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An Instant Cure for Holiday-Induced Stress
No matter how high the stress level gets for me during the holiday season, there’s one piece of music that never fails to restore my sanity, if not my faith in humanity: the “Christmas Concerto” of the Italian Baroque composer Archangelo Corelli (1653-1713). Some of my favorite holiday memories are tied to this piece music. [...]
Continue reading...Music for a Day of Thanks
22. November 2010
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Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday for our melting-pot society. Its universal purpose to simply give thanks for our connection to other people and for whatever that you wish to be thankful for crosses easily all cultural and religious boundaries. Its focus on hearth and home, family and friends also makes it [...]
Continue reading...Viva La España – Fútbol y la musica!
12. July 2010
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So, you’re probably already suffering from World Cup withdrawal — I know I am. But there’s a way to continue the buzz: celebrate Spain’s remarkable victory with the colorful, vibrant music of the country’s greatest composers (as well as a classic by a Frenchman who, in Spain, found the inspiration for one of his greatest masterpieces). Joaquín [...]
Continue reading...Patriotic Pick-Me Up
2. July 2010
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Let’s face it — America is having a tough time these days. Unemployment hovers near 10%; the deficit soars; leaders refuse to act like adults and won’t put the country’s interests ahead of petty politics; young Americans slog their way through two wars in far away places; and there’s that big oil spill that continues [...]
Continue reading...Protesting the G20 summit? Why not bring along some of the world’s greatest protest music?
29. June 2010
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As much as iconic folk and rock musicians like Pete Seeger, Jimi Hendrix , Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Neil Young, Bob Marley, Pearl Jam and many others did to advance music as a means to foment and focus popular dissent, rock musicians of the 1960s did not invent protest music. We will never know who [...]
Continue reading...“A Summer Morning Dream”: Mahler’s Third Symphony
18. June 2010
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It was almost 25 years ago to the day that I first heard Mahler’s Third Symphony. I was walking around the hills behind the Stanford University campus at sunset, listening to the piece on my Sony Walkman, and when the huge, glowing chords that bring the work to a close stopped ringing in my ears I [...]
Continue reading...20 (PLUS) Questions with Choreographer and New York City Baller Master-in-Chief Peter Martins
3. June 2010
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Born in Denmark, Peter Martins began his association with New York City Ballet in 1967, when he was invited to dance the title role in George Balanchine’s Apollo during the Company’s appearance at the Edinburgh Festival. He then performed as a guest artist with NYCB for three years before joining the Company as a Principal [...]
Continue reading...Ecstatic Meditation: Brahms, take me away!
2. April 2010
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Listening to great music is often described as a religious experience. Why not take your listening to the next level and make it a real meditation? Whether you believe in a spiritual component, the practice of meditation is universally accepted as a great thing for body, mind and soul. The object of any meditation practice is [...]
Continue reading...20 Questions with….Diana Damrau
23. February 2010
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The German soprano Diana Damrau loves the German metal band Whitesnake and riding horses.
Continue reading...Supersize It!
5. February 2010
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Thinking back to the most recent summer Olympics, which were held in Beijing, China, my memories of the elaborate opening ceremonies are almost as strong as my memories of Michael Phelps winning his many gold medals. A friend of mine was so impressed with what he saw on opening night of the Olympics that when [...]
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6. December 2010
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