Aweigh in A Major
A composer's thoughts about music and musiciansWord extensions…. Who needs ‘em?
“Our engraver had a strong opinion against word extensions.” ach musical family has its own technical language. A slur is a universal and effective symbol, but slurs mean different things to different families. To a string player, a slur...
“I needed to hear someone singing tonight”
Listening to Anna Tivel don't remember how I discovered the songs of the Portland-based folk-singer Anna Tivel. It was probably through Folk Alley, an internet radio station that keeps me company while I’m doing computer work. I admired...
Addio Argento
One month ago, on February 20, 2019, we lost master composer Dominick Argento. The affection I felt for the man and the respect I had for his art can’t be neatly summarized, but here is an appreciation adapted from words at a concert of his music at Hill House in...
Remembering Poet Donald Hall
I had been thinking about Donald Hall, wondering how he was getting on. That usually means: pay attention. Twenty years ago, I wrote a song cycle for soprano and piano based on Hall’s baseball writings. In the Country of Baseball, a title I borrowed from one of...
Young Man with a Cross
In two recent and marvelous Schubert Club International Artist Series recitals with harpsichordist Richard Egarr, cellist Steven Isserlis played Bach’s 5th Cello Suite, BWV 1011. That work includes a singular sarabande, shown here in in Anna Magdalena Bach's hand:...
Get In Touch
Leave your name and email below, with what you are looking for in the message box. Or call me at 612-870-3747.
