Professor Carol

This week, a monumental, and monumentally important English opera called Peter Grimes will be featured Thursday, May 14, in the offerings coming to us during this period of live-streamed works from the Met. I want to encourage you to take advantage of this marvelous (and ... Read more The post Peter Grimes Encore appeared first on Professor Carol.

Podcast: Music of the Spheres and Narnia You may recognize Dr. Michael Dodds from our courses. He appears prominently in The History of Early Sacred Music and in Exploring America’s Musical Heritage. Michael has been a colleague of mine for many years, beginning at Southern ... Read more The post An Interview with Michael Dodds appeared first on Professor Carol.

Our interview with Dr. Michael Dodds continues. (Listen to Part 1 here.) We have a wide-ranging discussion of Michael’s work as a composer and conductor, the history of maps, composer David Maslanka, and more on C.S. Lewis. The post An Interview with Michael Dodds (Part 2) appeared first on Professor Carol.

Dr. Michael Dodds and Professor Carol were formerly colleagues at Southern Methodist University. Dr. Dodds is now professor of music history at University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a frequent contributor to Professor Carol's courses. In Part Two of this interview we have a wide-ranging discussion of Michael's work as a composer and conductor, the history of maps, composer David Maslanka, and more on C.S. Lewis.

Dr. Michael Dodds and Professor Carol were formerly colleagues at Southern Methodist University. Dr. Dodds is now professor of music history at University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a frequent contributor to Professor Carol's courses. In a conversation over dinner about childhood books, Michael raised some intriguing aspects of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, and that prompted this interview. The discussion in this Part 1 focuses on Michael Ward's book Planet Narnia.

Bolcom, Three Ghost Rags When you think of Ragtime, you probably think of Scott Joplin. Maybe you should think of William Bolcom (b. 1938) as well. Bolcom played a key role in reinvigorating interest in Ragtime and in Joplin back in the 1960s. And very ... Read more The post Friday Performance Pick – 139 appeared first on Professor Carol.

We call it “country driving” and anyone in Big Sky country knows what that means. Distances are relative, so driving 30 miles to buy your favorite brand of goat feed is normal procedure. When Hank and I drive across country, we use “country-driving” concepts to ... Read more The post Country Driving and Classical Conversation  appeared first on Professor Carol.

Gregory Wilbur is Chief Musician at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Franklin, TN, as well as Dean and Senior Fellow of New College Franklin—a Christian liberal arts college that he helped to start. He enjoys discipling students and walking them through classics of literature, film, and music. He earned his Masters in Music Composition at the University of Alabama. He is the author of Glory and Honor: The Music and Artistic Legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach and has released two CDs of his compositions of congregational psalms, hymns and service music. In addition, he writes for choir, orchestra, film and chamber ensembles. His wife, Sophia, homeschools their daughter, Eleanor, and they all enjoy reading, cooking, taking walks and enjoying life in middle Tennessee.    

Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice played an important role in music of the late Renaissance. Here Alessandro and Giovanni Gabrieli took advantage of the architecture by placing separate choirs of instrumentalists across from each other and thus pioneered a new antiphonal sound. Listen to my ... Read more The post On San Marco Square appeared first on Professor Carol.

The bells are ringing at 6 p.m. in Weimar, Germany, as I look directly at the dome of a tiny Russian Orthodox church. This church is so small it would fit inside a lecture room at a university. It was built in 1860 to be ... Read more The post A Tiny Orthodox Church in Weimar appeared first on Professor Carol.

The Russian Orthodox church in Weimar, Germany is so small it would fit inside a typical lecture room at a university. It was built in 1860 to be the burial site of the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, a Russian princess, the granddaughter of Catherine the Great. Listen as Professor Carol explains how architecture tells an important story in the history of Weimar.

Traveling through Virginia this week, I’m reminded about my own education in Virginia history while growing up in Roanoke in the 1950s and early 60s. It was a different era, of course, and those textbooks have long been replaced. Still, we were given a lasting ... Read more The post Robert E. Lee and Winfield Scott appeared first on Professor Carol.

This is our 4th engaging talk with Art Historian and Museum Curator, Peter Mooz. Today we talk about Edward Hopper - the painter and his legacy. Why does his strong following endure? What is it about this exquisite renderer that people "get?" What did he focus on in his paintings?  View a video hangout with Dr. Mooz and Professor Carol here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLiZ7zVPiRc  

In this episode of our podcast interviews with our favorite art historian, Dr. Peter Mooz explains how art is empowering. How do you foster a love for the arts in children? What if you do not live close to “big city” resources? Dr. Mooz gives some ... Read more The post Art Is Empowering appeared first on Professor Carol.

