All woodwinds, that is. The so-called woodwind quintet is a flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and french horn. The latter, however, is frequently included in small chamber consorts, especially in the Baroque, as they play those lovely hunting calls and stirring royal fanfares.
The Baroque sonata form often contained a 3/4 or 6/8 meter movement, and […]
The last time I heard Mose Allison live was at the Continental Club in ‘85 or so. I discovered Mose at college in ‘63, and the first time I heard him on 33-1/3 vinyl I could have sworn he was black. I was astonished when my friend showed me the cover. As I listened more […]
It’s been a little over ten years since Margaret Hillis, the indomitable conductor of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, passed away. I met her at a Chorus America convention in the late 80’s, and was suitably awestruck. She had complete control over her chorus, and more, the CSO as well. My mom attended a performance of […]
Not so very blue, yet an important river, whatever color it may be.
Here’s Herbert von Karajan wafting down The Blue Danube Waltz.
Tags: , Budapest, Danube River, Hungary
This is cool. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the 1812 Overture to commemorate the battle that broke the back of the French invasion under Napoleon. It was commissioned for the completion of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, which Tsar Alexander II meant as a memorial for the battle.
Tchaikovsky considered it crap. A sell-out. None-the-less, […]
John Cage composed music that regularly transgressed the boundaries of convention. A pupil of Schoenberg and Cowell, Cage came into his own during the 1960’s while teaching at the U of Illinois. He invented the prepared piano, a compositional technique to alter the sound of a single or several notes by using non-conventional items directly […]
Budapest is an old dowager, still grand, but crumbling about the edges. Many old palaces, homes, and historical buildings have been sold to other countries in order to support the country’s administration and government.
If the general municipal buildings are a bit shabby, the cathedrals and churches are kept in excellent repair and more likely to […]
Castle Hill, Budapest, Hungary. The largest spire is the Basilica of St. Mattias, one of the venues where AVAE was privileged to perform.
A bit of background
The Danube River separates Buda (west, Castle Hill) and Pest (east, government and commerce). Built in the first century B.C. by Celts, the Romans occupied the town as the […]
Photo by The Good Musician
The Austin Vocal Arts Ensemble (AVAE) recently completed a ten day concert tour of Central Europe. Under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Sheppard, twenty some-odd singers and various kids, moms, and significant others flew from Houston to Budapest, Hungary, with a short layover in London Heathrow Airport. Destinations included Szent Endre, […]
Lois Perkins Chapel, on the Southwestern University campus, was a little bit of heaven for serious music lovers last Friday evening. An enraptured audience participated in a Cathedral Evensong service much like Felix Mendelssohn would have experienced. Bishop Joe Wilson celebrated with a slightly abridged version of the 1853 Anglican Book of Common Prayer, and […]
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