.png/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:1201,cg:true)
Archives
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) formed the theme in the second movement of his late D minor string quartet (c. 1824) from his song "Der Tod und das Mädchen," or "Death and the Maiden” (c. 1817).
In the recording below, American contralto Marian Anderson sings this harrowing song. Pay special attention to the closing measure where her voice descends to a baritonal low D, as Death lulls the Maiden to sleep.
Born in 1897 in Philadelphia, Miss Anderson was often barred from singing due to segregation and was an important figure in the civil rights movement. Conductor Arturo Toscanini said that she had a voice heard only once in a century.
Engraving by Hans Schwarz (1492-1550) Death and the Maiden; CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Classical Arts Society Presents: Frozen in Time
Classical Arts Society will present the Sonata for Cello and Piano by Shostakovich and the Sonata for Cello and Piano by Rachmaninoff on January 25th from 6:30-9:30 pm at the Arts Club of Washington.
Hear Dmitri Shostakovich perform his own Cello Sonata with Mstislav Rostropovich!
Counterpoint Concerts presents: Out of Darkness, Light
Check out this video of the Borodin Quartet performing the 2nd movement of Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8, Op. 110.
Counterpoint Concerts will present this quartet along with an early work by the great Ukranian composer Mykola Lysenko on December 13th from 6:30-9:30 pm at the Arts Club of Washington.
Subscribe to our mailing list!
Sign up with email to receive news about upcoming classical music concerts in the Washington D.C. area.