I don’t know about you guys, but I’m about ready for a break from the seemingly constant flow of terrible news. I’m not just talking about orchestra news, either. From the European debt crisis to the gridlock in Congress to … Continue reading →
It’s been an intensive weekend of patriotic-themed concerts (all conducted by the distinctly British Courtney Lewis, who played his accent for laughs more than once during the week,) and tonight, we wrapped things up before a crowd of thousands on … Continue reading →
Over the years, Sarah and I have made a habit of sharing some of the Minnesota Orchestra’s more, shall we say, peculiar traditions and inside jokes. Whether it’s yanking all our instruments skyward when someone in the brass section drops … Continue reading →
Good grief, how did it get to be mid-November already?! Sorry for leaving the blog bare for so long, but Sarah’s been jetting around the country, I’ve had projects piling in on me like you wouldn’t believe, and everyone involved … Continue reading →
I’m bereft of deep (or even coherent) thoughts this week, so I’ll leave you with this bit of amusement:
For those of you who have had a hankering for a music theory moment, here’s a Mozart sonata (K. 545) complete with running harmonic commentary (I’m particularly partial to the second inversion of the tonic, but we all have our … Continue reading →
Franz Joseph Haydn, in addition to being one of the more underrated great composers these days, was famous for the sense of humor he deployed in his symphonies. There’s the ubiquitous “Surprise” Symphony, of course, and the “Farewell” Symphony, in … Continue reading →
A telephone conversation with Jascha Heifetz. No, really. “If you don’t have a date, bring your boy, bring somebody, I don’t care.” [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue4jbU9n6mQ]
We’ve successfully navigated through our first Inside the Classics concerts, which is a huge relief. We had the added pressure of creating a show that was radio-friendly (which meant, among other things, no sight gags and minimizing dead air, which … Continue reading →
