# Gianmaria Griglio ~ Conductor and composer

> Learn conducting, conducting technique, conducting guides


## Posts

- [Julius Röntgen: piano concerto n.2](https://gianmariagriglio.com/rontgen-julius-piano-concerto-2/): Admired by many great composers, such as Brahms and Grieg, Röntgen's music was quickly dismissed and went almost completely forgotten.
- [Giuseppe Verdi: Adagio for trumpet and orchestra](https://gianmariagriglio.com/giuseppe-verdi-adagio-trumpet-orchestra/): A wonderful piece and rare “Adagio” for trumpet and orchestra by Giuseppe Verdi. 
- [Mieczyslaw Karlowicz: Symphony in E minor](https://gianmariagriglio.com/karlowicz-symphony-e-minor/): Karlowicz's music, at least most of it, got lost during World War II. However, what’s left of it testifies the incredible stature of this musician.
- [The baton: a conductor's tool](https://gianmariagriglio.com/baton-purpose-conductor-orchestra/): How do you choose a baton? Does the baton grip matter? Which do orchestral players prefer, conductors who use it, or those who do not?
- [Alexander Scriabin: Etudes](https://gianmariagriglio.com/alexander-scriabin-etudes/): “In love’s godlike breathing, there’s the innermost aspect of the universe” – A.Scriabin. Here’s a selection of his Etudes.
- [Conducting technique: an introduction (And Why It Matters)](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-technique-introduction/): Why do some conductors think that conducting technique is superfluous? What if, instead of a simple set of rules, the music made the technique?  
- [Carl Nielsen: Symphony n.2](https://gianmariagriglio.com/carl-nielsen-symphony-2/): Nielsen 2nd symphony is subtitled “The Four Temperaments”: ‘The Choleric’, ‘The Sanguine’, ‘The Melancholic’ and ‘The Phlegmatic’. 
- [From Guido de' Cavalcanti to Bill Evans](https://gianmariagriglio.com/guido-cavalcanti-bill-evans/): Il canto del nibbio: 3 romanze for tenor and piano on poems by Guido de' Cavalcanti with some harmonic explorations a la Bill Evans
- [Harold Farberman, adieu Maestro!](https://gianmariagriglio.com/harold-farberman-conductor-composer/): It took me quite a bit of time to write this post. I was really close to him, and honestly I'm still coping with his passing.
- [Bagatella for cello and piano [audio]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/piano-cello-bagatella/): A small and easygoing piece for cello and piano: uncomplicated, relaxed atmosphere from a delightful spring afternoon.
- [Jean Sibelius: Hymn to the Earth](https://gianmariagriglio.com/jean-sibelius-hymn-to-the-earth/): Jordens sång, Hymn to the Earth, Op. 95: a gorgeous cantata for mixed choir and orchestra by Jean Sibelius.  
- [Henri Dutilleux: The Shadows of Time.](https://gianmariagriglio.com/henri-dutilleux-the-shadows-of-time/): Triggered by the discovery of the deportation by the Nazis to concentration camps of an entire orphanage, The Shadows of Time is a somber meditation on loss
- [Anton Rubinstein: cello concerto n.2](https://gianmariagriglio.com/anton-rubinstein-cello-concerto-2/): Anton Rubinstein is mostly remembered as a pianist and educator. He was, also, a prolific composer: the cello concerto n.2 was written in 1874.
- [Giacomo Puccini: Preludio Sinfonico](https://gianmariagriglio.com/giacomo-puccini-preludio-sinfonico/): Puccini’s Preludio Sinfonico was composed for his final 1882 exam at the conservatory in Milan. The performance was everything but a success.
- [The wind among the reeds [audio]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/the-wind-among-the-reeds/): This piece came out of a memory: a crisp late afternoon in Central Park. For piano and string quartet.
- [Carlos Chavez: Antigone Symphony](https://gianmariagriglio.com/carlos-chavez-antigone-symphony/): Carlos Chavez, a composer that deserves much more credit for his talent, was a prominent figure of the mexican music life in the early 20th century. 
- [Sergej Rachmaninov - Symphony n.3](https://gianmariagriglio.com/sergej-rachmaninov-symphony-3/): Passionate as Rachmaninov always is, this symphony is composed of only 3 movements in a cyclic form with references to the plain-chant Dies Irae. 
