Known for her lengthy career in composition and efforts to support underrepresented communities, Barbara Harbach has become a prominent figure in modern American classical music. She has written works for symphonies, musicals, film, ballet, solo artists and choirs, composing a symphony as recently as 2017. Barbara Harbach was born in Pennsylvania in 1946. She studied […]
Classical music
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WorldView Episode 11: Ravi Shankar
A sitar virtuoso and composer of North Indian classical music, Ravi Shankar became famous in the mid-20th century for his solo performances and collaborations with Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison. He inspired a generation of musicians and is considered to be one of the greatest Indian musicians of all time. Ravi Shankar was born in […]
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Anders Eliasson symphonies present a unique voice
Anders Eliasson isn’t as well-known outside of Scandinavia as he should be. This release should help remedy that. Eliasson had an epiphany when he attended the Royal Swedish Academy of music in the 1960s. As he wrote, “It was a time of unbearable self-denial. Metrical rhythms, melodies, even particular intervals were all taboo in contemporary […]
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WorldView Episode 10: Adrienne Albert & Jacques Hétu
This episode of WorldView features music performed on double reed instruments—such as the bassoon and the oboe—and written by composers from America, Canada, and Croatia. In Ancient Greece, instruments with two reeds were held in higher regard than any other; in Renaissance Europe they became a favorite medium for minstrels and bards. Updated versions of […]
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#ClassicsaDay #PoetryMonth 2022 Week 4
What’s the connection between classical music and poetry? To celebrate Poetry Month, the Classics a Day team encouraged folks to find out. For the month of April, the challenge is to post poetry used in classical music or works inspired by poetry. Here are my posts for the final week of #PoetryMonth 4/25/22 Ralph […]
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Hans Werner Henze: Nachtstücke und Arien worth exploring
Even when he was the darling of the Darmstadt avant-garde, Hans Werner Henze was his own man. In time he moved away from the aggressive modernism of that school — literally and musically. Werner settled on an island in the Gulf of Naples, where he became a neighbor of William Walton. At the same time, […]
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Pál Hermann Complete Surviving Music Vol. 2 ensures legacy
Volume One in this series featured Pál Hermann’s orchestral works. This volume presents his surviving chamber and instrumental music. “Surviving” is the operative word in this series. Pál Hermann (1902-1944) was one of the foremost cellists of the 1930s. This Hungarian artist was also an innovative composer. He had studied with both Béla Bartók and […]
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Poul Ruders Dream Catcher – An Accordion Showpiece
In America, most people don’t consider the accordion a symphonic instrument. In northern Europe, though, it’s a different matter. Danish Poul Ruders isn’t the only classical composer to write for the instrument. He’s definitely one of the more talented, though. Sound and Simplicity is fairly new work, completed in 2018. Ruders subtitled it “Seven Pillars […]
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Charlottesville Symphony’s Triumphal Season Closer
The final concert of the Charlottesville Symphony’s 2021-2022 season was also the first. The first concert that the full orchestra appeared onstage. COVID protocols severely limited the participation of the wind instruments throughout the season. The symphony responded with some imaginative programming that didn’t require a full orchestra. It was good to have the ensemble reunited, […]