Back in the 1930s, American radio – that is, American commercial radio, which is all we had – knew that listeners were amenable to paying attention to what they were hearing and nothing else. A long attention span was assumed. Commensurately, the airwaves were full of classical music – a phenomenon I pondered in my most reviled book, Understanding Toscanini (1987). … [Read more...] about Music in Challenging Times — An Opportunity
Furtwangler, Shostakovich, Toscanini: Music in Adverse Times
A new podcast, produced by The American Interest (TAI), translates my article on “Furtwangler and Shostakovich: Bearing Witness in Wartime” into a 30-minute podcast with tremendous musical examples. The distinguished historian Richard Aldous, as interlocutor, expands my purview to include Arturo Toscanini -- a topic of which I've steered clear since the publication in … [Read more...] about Furtwangler, Shostakovich, Toscanini: Music in Adverse Times
Music and Healing: An Armenian Odyssey
The healing properties of music is suddenly an inescapable topic. Serendipitously, the last concert given by PostClassical Ensemble before the pandemic shut down live music was an exercise in healing. This was An Armenian Odyssey at the Washington National Cathedral on March 4. The final three minutes, documented in the film clip above, evoked the 2018 Velvet … [Read more...] about Music and Healing: An Armenian Odyssey
Furtwangler and Shostakovich: Bearing Witness in Wartime
Today's on-line "The American Interest" carries a greatly expanded version of my blog of Feb. 25 (scroll down for Shostakovich and Ives): Books continue to be written about what it was like to live in Germany under Hitler. I wonder if any of the authors have auditioned Wilhelm Furtwängler’s wartime broadcasts with the Berlin Philharmonic. They should – and also ponder … [Read more...] about Furtwangler and Shostakovich: Bearing Witness in Wartime
Furtwangler in Wartime
Books continue to be written about what it was like to live in Germany under Hitler. I wonder if any of the authors have auditioned Wilhelm Furtwangler’s wartime broadcasts with the Berlin Philharmonic. They should. About a year ago, the Berlin Philharmonic issued a $250 box containing 22 CDs and a 180-page booklet. The contents comprise the complete surviving … [Read more...] about Furtwangler in Wartime