Author: John Schultz

I am also excited because…

I am also excited because…
My dear wife bought tickets to see the Washington Opera production of Samuel Barber’s Vanessa and in 24 hours we’ll be in our finery and situated in velvet seats in the Kennedy Center Opera House. Vanessa is an amazing work, it’s a masterpiece of American opera 2nd only to Porgy and Bess. So this weekend will be a musical one: Vanessa tomorrow, a workshop on the GIRM on Saturday and The Dream of Gerontius on Sunday. Can anyone help walk my dog this weekend?
Call me a snob, but I’m attracted to the 5-course meals of music like Vanessa and Gerontius. They are “unsung” masterpieces – never to be heard on the radio right after Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, never to be covered by a marching band. My mom won’t be whistling any ditties from either while she makes tomato sauce. They speak to the wonder of creation – that when you believe you’ve heard, seen, smelled and tasted it all there’s still more that’s come from God in the form of beauty.

More on The Dream of

More on The Dream of Gerontius
“The greatness of ‘Gerontius‘ is in its profound sincerity rather than its originality, in the beauty and truth of the emotion rather than in the material skill with which heavenly rapture and hellish vision are portrayed. We are told that when the people of Verona met Dante in the streets of their town they pointed to him saying: ‘There goes the man who has been to hell’. After listening to Gerontius we are apt to think that Elgar too passed through the dark valley before his time – and beyond as far as human thought or human imagination can reach.”
-Ferruccui Bonavia, violinist, writer, composer and music critic
The Listener 22 April 1943

Reminder: Elgar’s “The Dream of

Reminder: Elgar’s “The Dream of Gerontius”
This oratorio is some of Elgar’s best work and happens to be the most “catholic” oratorio of all time. You can read about the content here and see what I mean.
2:30pm on Sunday at the Kennedy Center concert hall. Tickets start at $16 (hello, bargain!) and can be had at www.choralarts.org Teresa, Steve and I will be there.

Catholic Right No I don’t

Catholic Right
No I don’t have a speech impediment.
In case you haven’t noticed I just wanted to forewarn: as politics go this blog leans to the right. And it’s the time of year that politics is on the mind of many. If you disagree with what we post, there’s always author emails and comment boxes.