How do you foster a love for the arts in children? What if you do not live close to "big City" resources? Dr. Peter Mooz gives some practical pointers for building a rich appreciation for art and history.

Prima, Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing) The King of Swing, Louis Prima (1910-1978), was a singer, trumpet player, and band leader. He first recorded Sing, Sing, Sing in 1936. It was the Benny Goodman Band, however, that made it a hit. Many people refuse ... Read more The post Friday Performance Pick – 74 appeared first on Professor Carol.

Another fascinating discussion with art historian Dr. Peter Mooz. Dr. Mooz talks about the art of Edward Hopper and the impact it carries. For more on art history and culture, visit www.professorcarol.com. There you will find free courses, Art History forums, and premium courses for high school or continuing education.

Professor Carol speaks with Bloomberg journalist, Bill Arthur.

Is art an elective? Dr. Peter Mooz talks about the ways children come to know art. And he says no, rather than an elective, art is the greatest expression of a civilization. An artist uses his knowledge of technology, economics, philosophy, theology, and anatomy to tell us about his world. Children are able to put themselves in the viewer/artist relationship without any trouble and without any prejudices. Art helps children build up their visual muscles and develop their ability to discern as they view art.

Art Historian Peter Mooz discusses his new book “Religion in American Painting.” Although artists after the Renaissance gravitated to more secular themes, Dr. Mooz explains that American painters have been painting religion from the time of the first documented American painting in 1663 to today. Dr. Mooz explores the ways 19th-century artists like Thomas Cole, who founded the Hudson River School of painting, pursued religious themes of transcendentalism, and explains the religious symbols in the abstract-expressionist work of Mark Rothko.

Professor Carol speaks with Jim Weiss in Part 2 of their informal discussion from Jim Weiss' studio. 

Visiting Randy and Jim Weiss is always the best fun! This time I was able to join Jim in his studio to record two podcasts on storytelling and the arts. This is episode 1. More will be up on my website soon (at www. professorcaro.com). Meanwhile if you haven't stocked up on his wonderful CDs, you'll find them in a new place these days, at peacehillpress.com/jim-weiss . 

This series of brief clips will give you a flavor of Professor Carol's audio podcasts with Carol's unique perspective, interviews with composers and performers, and musical examples. 

Elliott's Hardware, a favorite institution in Dallas and a long-time sponsor of The Dallas Wind Symphony, inspires people to create things.  Composer-in-Residence John Gibson is no exception.  His latest composition, “Man Dreams in Hardware,” is played on instruments constructed from items found on the shelves at Elliott's.  Imagine the Sawsaphone, the Patuba and Batuba, and the PVCiccolo!  Join Professor Carol as she talks with Gibson about his sweeping theme: God, Man, and Hardware.

We take a journey through the Arabian Nights, visit the Roman Goddess of the Dawn, and thrill to the tragic fate of Spanish seductress Carmen.  

Let's get to know Jeff Hellmer, pianist and director for the Dallas Wind Symphony's annual Big Band Boogie concert.

The Wind Symphony of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra is once again joining forces with The Dallas Wind Symphony.   The music of Norman Dello Joio will be part of this traditional event, and has its own story to tell.  

Frank Ticheli is a superstar composer in the world of Wind Music. Performers, audiences, and reviewers love the optimism, energy, and spontaneity of his music. Yet Professor of Composition at USC Tikeli must also teach the creative process. His observations offer insight into his works.

Professor Carol traces the path of film music up to the famous scores of master composer John Williams.  His ability to use "just a few notes" to intensify drama has captured our imaginations for four decades.     

The Tulsa Symphony Season Preview continues with Part Two.

A look at the Tulsa Symphony's 2007-2008 concert programs.

Rossini, the master of bel canto opera, retired young, rich, and famous. Decades later, in old age and ill health, Rossini returned to composition and crafted a liturgical mass as his final work, a work both spiritual and theatrical, Petit Messe Solonnelle. Works Discussed: Rossini's Petit Messe Solonnelle

Tchaikovsky's music holds a sacred place in Russian culture.  Dmitri Shostakovich said, "Without Tchaikovsky we could not endure our sorrows."  Professor Carol examines his Fifth Symphony and considers his life, his personal struggles, and his professional successes. Works Discussed:  Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, Symphony No. 4, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Queen of Spades

Professor Carol considers the question "What is Music of the American Spirit?" by considering themes across two centuries of American choral repertoire.  She discusses the history, customs, and geography of America that inspire our diverse choral music, from Colonial times to the present, emphasizing texts of John Stirling Walker and Eric Johns, tunebooks and hymnals, liturgy, folk song, and spirituals.  Works Discussed: Leonard Bernstein: Mass; Aaron Copland: The Tender Land; Randall Thompson: "Alleluia"; choral works by David Conte, Hubert Bird, Ned Rorem, William Billings, and Stephen Paulus.

