One of my favorite quotes

“It is my belief that music is great if, at some moment, the listener catches ‘a glimpse of eternity through the window of time’… This, to my mind, is the only true justification for art. All else is of secondary importance.”

- Einojuhani Rautavaara

Einojuhani, Rautavaara (b. 1928)I so appreciate this statement by Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, and thought it worth sharing. At the deepest level, my interest in music is ultimately rather narrow, and I think this statement by Rautavaara expresses it well.

July 28, 2007 | Filed Under Quotes | 3 Comments 

Paul Potts and the YouTube phenomenon

By now the story of Paul Potts, cell phone salesman turned singing star, is old news. Potts came to international attention earlier this summer when he appeared on the UK television show Britain’s Got Talent, singing the aria Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s opera Turandot. Whether you’re into TV shows of this sort or not, the Paul Potts story as illustrated in the following YouTube video, is touching. Here’s the video: (A brief word of warning first. For whatever reason, when I was first introduced to this video, my instinctive reaction was to size up Potts’ voice and put it in its place among professional opera singers I’ve been exposed to. I would advise against that. It’s a good voice to be sure, but you’ll probably enjoy this story most if you simply appreciate it for what it is and who it is about, namely a rare overlapping of popular culture and classical music, and the discovery of a fine talent possessed by an endearingly humble person.)

Now, here’s another part of the Paul Potts expose that I find intriguing - As of today, July 23–a mere 43 days after it was posted to TouTube.com–this video has been viewed 7,847,601 times! [UPDATE: AS OF 11/6/08 - OVER 36 MILLION VIEWINGS!] How utterly fascinating. To put this in perspective, consider how many life-long, legendary opera singers have graced stages and record labels around the world who will never attain such widespread recognition. Read more

July 23, 2007 | Filed Under Culture, Videos | 2 Comments 

Lesser known works of sacred music

Classical music, like any other discipline or industry, has its war horses—those musical works performed and recorded most often, works which are frequently referenced (at least in conversation amongst musicians) with a rather assuming tone of familiarity. Talk repertoire with a member of any professional orchestra, and you’re likely to hear nicknames like “Beethoven 9″, “Tchaik 6″, “Scheherazade”, “Don Juan” or (this one’s especially fun) “the Rach-Pag”, slang for Rachmoninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The same holds true for the sub-genre of sacred music. Veteran members of the choral community have sung “The Messiah” dozens of times. And then there’s Elijah, the Brahms, Verdi, Mozart, and Faure Requiems, Missa Solemnis, “The War Requiem” and the list goes on. It’s only natural; these works make up the core of a cannon that, deservedly, gets repeated exposure year after year. But what about the “B” list of sacred works? Read more

July 14, 2007 | Filed Under Lesser known musical works | 8 Comments 

Pictures from Los Angeles

Earlier this year, I traveled to Los Angeles to attend the premiere performance of Christopher Rouse’s Requiem, the largest work Soli Deo Gloria has commissioned to date. While in L.A., I had the privilege of interviewing the composer for SDG. Video excerpts of our discussion are posted on the SDG news blog.

In addition to spending time with Chris Rouse, it was also a treat for me to meet several other renown musicians in attendance at the performance in Walt Disney Hall. Here are a few photos:

On the right - composer John Williams
On the right - composer John Williams

On the left - baritone Stanford Sylvan
On the left - baritone Stanford Sylvan

On the right - composer Christopher Rouse
On the right - composer Christopher Rouse

On the left - composer Stephen Stucky
On the left - composer Stephen Stucky

Walt Disney Concert Hall
Walt Disney Concert Hall

July 12, 2007 | Filed Under Photos | Leave a Comment 

Bobby McFerrin sings Bach/Gounod

I highly recommend the following YouTube video of singer Bobby McFerrin performing the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria, which I was recently referred to by Aimee Milburn’s blog. What a tremendous talent Mr. McFerrin is! (And three cheers for J. S. Bach and Charles-François Gounod)

July 11, 2007 | Filed Under Recommendations, Videos | Leave a Comment