Modest Mussorgsky by Ilia Repin

Handel, Vivaldi, Mussorgsky | CBW 16

oana April 21, 2019 No Comments
3. “Khovanshchina” Prelude: Dawn over the Moscow River by Modest Mussorgsky

What’s more fitting to start the day with than the image of a river at dawn? This work is the prelude to the Khovanshchina opera by Modest Mussorgsky, which sets to music the events surrounding the Moscow Uprising of 1682, in which Prince Ivan Khovansky rebelled against his sister, the regent Sofia Alekseyevna, the first woman to rule Russia.… Read more

He came, he saw, he conquered | CBW11

oana March 17, 2019 No Comments
Honourable mention: “O dolce mio tesoro” by Carlo Gesualdo

Aristocracy, murder, depression, self-flagellation, witch trials. This is the context of Carlo Gesualdo’s madrigals, one of the most experimental musical compositions of the Renaissance, not to be heard again until the 19th century. They are absolutely wonderful, as the voices complement each other beautifully, blending in a rich and warm sound.… Read more