On the 100th anniversary of what Leonard Bernstein called the most important piece of music in the 20th century, here are a few of my favorite adaptations of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.
Remixing the Rite
It’s not every day that electronic music DJs dabble in the classical music realm…but often, when they do, the results are less than thrilling. Okay…Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won an Oscar for that last one—a remix of In the Hall of the Mountain King, from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt. "There's this increasing wave in … Continue reading Remixing the Rite
Arrested Development & Recapitulation
First of all, credit where credit is due: my puntastic colleague at KUSC, @JamiePaisley, created this, and many other, TV ad posters during our recent pledge drive. As a rabid fan of Arrested Development, this one was my favorite. And it got me thinking: what if the cast of AD were made up of classical … Continue reading Arrested Development & Recapitulation
Wagner, According to His Critics
"One can't judge Wagner's opera 'Lohengrin' after a first hearing, and I certainly don't intend hearing it a second time." -Gioacchino Rossini “Wagner’s music is better than it sounds.” -Edgar Wilson Nye, quoted in Mark Twain's autobiography "[The Prelude to Tristan und Isolde] reminds one of the old Italian painting of a martyr whose intestines … Continue reading Wagner, According to His Critics
Happy 200th, Richard Wagner
"I write music with an exclamation point!" -Richard Wagner There's no middle ground on Richard Wagner. You either love him or hate him. Correction: there is a kind of middle ground that most people, including me, dwell in. To oversimplify, it is this: love the art; hate the artist. Wagner was a despicable man. He … Continue reading Happy 200th, Richard Wagner
Brian Lauritzen 