Mozart Piano Concerto in D Minor, K. 466
H.C. Robbins Landon, the great musicologist, once wrote about Mozart that his music was "an excuse for mankind's existence and a small hope for our ultimate survival." I couldn't agree more, especiall...
24 Touko 202448min
What is a Mode?
My first interaction with the musical term modes was Leonard Bernstein's brilliant Young People's Concert, also called What is a Mode? In that show, Bernstein showed how modes are an essential part of...
9 Touko 202444min
Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1
In 1857, Brahms wrote to his friend Joseph Joachim about his first Piano Concerto, saying, " "I have no judgment about this piece anymore, nor any control over it." Brahms first began sketching his f...
25 Huhti 20241h 3min
Fast, Furious, Fortissimo
Very often, when I tell people that I'm a classical musician, I am told, "wow, I love classical music! It's so relaxing!" I think almost all classical musicians have heard that before, and you know wh...
12 Huhti 202446min
Copland Symphony No. 3
There has always been a debate about "The Great American Symphony." By the time most prominent American composers got around to writing large scale symphonic works, the symphony had very nearly gone o...
28 Maalis 20241h 1min
An Exploration of Klezmer Music w/ Abigale Reisman
Klezmer music has always been very close to my heart, even as a classical violinist. During the pandemic I attempted to learn Klezmer clarinet, and soon I began collaborating with the great Klezmer(an...
14 Maalis 202456min
Schumann Symphony No. 3, "Rhenish"
In 1850, Robert Schumann accepted a position as the new Music Director in Dusseldorf. This job had a lot of responsibilities, including conducting the city orchestra. Schumann, along with his wife, th...
29 Helmi 202454min
Beethoven String Quartet, Op. 59, No. 1
In 1806, the 36 year old Beethoven received a commission from the Russian ambassador in Vienna, Count Andreas Razumovsky. Razumovsky wanted a set of string quartets for what would soon be his house st...
15 Helmi 202458min
