On the Issue of Cell Phones in Concert Halls…Lessons from New York

Posted on by brianlauritzen

I was in the cello section of an orchestra the first time I heard Mahler’s 9th Symphony. As our rehearsal wound down, the symphony’s closing moments had me in tears. Mahler’s 9th is an emotional portrait of a composer struggling with his own mortality. It begins with what Leonard Bernstein said is a sonic representation … Continue reading On the Issue of Cell Phones in Concert Halls…Lessons from New York

The Worst Classical Album Covers Of All Time. Ever. Really. (part 2)

Posted on by brianlauritzen

Last week I shared with you a few of my favorite terrible album covers and I promised you more. Assuming you have sufficiently recovered from the first batch, let’s dive into part two. Appropriate album cover or the stuff of nightmares? Liszt Concertos … field of wheat. I get it. (I don’t) Maybe the photo … Continue reading The Worst Classical Album Covers Of All Time. Ever. Really. (part 2)

The Worst Classical Album Covers of All Time. Ever. Really. (part 1)

Posted on by brianlauritzen

Recently I received a copy of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s latest CD, The Greatest Video Game Music, in the mail. The cover art features a soldier in full military garb playing a flaming cello against the backdrop of a vast war-torn wasteland. The inside photo is equally disturbing. This got us thinking. There are plenty … Continue reading The Worst Classical Album Covers of All Time. Ever. Really. (part 1)

Night on Beard Mountain

Posted on by brianlauritzen

If you’re like me, when you think of classical composers who have great beards you think first of Johannes Brahms.  It certainly is legendary, both for its bushiness and its artful presentation.  But a great number of composers have sported abundant facial hair at one time or another…and I think it’s time for some awards.Most … Continue reading Night on Beard Mountain