REVIEW: Mannes Beethoven Institute, 'Music of Ludwig van Beethoven and Stephen Hartke' >>
Three sets of variations including Beethoven's 'Eroica' tied this classical-and-modern concert together.
Beethoven Institute Concerts Pair Beethoven with Grammy-Winning Composer Stephen Hartke >>
The June 2 concert will delve into the two composers' handling of themes and variations.
AMC's 'Mad Men' is More Than Just Brilliant Television, Chopin and Beethoven Are Important Musical Devices for the Show's Demographic >>
Mad Men has its merits with lavish costume designs, witty dialogue and writing and exceptional intertextuality with the time period its set it.
Classicalite's Five Best: Biggest YouTube Music Hitters >>
Ah, YouTube. Repository of some of the finest classical rarities just waiting to be chanced upon by some digital adventurer. But YouTube has its classical blockbusters as well -- videos that have attracted a critical mass of page views. They're not always the most obvious. Sometimes indeed the performers aren't even known. But here are five of the most-viewed classical videos we could find...
Cheating, Lying, Stealing: John Adams Talks to the Independent About What Makes a Good Composer a Great One >>
Most know that old adage, coined by Picasso (or Stravinsky): "Good artists copy, great artists steal." And the acid-tongued, quasi-minimalist composer John Adams has heard it more than most.
LIVESTREAM: La Scala Will Commemorate the Life of Claudio Abbado with Beethoven Concert on January 27 >>
A public commemoration of the life of Maestro Claudio Abbado will be livestreamed from La Scala Opera House on Monday, January 27. Abbado, 80, passed away on Monday after a long illness.
Following the Ninth: Beethoven's Battle Cry for Freedom Sounds in Kerry Candaele's New Documentary >>
Following the Ninth is an unusual documentary film about a single work of music that has inspired millions ever since it was first performed: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125. Filmmaker Kerry Candaele explores the global influence of the work and how its messages of freedom and brotherhood continue to inspire people today.
81 Can Wait: James Inverne's Tribute to Maestro Claudio Abbado (1933-2014) >>
They were the words all music-lovers hoped never to hear, though they knew the day was inevitable. Claudio Abbado has passed away. He defied the odds to live a full decade beyond an illness that had looked likely to kill him. In that time, he gave us performance after performance of stunning brilliance.
Gergiev, Nelsons, Gilbert or Alsop...Who is the World’s Busiest Conductor? >>
Some interesting statistics, yes, from the U.K.-based music website Bachtrack. Every year, they compile the stats from the events they have listed, and the list for 2013 has Valery Gergiev as the world's busiest conductor. Andris Nelsons comes second.
Monk and Beethoven Be Damned, ‘The Seaboard’ Synth (feat. Jamie Cullum) Revolutionizes the Piano >>
It was said by one of the most famous and influential jazz pianists of the century, Thelonius Monk, that he wanted to find the "space" between the black and white keys on the piano.
Wish You Had Perfect Pitch? Researchers Find Epilepsy Drug May Help Adults Develop Rare Skill >>
According to a research report published last week, scientists have discovered that Valproate, a drug used to treat epilepsy, can help adults develop perfect pitch.
World's Biggest Orchestra: Queensland Festival's James Morrison Conducts Record-Breaking Band in Brisbane >>
As in Buffalo, New York, they're breaking records in Queensland, Australia! Well one, anyway, but it is, by definition, a biggie. The good people of the Queensland Music Festival are now the proud holders of the record for World's Biggest Orchestra. This summer, the festival's artistic director James Morrison conducted--wait for it--an ensemble of 7,244 musicians.
Classicalite's Five Best: Unsurpassed Recordings >>
There are some, very rare, instances where a recording of a work is so special as to generally be considered--well, definitive is probably the wrong word, as any masterpiece is open to so many interpretations, but at least they are unlikely to be unsurpassed.
Frédéric Chaslin Plays Beethoven's First with Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, iPad Turns Pages >>
An interesting development from Jerusalem. At the season-opening concert of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra on October 31, the band's music director, Frédéric Chaslin, started the proceedings at the piano to play Beethoven (under conductor Amos Boasson) and brandished an object not that often seen on the stage of Henry Crown Hall--an iPad.
Ruby Annivesary: Jørn Utzon's Sydney Opera House Turns 40 in Style >>
Many of us approach the big 4-0 with apprehension, but the milestone can be eased with a really big birthday bash. By that measure, the Sydney Opera House, if it has feelings, should be grinning from sail to sail at the celebrations for this--its 40th birthday week.
