Hector Berlioz

The mere mention of the word death evokes fear, anxiety and restlessness. It preys on the young and old alike, the poor and rich, the strong and weak, the brave and the cowards. Because of its nature that remains to be a mystery, men and women have turned to poetry to vividly describe it, seeking to shed a glimpse of light on this “might foe” Such thoughts are captured in the two poems by John Donne, “Death, Be Not proud” and “The Tyger” by William Blake. For sure death is just a temporal state.…

Listening to a song is like watching the stars. Anytime a song is authentic and shines of its own light, it reverberates a sound that originated thousands of years ago into the present. When I first met Niccolò Castiglioni on March 13, 1993, in the concert hall “Puccini” of the Conservatory "G. Verdi" in Milan, the subject of our conversation was exactly this aspect of the language and its principles of permanence and resistance to change. On that afternoon, Gianpaolo Bisanti was conducting…

Introduction to Opera Compare the characters of Carmen and Micaëla in Carmen. What are the differences between them, how is this expressed in the music, and do you think the outcome is inevitable? Introduction Bizet's Carmen is an Opera in four acts, first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March with a plot based on the 1845 novella by Mérimée. Today it stands as one of the most popular french operas of all time.The Opera explores the relationship between the enchanting Carmen and…

Akshat Seth Prof. Alok Bhalla Romanticism Of Diatribes, Revolution and Pacifism Reflections on the reconcilability of Shelley’s ideas of radical change and pacifism through a look at his first long poem Queen Mab with respect to the socio-political context of the French Revolution and its aftermath. It is somewhat ironic to state that Shelley, ‘the true child of the revolution’1 was also a pacifist. Ironic, since the very French Revolution which is cited by most as one…

Throughout history, society has influenced the way humanity thinks about and understands the world around them. Few people search to find the truth for themselves and merely end up following the way of life seen all around them. A new movement sprung up in the late 1700s called Romanticism, celebrating creativity and imagination over logic, reason, and the limitations society placed on thought. Romanticism began around the end of the Enlightenment period, a time that focused heavily on science…

The Romantic movement provided readers with works consisting of passionate emotion, an appreciation for the natural world, and individualism. Elements of Romanticism have been recognized in works from a multitude of different cultures. Significantly, William Wordsworth is widely known as one of the great English Romantic poets. In addition, Walt Whitman, an American poet, has also been acknowledged for the Romantic elements in his works. Although both poets are from two different cultures, their…

The performers of the Art Song Recital are currently students at Hunter College; I decided to focus on the performers whose pieces I will be analyzing. The students who performed Chanson d’amour, Op.27, No.1 by Gabriel Faure were Carol Szwei and Will Jordan. Carol Szwei was the singer and she is a mezzo soprano. Will Jordan accompanied her and played the piano. The students who performed “If Music be the Food of Love” composed by Henry Purcell were Emily Skoutelas and Diana Zorin. Emily…

The hostile staccato of the conductors’ demands cut through the pressure that was quite apparent in the Rice University concert hall. Sweating and focused, my orchestral troop fought through every movement of Tchaikovsky's romantic escapades and Mozart's baroque form of music. I treated my high school career as an unending overture full of experiences that created the composition of my life. From the presto of various HOSA competitions and the steady andante of missionary work, life has become…

Between 1820 and 1900 is known as the Romantic Period. It was during this time, that the orchestra was expanded to include the tuba, piccolo, bass clarinet, double bassoon, and a larger string section (Romantic, n.d.). With theses new instruments being added, the larger orchestra (from 26 members to close to 100) was able to accommodate new and exciting sounds. Woodwinds started to take on a more prevalent role in the orchestra and composers started experimenting with new sounds from the…

The Romantic era originated in Europe during the late 18th to the mid-19th centuries. This movement regraded the enlightenment of artistic, literary, musical, cultural and intellectual achievements. This era provoked the ideals of freedom to express imagination, emotion and rebellion which was extremely influential in shaping modern views. Literature during the Romantic era contained variety in terms of content, themes, and style. Interestingly enough, Romanticism was…