Beethoven.
That’s usually the answer I give when someone asks me what composer I like. I mean, it’s fairly conventional, but it’s really true. Most people however are looking for a slightly more obscure name that sounds a bit less marketable to the untrained professional…perhaps Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Shostakovich, Scriabin, Strauss, or some other composer whose name […]
So now living in the San Gabriel Valley (the OTHER Los Angeles area valley), one wonders where culture resides. Surely they it can be found in the megaplexes that dot the landscape playing summer blockbusters. Surely they it can also be found in the chain bookstores and coffee shops that provide many with a home […]
Every year the LA Phil commissions new works, which is one of the most important aspects of keeping musical tradition alive. No new works=fossilization of old ones. Let’s take a look at some of the new commissions from their next season.
January 10: Arvo Part premiering a new work for string orchestra. That’s fitting since some […]
The month of May passed so quickly.
I’ve recently thought that while I have made my tastes about finding what I consider to be the highest quality of art, in fact, I am simply a pop culture lover exiled in the classical world. I mean, where does my heart lie? It most definitely longs for those […]
One of the most popular and probably perfect overtures ever written…Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. The operetta itself was not a big hit, but the music is pretty great. While I have my issues with Bernstein’s compositions (I actually sang bass in Chichester Psalms), this gem is undeniably great. Enjoy.
Candide Overture - Leonard Bernstein
