music

September 11, 2011

Searching for meaning on an inauspicious day

The tenth anniversary of September 11 dawned cloudy in the Bay Area. In San Francisco thousands were lured to Sharon Meadows in Golden Gate Park by an offer of free opera, spreading blankets and hauling picnic baskets and wine. By two in the afternoon the last shreds of fog had burned off, giving a somber occasion a sunny patina. Undampened by speeches from a long roster of public figures, the public milled about until the San Francisco...

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August 20, 2011

Melos Music Festival in San Francisco

  Catching the wave: The next generation of contemporary composers. Ten young and audacious composers gathered in San Francisco on Friday, August 20, at the Community Music Center to hold the second annual Melos Music concert of original works. The composers, many of whom are also electro-acoustic, have loosely organized as “Melos” to publish and publicize their music. Last year’s...

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July 26, 2011

Discovering Brahms in Menlo Park

  Creating the context… Johannes Brahms is often named as one of music’s gifted “three B’s.” But his musical genius was not isolated. It was stoked by Bach’s gift for counterpoint, Haydn’s wit, Mozart’s breathtaking lyricism, Beethoven’s daring and power, and Robert and Clara Schumann’s romantic intensity, along with a host of others. And...

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Categories: music