For The Professor: The grand Duomo of Florence, Santa Maria del Fiore, was dedicated by Pope Eugenius IV on March 25, 1436. An architectural marvel, the Duomo is crowned by a great dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, which remains (despite later inteventions by Michelangelo) the enduring symbol of the city, at once instantly recognizable. Brunelleschi's … Continue reading Brunelleschi’s Dome, an at the side of the road interlude
Month: November 2021
Baroque Music VII: Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Antonio Vivaldi is the first composer on this list whose name and music are likely familiar to everyone. That was not always the case. Despite his profound influence on Bach and many others, Vivaldi’s compositions fell out of a favor (his virtuosity as a violinist was his primary calling card, not his compositions) and were pretty … Continue reading Baroque Music VII: Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Interlude: At the side of the road
This morning, I was listening to Jakub Jozef Orlinski's remarkable new album, Anima Aeterna, which not surprisingly for this gifted young countertenor, features a wealth of Baroque masterpieces. On this album, however, Jakub has drawn from the music of Baroque composers who, for lack of a better phrase, have been left by the side of … Continue reading Interlude: At the side of the road
Baroque Music VI: Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736)
And now, another composer who died too young. Giovanni Pergolesi died at 26, but his music was truly mature and sublime. Deeply influential both in his time and in later centuries, Pergolesi was a major influence on composers from J.S. Bach (who was 25 when Pergolesi was born) to Stravinsky. Bach famously incorporated Pergolesi’s Sabat … Continue reading Baroque Music VI: Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736)
A Gertus History of Music 