MusiLLection

Portrait of Georg Philipp Telemann , one of the most influential and widely admired composers of the Baroque era. In his own lifetime, the German composer Georg Philipp Telemann enjoyed even greater popularity than his contemporary and fellow townsman Johann Sebastian Bach . A telling example of his stature is the fact that Telemann was first offered the prestigious post of Kantor at the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig. Only his refusal—prompted by Hamburg’s efforts to retain him—ultimately led to Bach’s appointment to the position. Baroque music found in Telemann a composer of remarkable originality and freedom. Inspired, versatile, and exceptionally accomplished, he possessed an enviable ability to engage creatively with every musical genre of his time. Sacred and secular, instrumental and vocal music held no secrets for him. The works that have survived bear undeniable witness to this breadth, inspiring admiration both for their stylistic variety and their sheer abundance. Telem...

Portrait of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov , master orchestrator and leading figure of the Russian National School. Renouncing the promise of glory, security, and adventure offered by a naval career, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov plunged decisively into the world of music. An aristocrat by birth and largely self-taught as a musician, he left his hometown of Tikhvin and gradually transformed himself from an enthusiastic amateur into a disciplined and conscientious professional. Despite his unconventional beginnings, Rimsky-Korsakov achieved distinctions that many of his contemporaries could only dream of. By the end of the nineteenth century, he had become—after Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky —one of the most celebrated and widely admired composers in Russia. As a member of the legendary group known as The Five , Rimsky-Korsakov initially embraced the ideals of Russian musical nationalism. Yet his early success was followed by a period of inner struggle. Haunted by doubts about his lack of formal music...

Anton Bruckner, whose deeply spiritual nature shaped both his life and his monumental symphonic works. Anton Bruckner was, in many ways, a “poor man of God” —a composer whose devotion extended equally to the divine and the human, whether encountered in music, in nature, or in contemplation of the supreme being. Meek, introspective, modest, and profoundly sincere, he expressed his deep insecurity through an almost obsessive dedication to his musical work, endlessly revising compositions that were already inspired and monumental. Had he possessed greater confidence or determination, Bruckner might well have occupied the place that history ultimately granted to Wagner —his lifelong idol, whom he deeply revered after meeting him. In truth, Bruckner had already composed music of unmistakably Wagnerian breadth and intensity , at times anticipating qualities that Wagner himself would later bring to the stage. Bruckner was also an extraordinary virtuoso of the organ . His performances left ...