In Western classical music, the iconic composers disappeared sometime midway through the twentieth century, with Dmitri Shostakovich the final contributor to the symphonic canon. Such things happen. But a plethora of inspired interpreters – conductors, singers, instrumentalists – played and sang on, sustaining the lineage of composers Russian, German, Italian, and French. When … [Read more...] about Maurice Ravel, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, and the Vanishing Authority of French Pianism
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Chopin Waltzes as a Cycle — A Triumph for Seong-Jin Cho
That Chopin’s 24 Preludes are commonly performed as a set makes sense. They are individually short and concise, they vary greatly in mood and texture, they suggest a trajectory beginning with a clearing of the throat and ending with a firestorm. That Chopin’s waltzes are not commonly performed as a set makes equal sense. Individually, they are more repetitious than the … [Read more...] about Chopin Waltzes as a Cycle — A Triumph for Seong-Jin Cho
Cho Plays Rachmaninoff — An Astonishing Paganini Rhapsody
I distinctly remember when I discovered that Rachmaninoff was a great composer. It happened decades ago, when twentieth century music meant Stravinsky and Schoenberg. I was driving and the Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini came up on the radio. The piece was hardly new to me, but I had never paid much attention. This music has all the Stravinsky virtues, I thought: concision, … [Read more...] about Cho Plays Rachmaninoff — An Astonishing Paganini Rhapsody
What’s an Orchestra For? — and The Crisis in “Soft Power” Diplomacy
Addressing high school students in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a few weeks ago, former US Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle said that the US State Department faces “an existential crisis.” Speaking on my latest NPR “More than Music” feature, “What’s an Orchestra For?,” he further comments: “Soft power” – the use of music and education as an instrument of foreign policy – … [Read more...] about What’s an Orchestra For? — and The Crisis in “Soft Power” Diplomacy
Stravinsky, Elmer Fudd, and the South Dakota Symphony
The final NEH-funded, multi-media “Music Unwound” concert featuring the South Dakota Symphony took place last Saturday night. I cast myself in a cameo role, playing the Soldier in three excerpts from Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale. I modelled my impersonation on Elmer Fudd. The main events, however, were Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G with Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and … [Read more...] about Stravinsky, Elmer Fudd, and the South Dakota Symphony