Sunlight on the Marble, Or Viva Martinů!

The wonderful piano music of Martinů

The tourist brochure in Policka, Moravia (Bohuslav Martinů’s home town), is called “Sunlight on the Marble.” The marble being, the marble on Martinů’s tombstone.

This phrase is peculiarly apt for describing the markedly sunny (yet substantial) style of Martinů.

Click to read more ...

How to Write Irrelevant Criticism, Or Another Look at Bartok's Second Piano Concerto

John GibbonsThis is what you do:

• Be angry, because a piece is too hard for you.
• Be annoyed, because a piece reminds you of Stravisnky (and you’ve decided You’re Just Not That Into Stravinsky).
• Listen to a much better piece immediately before the piece you’re going to criticize.
• Drink some fine Belgian beers, immediately before making criticisms.
• Associate the musical “isms” in the piece with political “isms” that followed in the next decade, creating the Second World War.
• Focus on irrelevant aspects of a piece’s structure.
• Be preparing equally accomplished, and more charming, Martinu piano concertos for that very week’s classes.

Click to read more ...

Musical Anniversary: A Florentine Tragedy

On this date in 1917, Alexander Zemlinsky’s Eine florentinische Tragödie (A Florentine Tragedy) was premiered in Stuttgart. It is the first of two operas that Zemlinsky (1871-1942) based upon the works of Oscar Wilde. Der Zwerk (The Dwarf) followed in 1922.

Click to read more ...