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.

Magnificent Choices

Fellow blogger BigMikeHouston of Classical Music with Big Mike (https://classicalmusicwithbigmike.com/) wrote this week about the singificant differences a conductor's interpretation can make on how the music sounds. He's absolutely right. And his observation gave me the idea of talking about the Period Instruments Movement, derided in some circles as being too egg-headed. Let's see if … Continue reading Magnificent Choices →

Bach, The Art of the Fugue, Part I

One thing is certain.  Even if few truly appreciated it at the time, Bach was very aware of his genius.  A humble Lutheran by nature and faith, Bach sought to cement his legacy at the end of his life through two monumental works.  Sick, going blind and dying, Bach set about to compose on both … Continue reading Bach, The Art of the Fugue, Part I →

Kommt, eilet und laufet!

Come, hasten and run! In contrast to the proto-sturm und drang of his two Passion-based oratorios, Bach's Easter Oratorio reflects pure joy. Written between the two Passion oratorios, but substantially revised a decade later in 1735-40, the Easter Oratorio is a comparatively brief work. Written for, and debuting on, Easter Sunday 1725, the change of … Continue reading Kommt, eilet und laufet! →

Bach’s St. John Passion

In 1724, Bach unleashed his St. John Passion on Good Friday. Solemn music for the most solemn day in the Christian calendar. While Lutheran congregations would have expected an austere service, with a handful of Lutheran hymns, Bach had something new up his sleeve. As John Eliot Gardiner observes: "What greeted worshippers that day, however, … Continue reading Bach’s St. John Passion →

Bach for Easter

Last Christmas, I published a playlist that looked at Christmas music over nearly 1,000 years. At Easter, it is all about Bach. As mentioned earlier, Bach’s faith ran deep; while his great and frequent personal tragedies were never worn on his sleeve or visage, they poured out of him and into his music. The St. … Continue reading Bach for Easter →