Feast of Ideas Week 9 - Franz Liszt

What does a musician do when she runs out of food in her refrigerator? She writes her “CHOPIN LISZT”

Sorry for the bad pun, but half of the answer to that joke is this week’s composer - Franz Liszt, the Hungarian prodigy. Read more to learn about his personal life, professional legacy, and his place in history.

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Beth Smith
Feast of Ideas Week 8 - Ludwig von Beethoven

What do the Beatles, West Side Story, and Billy Joel have in common? They all have written music influenced by Beethoven: Beatles song Because sounds like Moonlight Sonata; the melody in the song Somewhere from West Side Story is from Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5; and Billy Joel’s This Night is directly from Beethoven’s Pathetique.

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Beth Smith
Feast of Ideas Week 5 - Johann Sebastian Bach

Every try to sing Row Row Row Your Boat in a round with a group of kids? I have and it can be HARD! This week’s composer was able to create cannons and rounds so complex that they still fascinate and delight centuries later. Come learn more about Bach’s life, polyphonic counterpoint, food/literature/art/and historical context.

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Beth Smith