Beautiful Music

Quiet contemplation, reflection, meditation … Heinrich Biber’s Mystery Sonatas were meant to accompany the recitation of rosary prayers. This is a lovely performance by multi-talented Russian musician Dmitry Sinkovsky, who is a virtuoso violinist, an accomplished singer (countertenor) and a conductor. He has some equally outstanding collaborators in Luca Pianca (archlute, ceterone), Olga Watts (organ, […]

Since April is National Humor Month — and since we can ALL use a little humor in our lives — today I’m offering Beautiful HUMOROUS Music in Difficult times! Despite those serious, unsmiling portraits of baroque era composers, wearing powdered wigs and dark clothing, they could be funny clever and mischievous in their compositions. 17th

Today’s Beautiful Music in Difficult Times is a gift from Abendmusik, New York’s Period Instrument String Band.  This group of top musicians plays 17th century music you may not have heard, by composers whose names may be new to you. These early instruments have a unique sonority and intimacy, and the music shows it off

Beautiful music, indeed! Gregorio Allegri’s MISERERE is so extraordinary and so exquisite that it inspired an interesting legend. SPOILER ALERT: Written in the 1630s, Allegri’s MISERERE was only supposed to be performed in the Vatican, which didn’t allow it to be performed anywhere else, and didn’t allow the music outside the Sistine Chapel. As the

For today’s offering of Beautiful Music in Difficult Times, flutist Emmanuel Pahud plays Sonatas by Johann Sebastian Bach. These are lovely Sonatas played beautifully. The performance is a blend of old and new instruments: Pahud plays a modern, gold flute made especially for him. His collaborators are Trevor Pinnock playing harpsichord and Jonathan Manson playing

Since April is International Guitar Month, I am sharing a performance by legendary guitarist Andres Segovia of music from the baroque era. The Spanish musician helped plant the seeds for the popularity of classical guitar today, both because of his own masterful artistry as a player and teacher, and because of his many transcriptions that

Who better than virtuoso violinist Giuliano Carmignola and Venice Baroque Orchestra to present virtuosic violin music by Venetian baroque violinist and composer Antonio Vivaldi?? Today’s installment of Beautiful Music in Difficult Times features some of Italy’s finest musicians. Il Signor Carmignola was born in Treviso, and educated at Venice Conservatory. This performance a tribute to

Something silly today for April Fool’s Day! The plot of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s comic opera Platée involves a trick played on a ghastly sea nymph who thinks Jupiter is in love with her.  The plot and the staging are silly and strange, and unlike what you probably think when you hear the word “opera.” I hope

For today’s offering of Beautiful Music in Difficult Times, please meet Elizabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre. She was a child prodigy who impressed France’s King Louis, and grew up to have a successful career as a musician. This is her tragic opera CEPHALE ET PROCRIS, which debuted in 1773 at the Palace of Versailles.  

Today I’m sharing something especially fun! Georg Philipp Telemann was a much more talented and clever composer than he gets credit for being. His Canonic Sonatas are great examples of Telemann’s genius. They are simple, yet brilliant. First: what is a “canon”? Well probably the most familiar example of a Canon is “Row, Row, Row