From the category archives:
One aspect that much of the old Christmas music has is good voice leading. In lay terms, this means if you have four people all singing together, each part flows smoothly and doesn’t jump all over the place. Most of the songs have four parts and are adeptly harmonized. It is exactly this kind of [...]
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Every once in a while a magical correspondence happens. Sometime back, I posted a YouTube performance of Arnold Schoenberg conducting the first movement of his PIERROT LUNAIRE. The flutist on this recording was Leonard Posella. The other day I received this letter from his son, Nino, who gave me permission to reproduce his letter here.
Mr. [...]
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I just picked up Daniel Levitin’s new book “The World in Six Songs.” A thrilling read and is truly coloring the way I think of music nowadays. Quite refreshing.
I had grown tired of listening to our local classical radio station playing Vivaldi and Telemann all the time, and news just makes me nervous these days, [...]
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I read from time to time about a recording artist issuing a record that “bombed.” Even singles that get to number 45 in the top 100 chart can be seen as “bombing” but usually meaning that this single didn’t do as well as the artist’s previous “hits.”
Classical composers should be so lucky to “bomb” [...]
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Today we’re hosting a party for faculty, staff and families from the departments of Music, Musicology and Ethnomusicology. We’re anticipating around 80 people. Not everyone can make it but those that will be here should have a good time. A warm day is in store and there is enough shade in our backyard to keep [...]
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There is this unfair phenomenon that exists for us 21st century composers. There are certain stylistic gestures and textures that are ultimately attributed to a single composer. For instance: anyone who tries to orchestrate an American folk tune for orchestra will automatically be accused of sounding like Aaron Copland. Aggressive modal or atonal writing for [...]
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What a find! A treasure trove about the friendship between George Harrison and Ravi Shankar.
George Harrison’s sitar lesson with Ravi Shankar
Chants of India, Part 1
Chants of India, Part 2
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This is a music video that effectively explains what all of us music theory teachers believe and try to impart to our students.
[Thanks to Richard Garrin for this.]
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I first heard Ketjak in Fellini’s SATYRICON and then later when I studied Indonesian music as an undergraduate. Last year I heard a riveting realization of Ketjak in the film BARAKA. (see below) I love the first performance (above) for its raw power. I was taught that this was an example of hocketing, or [...]
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A fascinating poll on the Norman Lear Center website about the musical tastes of conservatives and liberals. I would be curious to redo this poll when all the baby boomers are senior citizens.
There are many interesting conclusions one can draw from this information and composers would do well to think long and hard about these [...]
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