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On This Day
26 December: Jian Wang was Born
The 1980 documentary From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China provides a fascinating look at China’s cultural and political landscape in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. Isaac Stern’s journey to China not only offered a glimpse into the
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Malcolm Williamson’s Pieces of Peace
These days, with the horrors that are unfolding on every continent, we look for peace. But what, exactly, might we be looking for? Australian composer Malcolm Williamson (1931–2003) moved to London when he was in his 20s and started on
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Visions of Innocence
Chabrier, Stravinsky and Debussy
John Eliot Gardiner Conducts Chabrier, Stravinsky and Debussy With Isabelle Faust Visions of innocence evoke an ethereal glimpse into a world untouched by the burdens of experience, where purity lingers untainted by complexities and disillusionments. These fleeting moments capture the
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From Reviled to Beloved: O Holy Night
Poet Placide Cappeau (1808–1877) was so inspired by the new stained glass windows in his church in Roquemaure, France, that he wrote a poem, ‘Minuit, chrétiens’ in its honour. It’s a powerful poem urging Christians to use midnight as the
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On This Day
23 December: Borodin’s Symphony No. 1 Premiered
We still have conflicting reports as to the actual premiere date of Borodin’s Symphony No. 1. Some commentators place that event on 23 December 1868, while others located it on 4 January 1869. The proximity of these dates suggests that
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Versions of The Lovely Cradle Song: Fauré’s Berceuse
Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924) created his Berceuse in early 1880, first for violin and piano. It was heard by the publisher Julienne Hamelle who immediately snatched it up for publication. The work, for muted violin and piano, has a rocking accompaniment,
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The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Bass Player Orin O’Brien and the New York Philharmonic
It’s difficult today to imagine how one would feel as the first woman member of the New York Philharmonic or any orchestra for that matter. At age thirty-one, in 1966, Orin O’Brien won the position and joined this illustrious group,
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Ten Most-Asked Questions About Leonard Bernstein
The movie Maestro, based on the life of conductor Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre, was released on Netflix on 20 December 2023. Today, we’re looking at data from search engines to find out what questions people are asking
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