diversion.
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asopenasthesky asked: Just wanting to convey my love for your blog! Thank you :)
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November 2011
12 posts
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An interesting story from NPR on a man who can remember music but almost nothing else.
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