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.

Interlude: Mysterious Barricades

Another way to have approached this blog would have been by works, rather than by composers. Had I done so, Francois Couperin's Les Barricades Mysterieuses would have featured prominently. This two-page composition, not even three minutes in duration, was a sonic boom that has reverberated throughout the centuries since its was composed in 1717. It … Continue reading Interlude: Mysterious Barricades →

Vivaldi and Bach

The Bach-Vivaldi Conversations are particularly interesting as they span a wide swathe of Bach’s career.  First up, Bach’s transcription of Concerto No. 11 in D Minor for Organ. Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto Op. 3, No. 11 in D Minor:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8UmlKEWIyY J.S. Bach, Organ Concerto in D Minor (After Vivaldi):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2upDLfG2Os This is more or less a straight transcription.  It is thought … Continue reading Vivaldi and Bach →

Brunelleschi’s Dome, an at the side of the road interlude

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 →

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 →