John Gibson's choral work "Mockingbird Sings" utilizes Native American texts of the Yuma Zuni, Laguna, and Apache tribes. The title refers to the individual charged with remembering events and traditions and his recounting of this oral history in songs and stories.  In this interview, Gibson explains his approach to setting these unusual texts to music and factors that distinguish American music from its European roots. The Arts District Chorale performs "Mockingbird Sings." Works Discussed:  John Gibson's "Mockingbird Sings"  

Professor Carol talks with Mary Preston, the resident organist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, about the Lay Family Concert Organ. The organ built by C.B. Fisk for the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is one of the finest instruments ever built. Mary Preston joins the Dallas Wind Symphony in a concert to be featured on Michael Barone's syndicated radio show "Pipedreams."; Works Discussed: Hindemith Kammermusik No. 7; Walton "Crown Imperial"; Guilmant Finale from Sonata in D Minor

Chopin would have been surprised at the idea of a solo piano recital in a concert hall. Professor Carol talks about the programming of recitals and works of Bach-Busoni, Beethoven, Chopin, and Debussy. Works Discussed: Bach-Busoni Chorale Preludes; Beethoven Sonata No. 21, Opus 53 ("Waldstein"); Chopin Sonata No. 2; Debussy "Children's Corner" 

Professor Carol gives a biography of Schumann's early years, comparing Schumann's youthful work Papillons with his later Fantasy in C Major against the backdrop of his courtship of the young pianist Clara Wieck and the emerging Romantic image of the artist.Works Discussed: Schumann: Papillons, Op. 2; Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17

Hollywood is heir to the European musical traditions. The classic films were scored by composers trained in Europe and schooled in the classical traditions and by immigrant composers who escaped Germany after their work was denounced by the Nazis as "degenerate music" (Entartete Musik). Works Discussed: Bernard Herrmann: Psycho, Vertigo; Erich Korngold: Robin Hood; Aaron Copland: Red Pony; Virgil Thompson: The Plow that Broke the Plains

Military music inspires the troops, facilitates maneuver, intimidates the enemy, sends signals, marks daily events of camp life, entertains the troops in their leisure time, and comprises an important part of the pageantry and tradition of military life. Works Discussed: Scotland the Brave, Yankee Doodle, Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio, Bugle Calls, The Army Song  

Carol interviews Dean Bouras, arranger for the Dallas Wind Symphony Big Band concerts, and John Trapani, leader of the John Trapani Big Band about the era, the music, and its popularity today. Works Discussed: Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Norman Leyden

A youthful Brahms finds his signature style early in the Opus 10 Ballades based on the Scottish Ballad "Eduard" by Herder. Works Discussed: Brahms: Four Ballades, Op. 10

Student players in the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra Wind Symphony join the professionals of the Dallas Wind Symphony for a "side by side" concert, featuring music of Dmitri Shostakovich, Paul Hindemith, Donald Grantham, Dan Welcher, and Giovanni Gabrieli.

Beethoven sliced and diced his themes, using musical rhetoric that rebelled against the natural melodic style of Mozart and that charted a path into 19th-century Romanticism. Professor Carol uses the Piano Sonata in E-Flat, Op. 31, to show how he did it. Works Discussed: Beethoven: Piano Sonata in E-Flat, Op. 31

Slavic composers Smetana, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Rachmaninov cared deeply about their national roots and national identity, and each knew how to seduce the ear of listeners with gorgeous melody, ravishing orchestration, and a heart-racing sense of the dramatic. Works Discussed: Smetana's The Moldau, Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade, and Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2

Slavic composers Smetana, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Rachmaninov cared deeply about their national roots and national identity, and each knew how to seduce the ear of listeners with gorgeous melody, ravishing orchestration, and a heart-racing sense of the dramatic. Works Discussed: Smetana's The Moldau, Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade, and Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2  

The tone poem of the late romantic era painted pictures and portrayed stories with a rich orchestral style that became the model for film music. In Part 2, Professor Carol explains features of John Williams' famous film scores and how we hear music differently when it accompanies drama. Works Discussed: John Williams, E.T., Schindler's List, Jaws, Superman, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Harry Potter

The tone poem of the late romantic era painted pictures and portrayed stories with a rich orchestral style that became the model for film music. In Part 1, Professor Carol explains Gustav Holst's The Planets and some of the techniques that lead to the style of John Williams. Works Discussed: Gustav Holst, The Planets; John Williams, Olympic Theme and Fanfare

What's this program about?   The final segment of Glenn Mitchell's interview of Carol on KERA Radio turns to the Library of Congress's American Memory Project, Bill Monroe, John Fogerty, Harry Partch, and Scott Joplin.