The 10 Greatest Composers
At first, it seems like a pretty obvious idea – write down the list of the 10 greatest classical music composers. Anthony Tommasini, chief classical music critic for the New York Times, announced he...
View ArticleAre Contemporary Composers Just Spinning Their Musical Wheels?
As I was prepping my radio show this morning, I noticed a quote from Pierre Boulez about Claude Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. He said "the flute of the faun brought new breath to the...
View ArticleStar Music Manuscript Collection Faces Sale -- and Possible Departure From...
The Lehman Collection at the Morgan Library, a deposit of nearly 200 original music manuscripts that contains some of the greatest classical works of the 20th Century, is up for sale.Owner Robert Owen...
View ArticleThe Life and Music of Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy loved to experiment with new sounds. That got him into trouble when he was a student at the Paris Conservatory, but it turned out to be a good thing when he grew up. Inspired by...
View ArticleExploring the Children’s Corner Suite
Claude Debussy’s daughter Emma-Claude began taking piano lessons at the age of 3. Her proud father composed the Children's Corner as a present for her, even though it was much too hard for her to play...
View ArticleMusic Written for Children
A lot of classical music was written just for kids. Peter and the Wolf is just the beginning -- there are also pieces based on children's books, toys, games, and more.This week on Classics for Kids,...
View ArticleDebussy and the Piano: Part I
In this, the first of five installments of WQXR's special series, "Debussy and the Piano," David Dubal presents a vintage recording of Debussy playing from the Children’s Corner Suite, an explanation...
View ArticleDebussy and the Piano: Part II
In this, the second of five installments of WQXR's special series, "Debussy and the Piano," David Dubal explores Debussy’s piano music that deals with pictures of the natural world, and also reveals...
View ArticleWhere's the Love for Debussy?
The 150th anniversary of Claude Debussy’s birth on Wednesday is proving a bit more contentious than your average composer anniversary.Several major institutions that would normally never miss a big...
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You Decide Debussy's Birthday Music
All this week WQXR has been celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Claude Debussy, born on Aug. 22, 1862. For today's Showdown, we asked you to choose from one of his orchestral...
View ArticleDebussy and the Piano: Part III
In this, the third of five installments of WQXR's special series, "Debussy and the Piano," host David Dubal presents performances of Debussy’s piano music, and a comparative performance of “The Dance...
View ArticleConcert Artists Guild Celebrates 60th Anniversary
Following the Young Artists Showcase's two-part birthday party marking its 1,800th episode, this week's show marks a milestone for another organization. From a performance recorded last year, here is...
View ArticleDebussy and the Piano: Part V
For the final installment of WQXR's special series, "Debussy and the Piano," David Dubal takes a deep dive into the personal life of the composer during the period spent composing his greatest...
View ArticleSaturday Morning Cartoon: Debussy in 'Fantasia'
For this week’s Saturday Morning Cartoon we offer Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune from Suite bergmasque to continue this week’s celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth.This clip comes from the...
View ArticleThe French Harp Explored
The program for this week's Chamber Music Society features music by Caplet, Jongen and Debussy, and spotlights harpist Bridget Kibbey.Harps have been around for a long time, appearing in ancient...
View ArticleAngela Hewitt's Atmospheric Take on Debussy's Piano Music
We say goodbye this week to 2012, and with it, the Debussy anniversary year. But before 2013’s anniversary celebrations of Wagner, Verdi and Britten begin, we consider one Debussy recording that nearly...
View ArticleValérie Milot: Harping On with 'Aquarelles'
The title “Aquarelles,” or watercolors, doesn’t entirely do justice to a new album by the Canadian harpist Valérie Milot. Harp music often gets a bad rap for being wishy-washy and bland but Milot plays...
View ArticleSaturday Morning Cartoons: Debussy’s 'Clair de lune'
For this week’s cartoon we feature Debussy’s “Clair de lune” from Suite bergamasque, because the moon has such important symbolism for the Lunar New Year.This piece was featured in a segment of Walt...
View ArticleDebussy and the Piano: Part IV
In this, the fourth of five installments of WQXR's special series, "Debussy and the Piano," David Dubal examines the composer’s life through his correspondences with patrons and colleagues. Debussy and...
View ArticleDebussy and the Piano: Part I
In this, the first of five installments on Debussy and the piano, host David Dubal presents a vintage recording of Debussy playing from the Children’s Corner Suite, an explanation of why Debussy wasn’t...
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