Historian, Composer, Pianist, Speaker, Author
First — the nitty gritty details – Trip 1: The What: Great Music Masters of Vienna: The Romantics The When: May 4-10, 2025 The Where: Vienna, Austria The How: The trip is offered by The Great Courses Journeys, the travel brand for The Great Courses Plus! The How to Register: Click Here Pricing: Double Occupancy: $6,795 pp; Single Occupancy: $8,120 pp; Deposit: $1000 The Details for Trip 2: The What: Great Music Masters: Verdi and Italian…
We mark the London premiere on August 26, 1952 – 72 years ago today – of the film “An American in Paris.” With music by George Gershwin (1898-1937), directed by Vincente Minnelli, starring Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, and Oscar Levant, the flick won six Academy Awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture. While the film…
Yesterday’s Music History Monday marked the death of the Russian impresario and polymath Serge Diaghilev (1872-1929). Serge Diaghilev was a facilitator of genius. His special gift was for “creative administration.” He could spot talent from 100 miles away, then bring that talent together, all the while imposing his own taste, vision, artistic and aesthetic will on…
We mark the death on August 19, 1929 – 95 years ago today – of the Russian impresario, patron, art critic, and founder of the Ballets Russes Serge (or “Sergei”) Pavlovich Diaghilev, in Venice. Born in the village of Selishchi roughly 75 miles southeast of St. Petersburg on March 31, 1872, he was 57 years…