Listen to the “Santa Claus Symphony” by William Henry Fry (1813-1864)
https://www.youtube.com/embed/dkoDYsrNUyI [embed width="560" height="315"]https://www.youtube.com/embed/dkoDYsrNUyI[/embed] You already know about the American composer from episode 7 of Backstage Podcast, and you can also listen to Leonora by William Henry Fry on our website (we’ve included some biographical info). Fun Fact: The Santa Claus Symphony was the first orchestral work to use the saxophone. While it only takes ...
Listen to the “Santa Claus Symphony” by William Henry Fry (1813-1864) Read More »
The Playwright of the Original “Barber of Seville” Was First a Famous Watchmaker
Remember “The Most Interesting Man In The World” (otherwise known as the single greatest act of advertising in recent memory)? He could go anywhere, do anything, and be anything he wanted to be. Yes, the Dos Equis guy was a fictional character created to sell beer. But the subject of this article was indeed a ...
The Playwright of the Original “Barber of Seville” Was First a Famous Watchmaker Read More »
Wagner, Tannhäuser & the Jockey Club Claque
“Wagner, Tannhauser, & the Jockey Club Claque” follows part 1 of our short series about the claque, in which we took a deeper look into the entertainment world’s original laugh track. We dug into the definition of “claque” and explored a bit of the history. And yes, Joe Biden was there. Don’t worry—the post is ...
What is the Devil in Music
You’ve heard plenty about the devilish underside of music on Backstage Podcast. We’ve covered the “Devil’s Trill Sonata,” and we’ve opined about the mysterious post-death experience of Nicolai Paganini. Our most recent episode deals with the creepy (and fun) “Dance of Death.” And now, we bring to you the most devilish thing of all… “The ...
Listen to Leonora by William Henry Fry: Bio, Links, and Sheet Music
If you listened to episode seven of Backstage Podcast, you heard a little bit about William Henry Fry. You may also remember that we predicted a blog post showcasing his music… Consider this the fulfillment of that prophecy. Below you’ll find a bit of biography, plus some background to his opera Leonora. If you’re just ...
Listen to Leonora by William Henry Fry: Bio, Links, and Sheet Music Read More »