Beethoven
Musical Events
The Most Vital Conductor of Beethoven Is Ninety-four
Herbert Blomstedt’s readings deftly combine vigor and lyricism.
Podcast Dept.
The Musicological Zest of “Switched On Pop”
The show’s hosts deliver charmingly rigorous dissections of Taylor Swift and Weeknd songs, slipping in a fair amount of music history and theory.
The Front Row
“Beethoven for One” Boldly Imagines a New Kind of Concert
A recent series of chamber-music performances, for audiences of one or just a few people at a time, could point a way forward for classical music after the pandemic.
Video Dept.
Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax on the Role of Music in Dark Times
At the New Yorker Festival, the musicians talked with Alex Ross about how performance has changed during the pandemic and music that Beethoven composed “amid tears and sorrow.”
Cultural Comment
The Disquieting Power of Wilhelm Furtwängler, Hitler’s Court Conductor
There has long been a nimbus of greatness and moral quandary around Furtwängler, but listening to his wartime work in chronological order is a demythologizing experience.
Rabbit Holes
Sleepless Nights with András Schiff and Beethoven’s Sonatas
A series of online lecture-recitals suffuse a well-worn repertoire with new warmth and nuance.
Listening Booth
The Interpretive Extremes of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations
Culture Desk
Toscanini’s Greatest Recorded Performances
Profiles
Yuja Wang and the Art of Performance
The piano prodigy is known for the brilliance of her playing and for her dramatic outfits.
Richard Brody
Musical Images
Musical Events
Culture Complex
The Current Cinema
Not Child’s Play
Page-Turner
What Are You Reading, Geoff Dyer?
Classical Notes
Maginot Line
Musical Events