August 2018 is the centennial of Leonard Bernstein’s birth. Many classical radio stations, performance groups, and writers marked the occasion. And so did #ClassicsaDay. Bernstein was known as a composer, conductor, performer and an educator. Since #ClassicsaDay is primarily a music feed, I concentrated on the first two of those roles (and occasionally the third). […]
Johannes Brahms
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#ClassicsaDay #SchumannsCircle Week 4
Robert Schumann was born on June 8, 1810. Some of us contributing to the #ClassicsaDay feed decided to celebrate that birthday. For the month of June, we encouraged folks to post works by Schumann and his circle. Schumann worked with several major composers of the day. He also reviewed up-and-coming composers in his magazine. Here […]
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#ClassicsaDay #Opus1 Annotated List Week 1
I’m a regular contributor to the #ClassicsaDay Twitter feed. For January 2018, I decided to mark the first month of the new year with firsts. Each post features the first published work of a different composer. Emphasis on the word “published,” In some cases, the Opus 1 is the first mature work of the composer. […]
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Barbara Westphal – Convergences
Barbara Westphal’s latest release is an interesting blend of old and new, original music with arrangements. Johannes Brahms didn’t write any solo music for the viola, but that hasn’t stopped violists from making arrangements of some of his music for their instrument. In this case, Westphal plays arrangements of Brahms’ Sonata in E minor, Op. […]
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Stuyvesant Quartet — Audio Treasures
The Stuyvesant Quartet was a group of talented musicians who left a remarkable legacy. Founded by by the Shulman brothers, Sylvan (violin) and Alan (cello) in 1938, the quartet consisted of preeminent musicians from broadcast network symphony orchestras. In 1950 they formed their own label — Philharmonia — with audio legend Norman Pickering as their […]