Maestro’s Musings: If Love Be The Food Of Music
Romeo meets Juliet at a party on Sunday, they fall in love, they’re married by Friar Laurence on Monday, and they’re both dead — together for eternity —by Thursday. I’ve eaten pizza older than four days. Much older. Speaking of age, Romeo is most likely around 20 years old, Juliet is 13….the good Friar would be doing time today.
Read More »Maestro’s Musings: The Universal Non-Language
One of the extraordinary blessings of a conducting career is the opportunity to function within a wide array of cultures (and accents).
But a recent engagement in Korea had me scrambling. How do I rehearse an orchestra when we have NO language in common?
Maestro’s Musings: A Career In Music
Classical music loves competitions. A huge number of concert opportunities awaits the freshly minted competition winner, who is both cheap and certified.
Read More »Maestro’s Musings: Save the Rainforest, and The Music
Those of you expecting the customary uproarious humor from this column [rimshot!] click to another story now. Otherwise you’ll have to settle for a sad but perhaps interesting story, a matter of great concern, but one with a hopeful ending. No, not Mauer…the way I see it he’s already in pinstripes.
Read More »Maestro’s Musings: Composer, Heal Thyself!
In last month’s column, your intrepid ruminator chronicled the demise of French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. Herewith follows a refresher; while leading an ensemble by pounding a wooden staff on the ground he brought about his own end. He missed the floor, smashed his foot, the resultant wound turned gangrenous, and his soul passed from the earth. Serving to bring into question the wisdom of carrying a big stick.
Read More »Maestro’s Musings: Speak Forcibly and Carry a Little Stick
Back in 709 BC when Zeus’ thunderbolt ruled the heavens, Pherekydes of Patrae, Giver of Rhythm, picked up a golden staff to lead some 800 performers. Little did he know he had given birth to the ultimate symbol of authority: the conductor’s baton.
Read More »Maestro’s Musings: What’s In A Name?
When my wife and I named our son, our first priority was mellifluousness. With a last name like Thakar (pronounced THA-kr), the first name just has to have three syllables, accent on the first. DA-da-da DA-da. Harrison would have worked. Beauregard too. Not being plantation folk, we settled on Oliver. The worst possible name might be, oh, something like Markand.
Read More »Maestro’s Musings: Not Flowers or Chocolate
Now Richard was not exactly a prince in the arena of romantic rectitude. For example, he had accepted the use of a cottage offered by a fan, Otto Wesendonck, to compose Tristan and Isolde. The cottage also conveniently served as a setting for an affair with Mrs. Wesendonck. (The composer’s subsequent Wesendonck Songs were surely a show of appreciation, and since they are settings of poems by Mathilde. It’s fairly clear which contribution of the Wesendoncks was being acknowledged.) The affair ended when Wagner’s wife—yes, he too was married at the time—discovered it.
Read More »Maestro’s Musings: Arf!
Nipper was a Jack Russell Terrier. Or perhaps a Fox Terrier, a Dalmatian, or an American Pit Bull. Don’t remember Nipper? Sure you do. Nipper was the dog staring into a gramophone bell, confused at hearing “his master’s voice”… the corporate identity of RCA, and HMV (His Master’s Voice) record stores. Ah yes!
Nipper, named for [...]
Maestro’s Musings: Flawed Man, Musical Genius
He was a talented child, whose music became beloved around the world. An odd duck, he was a passionate person who roamed the world seeking affirmation. He entered into a loveless marriage of convenience to cover up questionable contact with young men, and he passed from the world after consuming a known dangerous substance in [...]
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