Last month, the Classics a Day team came up with a theme to reflect the reality of social distancing. The challenge was to share solo works for unusual instruments — the kind of instruments best played in social isolation.  For June, the team is again going with the times. Social bubbles are small groups of […]

Anyone notice there are fewer concerts Around This Town these past months?  Pandemics do tend to have that effect on live music, and we all need to learn that change is good.  With that in mind, our Tuesday afternoon folk program is undergoing some renovations in advance of Coming to the Stage for the first […]

This is an interesting collection of music by Muzio Clementi. In includes three sets of variations, a canon, and a set of style pastiches. The program opens with Five Variations on a Minuet by Mr. Collick. This six-minute charmer increases the complexity with each variation, but not excessively so. These variations could well be (and […]

“Today, again, I am overwhelmed with grief and rage… The dehumanization of black and brown people happens again and again and again and again and again and again. How many more unjust deaths must there be?” So writes Ian Solomon, dean of UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, in UVA Today. When you’re […]

New Blues News – 6/2/2020 Mike Dangeroux & Inetta Visor – It’s About Time (Raw Dog): Instrumentalist/singer Mike Dangeroux and singer Inetta Visor have joined forces and are making the club rounds. Dangeroux wrote nine of the songs on offer and Visor wrote five. When they are good, like on Dangeroux’s “Under My Skin” or […]

Franz Krommer lived somewhat in the shadow of Beethoven. In 1813 he replaced Leopold Kozeluch (a rival of Beethoven’s) as the Austrian Imperial Court Composer. And that meant his subsequent symphonies, string quartets, and concertos competed with Beethoven’s for the same audience. To my ears, it’s easy to hear Beethoven’s influence in these works. Symphony […]