Sing Theory
Friday, December 11, 2009
I love the way radio brings music directly to the listener. Gigantic symphonies can become an intimate experience; a full opera is staged in the imagination of each listener; great performers play for you as you sit comfortably at home or in your car. It's a beautiful way to experience music, but it's not a substitute for attending a live performance. The experience of the living, breathing moment music is made, in the presence of the musicians and other listeners, adds another dimension altogether.
Queue the Audience?
Friday, December 11, 2009
There is a disturbing new trend on Broadway--and I’m not talking about turning movies into shows or juke box musicals.
Eight Days of Steve: Nico Muhly
Friday, December 11, 2009
Writing about Steve Reich’s music feels like writing about a family member or a childhood friend: There are too many stories and too many strange intimacies to really create a coherent narrative. I first discovered Reich as a teenager; I’m pretty sure Music for 18 Musicians was the first album I bought, and then I got deep into it very quickly.
Eight Days of Steve: Evan Ziporyn
Thursday, December 10, 2009
I'm not a first -- or even second -- generation Reichian: I was still in grade school in the late '60s when the Bob, Russ, etc. were taking the bus down from Wesleyan to rehearse what became Drumming in Steve's loft. He entered my consciousness my freshman year of high school, when Betty Jacobsen -- a hip, elderly "Materials of Music" teacher -- tore our heads open with It's Gonna Rain.
Eight Days of Steve: Lee Ranaldo
Thursday, December 10, 2009
-200.jpg "David Lang")
Eight Days of Steve: David Lang
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tributes from Colleagues and Friends
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sacred Moments
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
The holiday season is in full swing, and many of the upcoming holidays are steeped in tradition - religious and cultural.
Show Stopper
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
A few days ago while cleaning my apartment and listening to the radio, a piece of music came on that immediately caught my full attention.
Extravagant Stories
Monday, November 30, 2009
Rock, Bach and Bees
Monday, November 23, 2009
This past month, I’ve been involved in a particularly lovely version of my freelance life, working on some fantastic projects all over the world.
Mode Records Benefit
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Mode Records is a label based here in New York City, and for over 25 years they've recorded and presented modern classical, avant-garde, and new music.
To Applaud or Not to Applaud?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Recently President Obama brought classical music to the White House. His only problem: he claimed not to know when to applaud.
When in Rouen
Monday, November 16, 2009
Your First Classical Concert in New York
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Well this is my first blog entry on WQXR.org. And I want to hear from you.
Music of November
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
For many of us November is the beginning of a long, festive and reflective holiday season. As for me..
Son of a Mad Man
Saturday, November 07, 2009
As the first half of the final season of "Mad Men" debuts tonight on AMC, we revisit a remembrance by host David Garland of his own "Mad Men"-esque childhood.
