Richard Strauss’ Famous Left Hand
What is the task of the left hand in conducting? Richard Strauss, a famous conductor and composer of the 19th and 20th centuries, had a clear opinion on this.
Conductor’s Tools 2: the Tailcoat
Along with the baton, the tailcoat is probably the most eye-catching trademark of a conductor – even though not all conductors wear tailcoats regularly any more. A few thoughts on the history, meaning and purpose of this festive garment.
Waltz – Variety in Three-Four Time
You know the waltz – of course. Probably you were even tormented with it in dance school. What is often forgotten: not all waltzes are the same. This dance is characterized by an extraordinary richness of facets. Adrian and I will give you an insight.
Operetta Composers: Four World Stars Form the Core Repertoire
Even if you are not a big operetta fan, the titles Die Fledermaus, Die lustige Witwe and Die Csárdásfürstin might be familiar to you. Do you also know the operetta composers? They are Strauss, Lehár and Kálmán. Together with another colleague – Offenbach – these operetta composers are responsible for the core operetta repertoire.
Csárdás – An Ecstatic Folk Dance
After our time travel to 17th century France, we now make a trip to Hungary. We dance Csárdás! You don’t know Csárdás? You have certainly heard this dance before – perhaps unconsciously.
Slovenska Filharmonija – High Culture Meets Tradition
With the Slovenska Filharmonija, Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, has a valuable cultural asset. Not only does this orchestra look back on a very long history, but it is also characterized by a special sound culture and high responsiveness. In the following I will go into the history of the Slovenska Filharmonija as well as my personal connection to this orchestra.
Three Facts About Opera
I keep saying that opera is an incredibly versatile art form. Accordingly, there is a lot to tell about the world of opera. Today, I present three facts that you might not immediately think of when you hear the word “opera”.
French Court Dances – “Help, which dance is this?”
A time machine hurls you into the year 1665 and you end up in the ballroom of the Palace of Versailles in Paris. The 27-year-old, luxurious Louis XIV is King of France. However, you only have a brief opportunity to admire the young monarch in his elegant and sinfully expensive fur coat, because at this moment the royal court orchestra starts playing.
Corona in Opera – Two Innovative Formats
Three weeks ago, three approaches to solving the current corona problem in the concert business were presented here in the StarkConductor Blog. Today’s blogpost is dedicated to the world of opera.
