Is it possible for a work of art to become too famous for its own good? Like Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or Shakespeare’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy, Beethoven’s Fifth is a work that has been so often reproduced, excerpted and remixed that it has become as easy to ignore a as … Continued
There are few individuals who truly change the course of history. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is one of those individuals. There is music before Beethoven and music after Beethoven; the revolution wrought by his works continues to resonate through music made today. From later classical composers to Hollywood film scores and even rock ’n’ roll, … Continued
In 1870, Brahms’ friend the musicologist Carl Ferdinand Pohl shared one of his discoveries with the composer: a piece for woodwind octet that he believed to be an unknown work by the great eighteenth century composer Joseph Haydn. Intrigued, Brahms copied down the second movement, which was labelled “Chorale St. Anthoni” and consisted of a … Continued
Jean Sibelius’ first musical instruction came in the form of piano lessons from his aunt Julia. Sibelius was a troublesome student, however; his habit of improvising instead of practicing his etudes would often earn him “raps across the knuckles.” He never really took to the piano. It was only as a teenager that he discovered … Continued
Above: From left to right, Matthew Strauss (percussion), Mark Griffith (percussion), Marian Beauchamp, Gary Beauchamp and Brian Del Signore (principal percussion) pose with the new low E bell that will be played during this weekend’s concerts. At this weekend’s performances of Richard Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra, a new sound will ring out through Jones Hall. … Continued
Principal Clarinet Mark Nuccio makes his solo debut with the Houston Symphony playing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. In this post he explains what makes this piece such a joy and a challenge to play. When I was asked which concerto I would like to present as my first to the Houston audience, I chose the Mozart … Continued