Author: ethanlitwin

Life-long New Yorker. Graduate of Duke University and Georgetown Law. Solicitor of England and Wales. Recognized by Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500, Global Competition Review, Super Lawyers and others as one of the leading antitrust litigators in the United States. Former Chairman and current Board member of Gingold Theatrical Group. Former Young Patron Board member at the Met Opera.

That Day of Tears and Mourning

Mozart famously received a commission from a secret patron to compose a Requiem in 1791. Mozart had been ill for a year and was laboring under the strain of producing two other major compositions—The Magic Flute and La Clemenza di Tito, his return to opera seria—as well as on several other notable works. Surely, composing … Continue reading That Day of Tears and Mourning →

An Ode to True Love

By 1788, Mozart had fully mastered Classical composition, exceeding all of his contemporaries.  With Figaro, Don Giovanni and the Jupiter fully in the rear view mirror, where could he take his art?  Mozart, ever the restless genius, was not one to stand still, churning out endless versions of the same thing.  By now, he had … Continue reading An Ode to True Love →

The 100th Entry: Don Giovanni

Well, I couldn't have planned this any better. This is, quite unbelievably, my 100th entry in this blog. And what a subject to feature today. On any given night, Don Giovanni can be the greatest opera ever written, at least in my opinion. It is hard for us, in the 21st century, to really appreciate … Continue reading The 100th Entry: Don Giovanni →

The Jupiter

We are now quickly coming to the end.  But before grief, utter brilliance.  Mozart wrote his 41st and last symphony at the age of 33.  He had no idea it would be his final symphonic statement, but he could leave no greater legacy.  Again, there is too much to say about the remarkable “Jupiter” Symphony … Continue reading The Jupiter →

Rediscovering Mozart

Often tempting to dismiss as the kitch before Beethoven or the guy who opened the door to the Romantic aesthetic while declining to walk through it, the music of Mozart is both inviting and, distressingly, easily dismissed. Even by those who are quick to recognize his genius. One of the great surprises for me in … Continue reading Rediscovering Mozart →