Szell and Cleveland
Concerning orchestral transparency, it is difficult to surpass George Szell and his Cleveland Orchestra. Yes, it was his orchestra. Almost 20 years after he died, his name was still lauded in reviews of the Cleveland players. I will never forget …
Toscanini
If there was a conductor who welded the 19th and 20th Centuries together, it was Arturo Toscanini. Born in 1867, Toscanini lived until 1957. He died shortly before his 90th birthday. At 19-years-old, Toscanini was the principal cellist in an …
Dog days and doldrums
While it has been shown that training in the heat can be beneficial, that doesn't make it appealing. I've found myself in a late summer doldrum. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just this week I …
The first modern conductor
Here we are with Mahler conducting in the 1880’s. Despite what was generally an anti-semitic era in Austria, Mahler’s conducting was universally praised by just about everyone except the players in the orchestras and the singers in the operas. His …
Name dropping
While discussing Jascha Horenstein, I quoted him as being influenced by the conductors Furtwängler and Nikisch. Following the lineage of a conductor can add to our understanding and appreciation of orchestral performances. It is similar to following the lineage of …
When the search is on, trust Jascha
Jascha Horenstein, many have not heard of him. Those who have heard of him tend to worship him. If you revere Bruckner and Mahler yet know not Horenstein--for shame. Horenstein was championing these composers before they were accepted and confirmed …
Were there any Rococo composers?
Of the composers who could be considered Rococo, François Couperin was the finest and most influential. As we might guess from his name, Couperin was French and his dates were 1668 to 1733. Couperin is credited with blending the French …
Rococo
With all the forth and back we’ve had concerning Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, it is fitting that the San Diego Symphony Summer Pops is concluding with an “1812 Tchaikovsky Spectacular”. There will be fireworks. Adding balance to the program is Tchaikovsky’s …
Triple crown
The final stage of the triple crown was completed yesterday in Balboa Park. No it was not the Belmont Stakes. We’re not talking about the horse racing triple crown. We’re talking about the half marathon triple crown of San Diego …
Small concert, big sound
I caught a small yet powerful concert this afternoon. When I arrived at the concert, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I was expecting to hear the concert in the Crill Concert Hall at Point Loma Nazarene but the …
Long Run Coronado
I haven't done a long-run in a while and it's time to see how my vacation running worked out. What is a long-run? In some respects it's self-explanatory. It is a run that is longer than your standard distance. However, …
It's Hot
It's hot these days in San Diego. I'm not enjoying it. The heat is limiting my miles and forcing me into the trailer-park of the running world, the treadmill. What if we can make this heat work for us? Studies …
Did Beethoven Meet Schubert?
The all Beethoven and all Schubert concerts at the Summer Fest got me to thinking about the relationship between these two composers. The details are disputed but one thing is for sure, Schubert was one of Beethoven's torch bearers at …
Igudesman & Joo: Classical Comedians
The La Jolla Music Society's Summer Fest is in full swing. The four-week festival started on July 31st and closes on August 24th. This week there are concerts on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Tuesday's concert is an all …
Opera Neo: Faces of Love
I went to Opera Neo's Faces of Love Scenes concert on Saturday night at SDSU. I was impressed by the amount of music these young singers presented. Including a brief intermission, the concert was three hours long. The concert was …
Homage to Mozart
"The overture will be very showy and noisy, but will have no artistic merit because I wrote it without warmth and without love. But the Serenade, on the contrary, I wrote from inner compulsion. This is a piece from the …
1812 or String Serenade?
The 1812 Overture might be the most popular piece of classical music ever written. It was once my favorite piece of music--when I was nine-years-old. I have shared before that this piece of music was what got me started on …
Not Populist Canard
A response to a previous article asserted that the idea of classical music being elitist is an old canard. I was confused but then I looked up canard. I think a further explanation is needed. With 3 million people in …
Vacation Challenge Met
A few day, four runs, and 20 miles later, the challenge of running while on vacation is over, done, kaput, a distant memory. Apperently changing my thought process works. As mentioned previously, I've always struggled to keep a running habit …
Vacation Challenge
It's vacation time. I wonder if I'll run during my vacation this year. It would appear to be easy but for some reason it is not, for me. It could be the lack of a schedule it could be not …