Today is the 250th birthday of Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart. Google marks the occasion with a nice logo and search
results page. NPR has a slew of articles
and links.I remember as a kid going with may parents to the Young People's Concerts at Lincoln Center in New York. These concerts, performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra were first led by Leonard Bernstein and later by Michael Tilson Thomas. I have fond memories of trips to the city to listen to some fabulous music followed by lunch (usually crepes at The Magic Pan) and maybe a trip to F.A.O. Schwartz (if we didn't fidget too much during the concert).
Mozart was one of my favorites because of the stories the great conductors told about him and the awe they obviously held him in. My other favorite was Stravinsky. It wasn't until years later that I learned how scandalous this was ;^)
1. "The Rite of Spring" has a special place in my heart, so I know where you're coming from with Stravinsky. And although it's probably somewhat cliche, "The Marriage of Figaro" is another favourite. Add Bach to these two, and you have my top 3 orchestral composers.
Posted at 3:36AM on Jan 28th 2006 by Jason