Remembering J. S. BachCarl Philip Emanuel Bach recalled his father’s (Johann Sebastian) talents as a musician: The exact tuning of his own instruments, and of the whole orchestra, had his greatest attention. No one could tune and quill his instruments to his satisfaction; he did it all himself. The positioning of an orchestra he understood perfectly. He made good use of […]
Water musicA common theme in the music of French composers at pre world war I was water. Debussy wrote En bateau (On the Boat), Sirenes (Sirens), Reflets dans l’eau (Reflections in the Water), Voiles (Sails), and La Cathedrale engloutie (The Engulfed Cathedral). Ravel wrote Jeux d’Eau (The Water Fountain), and Ondine. So striking a peculiarity of […]
Can you teach resourcefulnessYoung musicians will need resourcefulness to make their way in the world. Music “jobs” in the future are likely to be less attached to institutions (many of which are troubled in one way or another), entrepreneurial, and varied beyond a straight performance career to include all manner of teaching, coaching, and work we could loosely […]
Concentrate on the performanceDaniel Saidenberg ws the first cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski. He recalled: Stoki’s ability to exert disciplines was occasionally matched by a sense of humor. After a concert at which I had played the Saint-Saëns A-minor Concerto, one of my buddies said, “Watch your step, Danny. All through the second movement, […]
The art of playing the triangleGeorge Plimpton, a writer and sportsman, asked if he could play in the New York Philharmonic for a month to write about the workings of an orchestra. Leonard Bernstein assigned him to the percussion section. The principal percussionist, Walter Rosenberg, recalled his experience: During rehearsals I would lean over and point to where we were […]
The Queen Stands at Your Right Hand – Psalm 64 (65)Title: The Queen Stands At Your Right Hand Text: Psalm 44 (45): 10-12. 16 Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: SATB and piano Product medium: PDF score and part Related products: – The Queen Stands At Your Right Hand – Piano solo (mp3 recording) – The Queen Stands At Your Right Hand – Piano (score) Sample:
Diderot on good music“Good music is very close to primitive language.” Denis Diderot (Elements of Physiology, 1875)
In Memory of Those in ParadiseTitle: In Memory of Those in Paradise Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: Cello and piano Product medium: PDF score SAMPLE:
Inspiration“Our happiness in this world depends on the affections we are able to inspire.” – Duchess Prazlin Cited at QuotationsBook
Unless the Lord has built the house – Psalm 126 (127)Title: Unless the Lord has built the house Text: Psalm 126 (127) Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: SATB Product medium: PDF score Sample: