From the category archives:

Music History

Wagner, the Original Band Geek

November 8, 2007

What’s this program about?
Richard Wagner was, and remains, one of the most intense and controversial figures of all time.  For those who love Wagner’s music, Wagner becomes an obsession.  Wagner understood and glorified the sound of wind instruments, especially brass, and transcriptions of Wagner’s operatic music have made highly effective and enjoyable arrangements for wind [...]

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Commissions, Dedications, and Premieres

October 17, 2007

What’s this program about?
In today’s classical music world, there are not many composers who can stir up the excitement that might have accompanied the premiere of a new work by Brahms.  But John Mackey is a composer who can.  He has a popular following from all over the world.  The Dallas Wind Symphony collaborated with [...]

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What Does “Classical” Mean?

October 9, 2007

 
In popular usage, “classical” means anything that lasts and is passed down from generation to generation.  It also refers to the particular style of music, rich in contrast, that flourished in late 18th-century Vienna.  Professor Carol talks about classicism from Mozart to Brahms to Prokofiev.
 
Works discussed: Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68; [...]

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Respighi’s Roman Festivals

September 14, 2007

What’s this program about?
Ottorino Respighi was not at war with tonality or tradition, and his works have consequently been denigrated at times as “crowd pleasers.”  Although he wrote successful concertos, operas, and ballets that were widely performed in his day, he is known primarily for his Roman trilogy: Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome, and [...]

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The Musicians’ Perspective on Mahler

August 16, 2007

Mahler expanded the orchestra to huge proportions, going beyond the already inflated forces of Wagner.  But Mahler simultaneously achieved an striking delicacy and transparency by using solo instruments to create “chamber music” in the midst of a his massive musical canvases.  He drew his inspiration from the simple tunes of his childhood, military marches, folk [...]

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An American Evening

August 9, 2007

An American Evening features three aspects of American music: a symphonic tribute to American culture by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak, a ballet for Martha Graham by Aaron Copland, and two colorful pieces by the dynamic, contemporary composer John Corigliano.
Works discussed:  Aaron Copland, Appalachian Spring; John Corigliano, Promenade Overture and To Music; Antonin Dvorak, Symphony No. [...]

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Rossini’s Petit Messe Solonnelle

May 18, 2007

What’s this program about?
Rossini, the master of bel canto opera, retired young, rich, and famous. Decades later, in old age and ill health, Rossini returned to composition and crafted a liturgical mass as his final work, a work both spiritual and theatrical, Petit Messe Solonnelle.
Works Discussed: Rossini’s Petit Messe Solonnelle
Where you can find:
Petit [...]

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The Essential Tchaikovsky

May 7, 2007

What’s this program about?
Tchaikovsky’s music holds a sacred place in Russian culture. Dmitri Shostakovich said, “Without Tchaikovsky we could not endure our sorrows.” Professor Carol examines his Fifth Symphony and considers his life, his personal struggles, and his professional successes.
Works Discussed: Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, Symphony No. 4, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Queen [...]

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Music of the American Spirit 2

April 28, 2007

What’s this program about?
Professor Carol discusses the history, customs, and geography of America that inspire our diverse choral music, from Colonial times to the present, emphasizing texts of John Stirling Walker and Eric Johns, tunebooks and hymnals, liturgy, folk song, and spirituals.
Works Discussed: Leonard Bernstein: Mass; Aaron Copland: The Tender Land; Randall Thompson: “Alleluia”; Choral [...]

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Music of the American Spirit

April 18, 2007

What’s this program about?
John Gibson’s choral work “Mockingbird Sings” utilizes Native American texts of the Yuma, Zuni, Laguna, and Apache tribes. The title refers to the individual charged with remembering events and traditions and his recounting of this oral history in songs and stories. In this interview, Gibson explains his approach to setting these unusual [...]

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