Miles Hoffman archive
Monday, February 16, 2009
200 Years Of Abraham Lincoln
If Abraham Lincoln Had An iPod
February 16, 2009 If Lincoln had used an iPod, it would have needed a lot of memory. Classical music commentator Miles Hoffman reports that the 16th president's musical tastes ranged from popular ballads to opera, and that his No. 1 favorite may have been, surprisingly enough, "Dixie."
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Music Interviews & Profiles
Musical Families For Thanksgiving
November 27, 2008 Relatives can be an important ingredient to a successful Thanksgiving. Classical music commentator Miles Hoffman points out some important musical relatives of Mozart, Bach, Schumann and Mendelssohn.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Music Interviews & Profiles
Stravinsky's Riotous 'Rite of Spring'
March 21, 2008 Just in time for the change of the season, music commentator Miles Hoffman considers the lingering reputation of Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring as the shocker that altered the art world. The work has been called "one of the most daring creations of the modern musical mind."
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Music Interviews & Profiles
Financing the Classics: Beethoven's Benefactor
December 25, 2007 In the spirit of the gift-giving season, classical music commentator Miles Hoffman discusses the fine art of musical patronage. Composers from the renaissance to Beethoven to Copland have benefited from generous philanthropists.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Music
Italian: The Language That Sings
October 8, 2007 Even when it isn't sung, the Italian language sounds like music, which is part of why Italian words are used to tell musicians how to play—presto, lento, adagio, forte. Commentator Miles Hoffman explains why Italian is the lingua franca of classical music.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Friday, February 02, 2007
Music Interviews & Profiles
Heifetz and Kreisler: Setting Standards for the Violin
February 2, 2007 Jascha Heifetz and Fritz Kreisler were both born on Feb. 2 — Kreisler in 1875 and Heifetz in 1901. But the men share more than just a birthday. Music commentator Miles Hoffman discusses the two fiddlers and how they each set new standards for the art of playing the violin.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Music
Last but Definitely Not Least (Great Finales)
December 29, 2006 For the final Morning Edition broadcast of the year, music commentator Miles Hoffman plays some of the greatest finales of classical music.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Music
For Thanksgiving, the Other Kind of Drumsticks
November 23, 2006 If it's Thanksgiving, it must be time for another musical pun from Miles Hoffman. The music commentator joins Renee Montagne for a holiday review of drums, triangles and other percussive instruments.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Music
Young Tuba Player Gets Nod from Phila. Orchestra
September 15, 2006 Carol Jantsch, 21, soon will be the Philadelphia Orchestra's youngest member, and the first woman to be a principal tuba player in a top U.S. orchestra.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Music
Organ Music: Pulling Out All the Stops
June 5, 2006 The organ has been described, along with the clock, as the most complex of all mechanical instruments developed before the Industrial Revolution. Miles Hoffman unravels the complexities and the mysteries of the musical giant.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Monday, September 19, 2005
Friday, July 29, 2005
Friday, May 20, 2005
Music News
The Venerable Juilliard, Turning 100
May 20, 2005 The Juilliard School celebrates the 100th anniversary of its charter, marking a century of preparing fine musicians and performers. The school was the first American institution to rise to the level of its European counterparts.
