Christopher Columbus still is honored for “discovering” America, even though it is widely known that he actually did not make this discovery. And comparatively little is known of the men who actually paved the way for his adventures. Or about the man for whom the New World was named, Amerigo Vespucci.
James MacMillan is among today’s most important composers. A devoted Catholic, he also has been outspoken is stressing the continuing importance of religious values, which have inspired much of his music.
I am writing on Christmas Day, when the world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Yet my thoughts have turned to His death and resurrection. Specifically to the Resurrection Symphony of Gustav Mahler. Mahler did not write specifically about Jesus’ resurrection but this music makes that connection almost inevitable.
Marcus Aurelius was one of history’s true philosopher-kings. A man who ruled over the Roman Empire yet also was an original thinker and a student of philosophy. In fact, it might be said that he is remembered today more for his writings than his life. His Meditations remain widely read, and are filled with unique […]
The other day, I was watching the opening sequence of The Return of the Pink Panther, as the famous pink panther diamond is being stolen. As so often happens, my focus shifted to the music. And I was reminded of the uniqueness of this score (and this sound). How it could not have been composed […]
I wondered what the kids in Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom thought. It was 1968 (I think) and most of them probably had come to hear the Who. Or the second act on the bill, Joe Cocker. But I had come for the opening act. Buddy Rich and his band. Almost forty years later, the impact of […]