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Recommended by European Mozart Ways
Author Archives: David Nelson
The Story of Silent Night: Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber
The world’s most beloved Christmas Carol, Silent Night, comes from the small Austrian village of Oberndorf, just north of Salzburg. On Christmas Eve, 1818, the congregation of St. Nicholas Church heard the first performance of this wonderful music. Since then, … Continue reading
Posted in Classical Music and Performers, Salzburg's Musical History
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Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and its problematic first performance
When a piece of music is considered a masterpiece, it frequently receives numerous performances by well-rehearsed orchestras in the world’s finest concert halls. But what is often true is that these great works started their musical lives in less than … Continue reading
Posted in Classical Music and Performers, Greensboro Symphony Classical Concerts, Vienna's Musical History
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Beethoven’s Leonore and Fidelio Overtures
Beethoven wrote many overtures. Some were as stand-alone pieces, some were as incidental music, and several were for the various versions of his one opera. One overture for Leonore (later Fidelio) was not enough, and whenever he modified the opera, … Continue reading
Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony
Manfred is a dramatic poem written by Lord Byron in 1816-17. It tells the story of the supernatural Manfred who was tortured by guilt, defies redemption, and later commits suicide. Tchaikovsky knew the story and set it to music in … Continue reading
Michael Jackson with his family at the White House, a newly released photo
Newly found pictures of Michael Jackson are rare these days. At the height of the Jackson’s popularity in the 1970’s, the entire Jackson family and band were to meet with President Gerald Ford in the White House. Unfortunately an emergency … Continue reading
Take Our Pops Quiz
For the recent Symphonic Pops concert by the Greensboro Symphony, I wrote this little quiz on the music to be performed. The answers are at the end. Have fun! 1. What Year was “Jailhouse Rock” released? a.1955 b.1957 c. 1959 … Continue reading
Victor Vanacore and the Symphonic Pops
Victor Vanacore has made a career of arranging and conducting the best known pop and rock hits. When he leads the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra in the upcoming Rock at the Pops Concert, it will be an evening of Elvis Presley, … Continue reading
A Stradivari Violin Comes to Greensboro
Violins by Stradivari are known as some of the finest instruments in the world. Seeing and hearing one played in person is a rare event, often associated with major museums and big cities like New York, Paris, and London. But … Continue reading
Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto
One of the best-known works in the string repertoire is Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. This piece has received thousands of performances worldwide since its first performance in 1881 and has been recorded hundreds of times. But what few people know is … Continue reading
Haydn, Symphony No. 45, “Farewell”
Sometimes pieces of music are meant to entertain an audience. Sometimes they are meant to celebrate an occasion or welcome dignitaries to an event. Sometimes music is written just to get people’s attention. And sometimes a piece of music is … Continue reading