One of the most enduring of sounds, synonymous with the Emerald Isle, is that of the dulcet Irish harp. But the Irish harp that many of us are familiar with is a relatively modern instrument. Prior to the late 19th century, Ireland had a rich tradition of making and playing a different kind of harp,…
When Does ‘Classic Film Music’ Become ‘Classical Music,’ or Can It?
In recent years, as symphony orchestras have struggled to remain in the black, they have adopted increasingly innovative programming to sell tickets. One way to do that has been to increase the number of better-attended pops concerts and decrease the number of classical concerts during their season. Even in the classical concerts, they have taken…
Giggles, Smiles, and Belly Laughs: Comedy and Culture
In the film “Mary Poppins,” Ed Wynn, Julie Andrews, and Dick Van Dyke sing “I Love to Laugh,” a hilarious song that sends Wynn and Van Dyke floating to the ceiling from sheer joy and exuberance. Here is the final stanza: The more you laugh The more you fill with glee And the more the…
Why Music Reminds Us We Are Human, Even in the Darkest Places
There was a gang member who had been in prison all his life, who said he’d never once cried in all his years. He’d buried his mother, he’d buried his father, and he saw the door to his future close when he was sentenced to be locked up for decades, maybe the rest of his…
First Prize Winner in National Composer’s Competition Is the People’s Choice
I have observed over the years that when institutions like the New York Philharmonic present a world premiere, the work is placed somewhere in the middle of a concert, for the good reason that when it is programmed last, the audience usually bolts for the door. New “classical” music is not popular in the concert…
What Happened to the ‘Chestnuts’ of Classical Music?
It seems we classical musicians feel lucky if nowadays the general public has any familiarity at all with classical music. We don’t even mind if a certain amount of music gets called classical that didn’t used to be. It was way back in 1990 that the Three Tenors won a Grammy for “Best Classical Vocal…
Classical Music Pairings for a Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner
Some years ago, my wife and I decided to forego the over-crowded restaurants and parking lots on Valentine’s Day, light a few candles of our own, and enjoy a romantic dinner at home. With this year’s health concerns and, in some cases, more limited restaurant seating to compete for, it may be just the year…
Truth Tellers: Franz Schubert Bequeathed Us Hints of a Finer World
Little Schubert! He was not quite five feet tall, he was portly, he was plain, and lived only 31 years. The few letters he left behind reveal a gentle, ardent soul, incapable of resentment, and incapable of artifice. He was music’s messenger of infinite beauty and goodwill, producing within 18 years a multitude of symphonies,…
The Premiere, in Life and in Music
How will 2021 fare in its early days? Will the early reviews be kind, or savage? And will they prove to be true? The poet Alexander Pope’s line, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast” may have no better illustration in recent memory than the much anticipated dawn of the year 2021, and good riddance…
Online Theater Review: ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’: A Holiday Special in Song and on Screen
Get set for a terrific two-hour virtual production on YouTube. The scene is a middle-class home in St. Louis in the year 1903. The Smith family eagerly awaits the arrival of the World’s Fair the following year. Charlotte Moore, artistic director of the Irish Repertory Theatre has adapted the story (based on “The Kensington Stories”…
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