I really am not a Rossini fan, but I include him here because of his importance in the development of bel canto opera. The trinity of great bel canto composers are Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini. As my tastes have evolved, I find myself avoiding the entire bel canto genre absent a singer that compels attendance … Continue reading Classical Music III: Gioacchino Antonio Rossini (1792-1868)
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Interlude: A Bit of History
This unassuming building in Florence, just south of Santo Croce and a block off the Arno doesn’t even have a plaque to commemorate what transpired here. While it appears to be simply subdivided into apartments today, back at the dawn of the High Renaissance, this was the Palazzo Bardi. Designed in the 15th century by … Continue reading Interlude: A Bit of History
Mozart’s Coda: The Clarient Concerto
Most musical histories leave Mozart with his Requiem (Mozart’s last words were reported to be “I was composing this for myself”), but that I think is a mistake. In fact, Mozart's final complete composition was his Clarinet Concerto. I tend to ascribe much importance to final works, but I don’t think Mozart really had cause … Continue reading Mozart’s Coda: The Clarient Concerto
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
A Gertus History of Music 