That Supreme Alive-ness
Snippets of musical life in Western Massachusetts
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06
Apr
The four members of the Dalí String Quartet.

To Fugue or Not to Fugue

The evening opened with a piquant rendition of Piazzolla’s 1956 Tango Ballet. With its snappy rhythms and wry melodies, it’s a piece with tremendous emotional range, and the Dalí members swung from one extreme to the other with palpable glee.
8 min read
23
Mar
The Trobár ensemble in May, 2023, playing an assortment of Medieval instruments and singing.

The Story of a Book

A Medieval songbook brought to intimate life by a visiting early music ensemble. Also: a WWI smorgasbord and a raucous work for solo bassoon.
5 min read
18
Mar
The Arrangers United

The Arrangers United

The gesture that stuck with me the most was a very simple one: At the beginning of Jerod Impichchaachaaha'
12 min read
09
Mar
The Danish String Quartet. Press photo of a string quartet standing with their instruments in front of a dreamy forest landscape painting.

String Quartets and Saxophones

I was hoping to anchor this inaugural newsletter on an intriguing concert centered around music and poetry shaped by the
4 min read