The recent death of Phil Everly reminds us of the artistic legacy the Everly Brothers left behind. Don and Phil were born in 1937 and 1939 respectively, to a musical family with working-class roots. Their father, Ike, was a coalminer in Kentucky who dreamed of providing for his family through . . . . Continue Reading »
Caroline Webber reviews Alisa Solomon’s Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof in the NYTBR . You thought it was just a musical? Think again. Solomon’s book “explores not only the making of the musical, but also the way the show reflects evolving Jewish . . . . Continue Reading »
John Tavener died last week. The Economist , which has the best obit page in journalism, described Tavener’s prodigious talent, then got to the heart of the composer: “Some would call this consummate talent, even genius. He saw it entirely differently. His music was a gift from God, . . . . Continue Reading »
I’m biased, of course, but I think this piece written by my son Smith is lovely. Encourage a teenage composer and take a listen. . . . . Continue Reading »
In the introduction to a collection of Gabriel Marcel’s writings on music ( Music And Philosophy ), the editors note that Marcel prefers aural to visual metaphors to express the experience of being in the world. They quote Marcel: “I am not a spectator who is looking for a world of . . . . Continue Reading »
Roger Scruton ( Understanding Music: Philosophy and Interpretation ) finds Wittgenstein’s effort to link recognition of facial expression with musical understanding useful, but doesn’t think Wittgenstein’s use of the analogy finally satisfying. Scruton writes, “comparison of . . . . Continue Reading »
Joanne Lipman tries to explain the connection between musical training and success . Several particulars stand out. Lipman writes, “many high achievers told me music opened up the pathways to creative thinking. And their experiences suggest that music training sharpens other qualities: . . . . Continue Reading »
The ancient Pythagorean notion of a musical universe sounds quaint today, but it was still very much a live option during the era of the scientific revolution. David Plant explains how Kepler’s laws of planetary corresponded to the intervals of music: “Kepler’s First Law states . . . . Continue Reading »
Michael Lefebvre’s Singing the Songs of Jesus: Revisiting the Psalms is a solid, remarkably in-depth defense of Psalm-singing. He roots the study in an examination of the organization of the Levitical choir in Chronicles, and the king’s role as the lay liturgical leader “under . . . . Continue Reading »
One of Handel’s go-to techniques was “madrigalism,” which took its name from its use in Renaissance madrigals. Calvin Stapert defines madrigalism as “imitation of a word or phrase by the music - for example, an ascending scale on the word ‘climb,’ fast notes on . . . . Continue Reading »
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