180 Days With Mozart And Me

A Survey Of The Philips Complete Mozart Edition…From Symphonies Through Theatre And Ballet Music

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Entries Tagged as 'Mozart’s Letters Mozart’s Life'

Of Classical Pianists and Shepherd Kings (Box 14, Middle Italian Operas)

May 7th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Agenore, Alessandro, Aminta, Angela Maria Blasi, Box 14: Middle Italian Operas, Briony Shaw, Castrato (definition), Chico Marx, Claes H Ahnsjo, Elisa, Il re pastore, Ingrid Fliter, Iris Vermillion, Jerry Hadley, John Constable, K208, K208 (Part I), Maynard Solomon, Mozart at 19, Mozart's Letters Mozart's Life, Mozart: A Life, Robert Spaethling, Salzburg (Spring 1775), Shoot piano keys, Sir Neville Marriner, Sylvia McNair, Tamiri, Tommaso Consoli

Famed Classical pianist Ingrid Fliter was in town last night. She performed at St. Cecilia Music Center. She was terrific, very technically proficient. Her choices showcased her talent well: Bach, Beethoven, and Schumann. I wasn’t particularly moved, though. I don’t know why. The concert seemed to lack magic. Maybe it was me. Or the sparse […]

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Of Dedication and Diversion (Violin Sonatas, String Duos & Trios, Box 8)

March 4th, 2010 · No Comments · Arrigo Pelliccia, Arthur Grumiaux, Box 8: Violin Sonatas String Duos & Trios, Divertimento (String Trio) in E flat, Duo for Violin & Viola in B flat, Duo for Violin & Viola in G, Eva Czako, Georges Janzer, Grumiaux Trio, K423, K424, K563, Michael Puchberg, Mozart at 27, Mozart at 32, Mozart's Letters Mozart's Life, Robert Spaethling, Salzburg (Summer 1783), Vienna (September 27 1788)

Once again, I’m listening to the very kind of music playing overhead in this restaurant. I don’t know if that means this Mozart stuff is akin to Muzak in an elevator. Or if it’s so gosh darn good that it’s now played everywhere an air of refinement and taste is needed. Doesn’t matter. I dig […]

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Of Oz Wizards and Prussia Kings (String Quartets, String Quintets, Box 7)

February 21st, 2010 · No Comments · Box 7: String Quartets String Quintets, K589 "Prussian No 2", K590 "Prussian No 3", King of Prussia, Mozart at 33, Mozart at 34, Mozart's Letters Mozart's Life, Prussian Quartets, Quartetto Italiano, Robert Spaethling, String Quartet No 22 in B flat "Prussia No 2", String Quartet No 23 in F "Prussia No 3", Vienna (January 1790), Vienna (June 1790)

My wife and I watched the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz today. She hates the film and thinks it’s creepy. My opinion isn’t that far behind hers. But I wanted to see what it looked like on Blu-ray on our 50,000:1 dynamic contrast TV. It looked amazing. And creepy. Today’s Mozart music was anything […]

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Of Tax Days and Hoffmeisters (String Quartets, String Quintets, Box 7)

February 20th, 2010 · No Comments · Box 7: String Quartets String Quintets, Hoffmeister (Franz Anton), International Music Score Library Project, K499, K575 "Prussian No 1", King of Prussia, Lerner-Loewe, Mozart at 30, Mozart at 33, Mozart's Letters Mozart's Life, My Fair Lady, Quartetto Italiano, Robert Spaethling, String Quartet No 20 in D "Hoffmeister", String Quartet No 21 in D, Vienna (June 1789), Vienna (Mid 1786)

Here in the States we have a yearly tradition known as Tax Day, April 15th. American citizens are required to file their income tax forms and pay their taxes by that date so our government can very quickly spend our money – and then some! – for various and sundry questionable projects. Granted, it’s not […]

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Of Screenplay Deadlines and gnagflow Trazom (String Quartets, String Quintets, Box 7)

February 15th, 2010 · No Comments · Box 7: String Quartets String Quintets, K159, K160, K168, K169, Milan (early 1773), Mozart at 17, Mozart's Letters Mozart's Life, Quartetto Italiano, Robert Spaethling, Screenwriting, Vienna (August 1773)

I’m a bit under the gun at the moment. I have to finish editing a screenplay by day’s end. So I won’t put forth too many comments. I’ll just listen to the music while I edit, and comment later. I will type the following, though. I couldn’t resist. From the extraordinary book Mozart’s Letters, Mozart’s […]

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Of Sullivan’s Travels and Mozart’s Journeys (Piano Concertos, Box 4)

January 20th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Alfred Brendel, Box 4: Piano Concertos, Jeunehomme (translated), Joel McCrae, K271, K386, K414, Maynard Solomon, Mozart at 21, Mozart at 22, Mozart at 26, Mozart's Letters Mozart's Life, Mozart: A Life, Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat "Jeunehomme", Preston Sturges, Robert Spaethling, Rondo in A, Sir Neville Marriner, Sullivan's Travels, Veronica Lake

We saw a terrific movie last night, Sullivan’s Travels, the 1941 classic starring Joel McCrae and Veronica Lake. This film was a first for me. It was the first Preston Sturges (writer and director) movie I’ve seen, the first Veronica Lake movie I’ve seen, and the first Joel McCrae movie I’ve seen. I was surprised […]

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