The Te Deum hymn traces its origins back to the 4th Century and is traditionally attributed to St. Ambrose, who is said to have written it for the baptism of the future St. Augustine in 378. The Te Deum melody is one of the oldest in the Gregorian tradition and has inspired composers throughout history. … Continue reading A Thanksgiving
Category: Reviews and Musings
Boo! A Gertus History of Music’s Playlist for Halloween
Classical music really doesn't do Halloween and, frankly, no other genre does it well. Here is a playlist of some of the creepiest music composed over the last 700 years or so. If you are tired of The Monster Mash (and, frankly, who isn't), here's an alternative. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1CLHE40V0i7YVUasTdw323
The Friday Symposium: A Cocktail for the End of Time
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire ... and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth .... … Continue reading The Friday Symposium: A Cocktail for the End of Time
The Friday Symposium: Collapse the Light Into Earth
At some point in the 1980s or early 1990s, rock musicians began to abandon functional harmony--the idea of building music around a tonic chord or key. Kurt Cobain of the band Nirvana is a good example of this. Drawing on a wide range of inspirations, such as The Pixies and Sonic Youth, Niravana began charting … Continue reading The Friday Symposium: Collapse the Light Into Earth
The Friday Symposium: Chianti and Rossini
As Beethoven entered his Late Period, he was facing intense competition for his audience. While Beethoven was placing ever increasing demands on his audience, requiring them to accept novel harmonics, extreme dissonances, and uncertain forms, a young composer from Italy was giving Viennese audiences exactly what they wanted--timeless, easy melodies and a rollicking good time … Continue reading The Friday Symposium: Chianti and Rossini
A Gertus History of Music 