In the late 1820s/early 1830s, the biggest star in the musical firmament was Niccolò Paganini, best known for his mastery of the violin but who was equally accomplished on viola and guitar. Paganini, like Liszt, had come to Paris for an extended tour and had attended a concert of the Symphonie Fantastique in 1833. Paganini, … Continue reading Berlioz and Paganini
Month: April 2023
A Night at the Opera
Satie’s Parade, Poulenc's Les Mamelles de Tiresias, and Ravel's L'Infant et les Sortileges had their premiere at the Metropolitan Opera as a remarkable triple bill (sets by David Hockney!) in 1981. Seated at the rear of the orchestra section in Row AA was your truly, surrounded by many of the great and the good of … Continue reading A Night at the Opera
Romantic Music I: Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
And so we begin with Hector Berlioz, the original tortured Romantic in an era that was full of them. Musicologists routinely talk about the “Three Bs”—Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. But for me, the third “B” has been and always will be Berlioz. And I’m not alone: The original phrase, coined in the 1850s, specifically included … Continue reading Romantic Music I: Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
A Gertus History of Music 