This live 1958 performance of Mahler's Eighth by Jascha Horenstein and an army of musicians and choristers mustered by the BBC is probably the greatest Mahler performance on record. But the reason I am posting it is that, staggeringly, not only had Horenstein himself never performed it before, none of the musicians apparently knew it at all! The ( Read more... )

...pay attention. Eugene Concert Choir will perform the Bruckner E Minor Mass at Carnegie Hall, Isaac Stern Auditorium on Sunday, March 31st at 8 pm. My friend tekalynn says: "This is a first for us, and we are excited. I can't be there myself, but I'm crossing my fingers for a great performance."

Before World War One was won, there was a long and grim period during which Germans and Austrians, having destroyed Russia, threw everything they had against Italy, France and Britain, hoping to destroy them in turn. After a catastrophic defeat on the river Isonzo, called the battle of Caporetto, the remains of the Italian Army retreated to the ( Read more... )

At least, I see her as a friend. Congratulations to the beautiful, learned and brave helixaspersa!

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For those who don't follow English football: ten years ago, the small South London team Wimbledon FC, a.k.a. "the Dons", suffered from a Dodgers-type deal. Its Norwegian owners, who bought it during a period of amazing success capped by the unlikeliest FA Cup win in the history of the game, had been deliberately running it into the ground, and ( Read more... )

As a rule, I don't have much time for those artists who remained in countries ruled by criminal tyrannies and made their peace with their usurping governments. But in the case of Zoltan Kodaly, Hungarian composer and educator, I shall make an exception. An anecdote from The New York Times, 4 November 1961:

Mr. Kodaly was recently invited by the ( Read more... )

For anyone who loves classical music (except Norman Lebrecht), this is by a professional player in a minor American band, who, unlike many of his fellow professional musicians, has not been embittered and has not forgotten why he got into music in the first place. An enthusiast about music and a pleasant, amusing personality, not afraid of ( Read more... )

...or can there?

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A duet for the centuries.

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...that was to be come Avenging and Bright in a few years. Listen and enjoy:

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