Pioneering American folklorist Francis James Child, born 200 years ago, will be celebrated this week for his lasting cultural influence, especially for his collection known as the Child Ballads. Today, folk revivals ‘find an essence of identity against the commodification of culture,’ protesting how ‘everything can be sold.’
Celebrating the ‘Founding Parent’ of Folk Studies in America Read More »
Robert L. Kendrick’s ambitious new monograph, a detailed look at the oratorio in Catholic Italy and Hapsburg Vienna, covers more than a century of repertoire, connecting Biblical stories — fratricide, child sacrifice, forbidden love, death — with political events and considers the social and moral impact on the listeners.
Life Lessons and Catholic Oratorio Read More »
American countertenor Reginald Mobley’s much-anticipated second solo album, ‘Solitude,’ is a collection of mostly English songs, with familiar tunes and a few surprising additions. Backed by lutenist Brandon Acker and bassist Doug Balliett, it’s music of substance and haunting beauty.
Solitude: Reginald Mobley Unplugged Read More »
Haydn’s oratorio ‘The Seasons,’ in a stunning new recording from Jordi Savall and his period-instrument Les Concert de Nations, is full of pastoral joy and almost-operatic drama, ‘burly, occasionally bawdy, and chock-full of good cheer.’
Burly, Bawdy, Full of Good Cheer: Haydn’s The Seasons Read More »
A new period-instrument ensemble, Chicago’s Bach in the City, opens its inaugural season next week. Artistic leaders Richard Webster and Jason Moy, veterans of the Chicago classical scene, have secured dedicated funding to give the group staying power. ‘Suddenly, now, we have a critical mass of period-instrument players attracted to Chicago, and that was not true a decade ago.’
Bach in the City, Chicago’s Newest Period Ensemble Read More »
