I remember Vladimir Horowitz playing the Schumann Dichterliebe with Fischer-Dieskau (from memory) at Carnegie Hall. It was pretty wonderful, if unusual. Here is the same inimitable Fischer-Dieskau with another famous pianists, the great Sviatislav Richter. Who know Richter could play Schubert so sensitively?
Read Morefrom Michael Barrett: I earlier wrote about David Del Tredici’s Final Alice, his Pulitzer Prize winning salvo of tonality in an age of atonality. It is a remarkable work. I love all of David’s big symphonic Alice pieces. They are full of fantasy, wonder and beauty. Here is the Acrostic Song from Final Alice sung […]
Read Morefrom Michael Barrett: Jeff Myers was also featured by David T. Little on the NYFOS Next February 4th concert. The “next” NYFOS Next is tonight, curated by Richard Danielpour and Susan Botti, faculty at the Manhattan School of Music. We will be playing their music as well as the music of their students. You can […]
Read Morefrom Michael Barrett: On Feb. 4, at NYFOS Next, composer Ted Hearne was on hand to sing two of his songs, “Intimacy and Resistance” and “Protection”. These songs have popular “easy rock” qualities on the surface. Their root position chords and steady pulse set you up for what you think will be a beautiful pop […]
Read Morefrom Michael Barrett: Featured on the NYFOS Next Feb. 4 program curated by David T. Little was the music of Kate Soper. David introduced me to Kate’s work, for which I am grateful. OK, she is still pretty young, so I forgive my own ignorance. She performed two excerpts from her full-evening work “Here […]
Read Morefrom NYFOS’s own Michael Barrett: We have just had our first 2016 NYFOS Next concert at Opera America. The next two are Feb. 11 and Feb. 18. On Feb. 4, David T. Little curated a wonderful program that, along with excerpts from his brand new opera JFK (premiering Ft. Worth Opera this April), featured works by […]
Read Morefrom Michael Barrett: For my final choice of this week’s survey of the Negro Spiritual, I have a selection of six from the amazing Shirley Verrett in live concert from the 1960s. Ms. Verrett was a vocal force and a major Met opera star. I had the good fortune to work with her in the […]
Read Morefrom Michael Barrett: Today’s song is “Let Us Break Bread Together” sung by Jessye Norman, with beautifully orchestrated accompaniment. Antonin Dvorak was an early champion of the negro spiritual during his stay in New York (and Iowa) in the early 20th century. He encouraged his black students to draw upon this music, extolling it for its […]
Read Morefrom Michael Barrett: In our brief survey of the Negro Spiritual this week, we’ve heard from Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson. Let’s hear now from Robert McFerrin Sr. from 1957. Yes, this is Bobby McFerrin’s Dad. Two years before this recording Mr. McFerrin became the first black man to sing at the Met. Listening to […]
Read MoreToday’s Song of the Day features Mahalia Jackson and Nat King Cole in Steal Away. The lyrics are “Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus. Steal away, steal away home. I ain’t got long to stay here.” Again, it is code for an escape to freedom. This recording from 1957 is a good reminder of how […]
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