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Music

From the Mekons to the death penalty

From the Mekons to the death penalty

Jon Langford, former lead singer of the punk band the Mekons, was in town for his show "The Executioner's Last Songs" at the Walker Art Museum. This performance is a blend of concert, spoken word, and visuals about the death penalty.

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New Classical Tracks: German Overtures

If you're looking for a recording to improve your midwinter doldrums, this collection of German overtures will do the trick. It reminds classical host Julie Amacher of a big golden book of fairytales that one reads as a child.

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Three keyboards, one concert

One night a year, three Twin Cities musicians come together to perform before a live audience. The three men come from different generations and musical backgrounds, but they have two things in common; they all play keyboard instruments and they all resist attempts to pigeonhole their music.

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Eartha Kitt is so much more than Catwoman

Say the name Eartha Kitt to a certain generation of Americans, and they will immediately think of Catwoman. Yet Miss Kitt's career, which spans six decades, is about so much more than a brief role on the 1960 Batman television series. She performs in the Twin Cities this weekend.

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Why does Mozart have such staying power?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on Jan. 27 in Salzburg, Austria 250 years ago. He's one of the most important composers who ever lived, and also one of the most loved. In the 19th century Czech composer Antonin Dvorak put it simply: Mozart is Sunshine. Nicholas McGegan, one of the artistic partners of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, talked to MPR's Tom Crann about why Mozart's music has such staying power -- more than 200 years later.
by Tom Crann

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250 years of Mozart

Among the most recognizable, deceptively simple classical music was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His 250th birthday (today, Jan. 27) is the occasion for celebrations around the world. Mozart was not so well appreciated in his own time.

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Reflections on Mozart's Requiem

On the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, many are reflecting on his lasting musical works. It was the piece Mozart left unfinished at his death that many consider his most powerful piece. Mozart's Requiem defied the strictures of the traditional liturgical death Mass, leaving future generations with a nuanced and surprisingly uplifting piece. Four Minnesotans share their thoughts on the lasting power of the Requiem.
by Andrew Haeg

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The Mozart Letter

The Schubert Club Museum in downtown St. Paul has a special letter on display -- a letter Mozart wrote to his wife Constanze in 1790. The letter is intimate and affectionate, addressing Constanze as "Dearest Little Wife of my Heart."

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New Classical Tracks: Mozart's "Requiem"

It may seem odd to celebrate Mozart's 250th birthday by talking about death music, but Mozart's "Requiem" is considered to be one on the great masterworks of Western classical music, and the Atlanta Symphony's new recording is worth a listen with fresh ears.

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