Minnesota Symphony Orchestra on Lake Minnetonka!  FREE.

Tonight is the finale of my first season listenign to the Minnesota Orchestra.  They are not going out quietly.  They are playing Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, and I cannot wait. Beethoven’s incsription on the score reads,
From the heart — may it go again — to the heart.
As a fan of Vaughan Williams, I also cannot help [...]

This time at the Minnesota Orchestra!! Program notes here.

I’m going to see Joshua Bell play Barber’s Violin Concerto with Minnesota Orchestra on Thursday.   I like to be familiar with pieces before I go to hear them, so I went to download the piece.  I didn’t see a Bell recording, but there was on by Hilary Hahn who is Baltimore trained, world class, and [...]

Here’s the most unconventional inauguration day post you’ll probably read.  I was absolutely thrilled to see the performance of the John Williams arrangement.  When Senator Feinstein was reading the performers names for the piece, Itzhak Perlman (of course), Yo Yo Ma (do they get any more famous), Anthony McGill (don’t know him, but I don’t [...]

I’m listening to Dvorak’s 9th Symphony.  Some thoughts on musical borrowing come to mind.  

large parts of this piece sound an awful lot like Beethoven’s 9th.
certain movements of this piece are familiar to me as part of James Horner’s Star Trek music scores (also heavily influenced by Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Frank Grimes, and Vaughan William’ [...]

Handel’s “Messiah”! Joshua Bell! “Missa Solemnis”!  Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project!  Steven’s new Minnesota Orchestra Season ticket package has been confirmed!  Oh, and in case you thought I had forgot:
It is 199 days, 16 hours, 2 minutes and 20 seconds until the Leila Josefowicz show, and I have tickets!  She will be playing [...]

In nine minutes, we will be 321 days from my next Leila Josefowicz concert! Here’s a little taste of what it will be like:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd09TccoJRk&feature=related]

I really hope so, I love the Scheherezade.  Here’s a clip of it from youtube, be amazed by the performance of the young soloist!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMKTaLaYBB8]

Beat ! Beat ! drums !—blow ! bugles ! blow ! Through the windows—through the doors—burst like a ruthless force, Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation, Into the school where the scholar is studying; Leave not the bridegroom quiet—no happiness must he have now with his bride, Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, [...]