“Atonalism” Schoenberg’s Waltz Op. 23 ushered in the atonal era. But did you know that atonalism itself goes back centuries? Unfortunately, I’m not well versed in the 13th century “cantus firmus” so I can’t speak to that. But I am a huge fan of Bach’s F minor fugue from the…

“Talking Cello the day Starker Died” The cello always has been my secret crush. Piano was my lifetime commitment. But cello was that “other” instrument I always wondered about. Many years ago, my clarinetist daughter would ask “Daddy, if you had to play something other than piano and Indian flute…

“Bach and Sunday Mornings” I would wake you up early on this Sunday morning if I could, to listen to “On Being” with Bernard Chazelle, a computer scientist, about cosmology and the music/life of Bach. Chazelle is much more than a computer scientist, however, and he covers the gamut from…

“Bill Evans” Bill Evans’ amazing piano album, “Conversations With Myself,” turns 58 this month. Some of you know this recording as the first to include overdubs (he overdubbed three piano tracks for each song). A few things you might not know: He used Glenn Gould’s piano to record the album…

“Talking to Linda McCaetney” It was Paul’s first world tour since “Wings Over America.” I had multiple-city backstage passes, awesome seats, and a few of you joined me for the ride when Paul toured with his “Flowers in the Dirt” album back in 1989–90. The concert that rocked hardest: RFK…

“Opera Blues” Am talkin’ about. opera blues. I have no answers but boy do I understand the nature of the problem! Let me start by saying I love opera. My parents knew a lot about it, it was a hefty portion of the collection 10,000 albums I grew up with…

“Peter Serkin, RIP” (written 2/2/20) Yesterday was just a crappy day. (Maybe it is the fact that we are in Carla’s death anniversary month…I thought it was just a bad day. The second year will do that, I’m told.). And it ended with the news that Peter Serkin has died…

“Blues: The New Generation (Including Me)” First piece played on the new electronic keyboard: a Bach chorale for organ. I like the sound and always wanted to play one! Second piece…after reading this post I wrote. from the end of 2018 (“our” 2020 except worse unless you lost your partner…

“Kronos” Some 40 years ago, I said to anyone who would listen that classical music will die unless. performers come along who wear leather jackets and shades, and play brilliantly, not in concert halls, but in prisons, shopping malls and senior centers. Music that annoys, angers, incites, provokes, eg, music…