Numbers have meaning. But meaning can depend on context. The Classics a Day team made “eleven” the theme for November, the eleventh month. The challenge is to post performances of classical music that involve the number. I chose a mix. Some pieces involve eleven players. Some are the eleventh type of piece by a composer. […]
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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Charlottesville Symphony dazzles with contemporary work
The Charlottesville Symphony that opened its 2019-20 season was not the same ensemble as last year’s. About a third of the musicians were new to the orchestra, including two new principal players. Although new, the symphony seemed to retain the weaknesses and strengths of its former self. The first work of the evening, Mozart’s Symphony No. 32 […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalSpring Week 3
For January 2019 the #ClassicsaDay team made #ClassicalWinter then theme. It seemed only right to continue the trend and celebrate Spring. So for April 2019, everyone is encouraged to share classical works inspired by the season. Some famous pieces may readily come to mind, such as the “Spring” movement from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” or Copland’s “Appalachian […]
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Rune Most Delivers Engaging Performances of Mozart Flute Music
A quick check on Arkivmusic.com revealed over 80 releases of Mozart’s flute concertos in print. So why should anyone pay attention to this release? Simple — the quality of the performances. Rune Most offer fresh insights into these well-known works. Most plays a modern wooden flute. Its smooth, mellow sound is close to what Mozart […]
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#ClassicsaDay #FamousLastWorks Week 1
For the month of October, the #ClassicsaDay team (of which I’m a part), decided to go with a Halloween theme. The idea is to share works marked in some way with the composer’s demise. It can be the last piece a composer completed before death, or one left incomplete at death. For my part, I […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalNine Week 4
September is the ninth month of the year. And so the #ClassicsaDay team decided to make the number the theme. For September 2018, the challenge is to post classical works that have to do with the number nine. I chose to alternate between nonets, opus nine compositions and works with a catalog number of nine. […]
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Mozart: Music for Harpsichord Four Hands – an unusual choice
This is a somewhat curious album. Not because of the repertoire — recordings of Mozart’s 4-hand keyboard works aren’t that rare. Some of the works represented here have over 40 different recorded versions currently available. No, what makes this collection unusual is the instrument itself. Most of the recordings of this music are done with […]
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Cavatina Duo at the Opera — Brilliante!
Cavatina at the Opera is one of those releases that works on multiple levels. Superficially, it’s a program of pleasantly familiar music, arranged for flute and guitar — something that might not be out of place at a wine and cheese reception. After all, a medley of operatic favorites lends itself to moments of comforting […]
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The Berlin Wall falls – and a celebration of Dame Joan too!
This Friday, Vivace begins with a delightful piano quartet by Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia and a symphony by Antonio Rosetti. At 7:30 am, we’ll do our part to mark the 25th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which occurs next Sunday, including an excerpt from a rare recording of cellist Mstislav Rostropovich […]