Tag: Mozart

Yo-Yo Ma Plays Mozart With Afghan Refugees in Portugal

LISBON, Portugal—Celebrated U.S. cellist Yo-Yo Ma joined refugees from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in the Portuguese capital Lisbon on Tuesday for a performance of Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik. Ma joined young Afghan and Portuguese musicians on a small stage at the National Conservatory, where the refugees who arrived last December are studying. “The…


Italian Inspirations

This film is only available in the US because of territorial licensing. Georg Friedrich Handel (1685-1759) 1. Solomon: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba 2. Joshua: Air “O had I Jubal’s lyre” 3. The Messiah: “Rejoice” 4. Concerto grosso, Op. 6 No. 10: excerpt 5. Giulio Cesare: Air “Piangeró la sort mia” 6. Giulio Cesare:…


Beethoven: Sacramental Symphonies

I am actually still shaking. I just listened to Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony”—again—and it is simply apocalyptic! The fantastical, audacious bombast elicits an almost nervous laughter. It is thrilling and enthralling, truly and utterly stunning—the signature work of a singular man, a man with visionary clarity and absolutely zero time for ambiguity. That man is Ludwig…


Ancient Tales of Wisdom: A Glimpse of Mozart

Ancient tales of wisdom remind us of the traditions and moral values that have been treasured all over the world. We hope the stories and messages in our Tales of Wisdom series help uplift the hearts and minds of our readers. This retold tale, “A Glimpse of Mozart,” is one of many audio stories from…


Mozart’s Unacknowledged Triptych of Symphonies

In the summer of 1788, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed three four-movement symphonies in the space of two months. Given the composer’s situation at the time, a financial condition best described as debt-ridden, one would assume he had been handsomely commissioned to spend precious weeks laboring over lengthy, complex scores. That assumption would be wrong. No…