- [Podium Time Podcast (interview)](https://gianmariagriglio.com/podium-time-podcast/): "If You Miss a Cue": it was a pleasure to be a guest on Podium Time, a podcast for conductors from conductors, discussing the importance of imagination, the most important aspect of score study, and how we expect people to listen to concerts.
- [Sergej Rachmaninov - Prince Rostislav](https://gianmariagriglio.com/sergej-rachmaninov-prince-rostislav/): For this symphonic poem, a young Rachmaninov found inspiration in a poem by Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy, cousin to Lev Tolstoy.
- [Alphons Diepenbrock: Hymne aan Rembrandt](https://gianmariagriglio.com/diepenbrock-hymne-rembrandt/): The very little known dutch composer Alphons Diepenbrock, was, in his time, highly regarded as a leading composer, admired by Mahler among others.
- [Music and artists in the new witch hunt era](https://gianmariagriglio.com/music-artists-in-the-new-witch-hunt-era/): The Weinstein case generated a snowball effect: no, I'm not talking about the lawsuits or the #metoo stories. I'm talking about the side effect on the art world: from a petition to remove a painting by Balthus from a museum to the altered finale of Carmen.
- [I hate Boulez. Long live Boulez.](https://gianmariagriglio.com/i-hate-boulez-long-live-boulez/): I don't really hate Boulez. But I don't like his music. But I do like what he tried to do. And I want more of it.
- [Prisma - Contemporary works for orchestra (review)](https://gianmariagriglio.com/prisma-contemporary-works-for-orchestra-review/): Four composers from the UK and the US make it for a very interesting album: I find this listening challenging and enjoyable, well conceived in its entirety. 
- [No enemy but winter and rough weather (full review)](https://gianmariagriglio.com/no-enemy-but-winter-and-rough-weather/): No enemy but winter and rough weather: discovering new music is always exciting. The 6th album of the Shakespeare Concert Series is a great mix of old (16th century) and contemporary music.
- [Alexander Scriabin: Symphony n.1](https://gianmariagriglio.com/alexander-scriabin-symphony-1/): This symphony is one of the great Scriabin frescoes. At the premiere though, the finale was omitted, considered to be too difficult to perform.
- [Edvard Grieg - Symphony in C minor](https://gianmariagriglio.com/edvard-grieg-symphony-c-minor/): Composed in 1864, Grieg himself put a fatwa on it: ‘It must never be performed’.
- [Samuel Barber: Symphony n.1](https://gianmariagriglio.com/samuel-barber-symphony-1/): Samuel Barber’s wrenching symphony n.1, here in the wonderful interpretations of the New York Philharmonic led by Bruno Walter in a 1945 recording.
- [What is the purpose of a conductor?](https://gianmariagriglio.com/purpose-of-orchestra-conductor/): Any breath a conductor takes, any movement has an impact on the orchestra players and on their sound. This simple concept makes a real difference when someone steps on the podium.
- [A mass of life - Frederick Delius and Nietzsche's masterpiece](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mass-of-life/): A Mass of Life is based upon Also sprach Zarathustra, discovered by Delius on a trip to Norway: is a purely humanistic liturgy.
- [The Tempest - Shakespeare and Johnson](https://gianmariagriglio.com/tempest-shakespeare-johnson/): The Tempest saw a strict collaboration between Shakespeare and musician Robert Johnson which gave birth to something unique, getting very close to Opera
- [432Hz - Traditional vs natural tuning](https://gianmariagriglio.com/432hz/): 432Hz tuning has been abandoned some 60 years ago. But why has 440Hz been favored? 
- [Henri Dutilleux](https://gianmariagriglio.com/henri-dutilleux/): The proptotype of the anti-avant-garde, Dutilleux draws from the French tradition of Debussy and Ravel to build his personal language
- [ARTax - music rEvolution](https://gianmariagriglio.com/artax-music-revolution/): After almost 3 years, ARTax, a new company based in The Hague, NL, has finally become a reality
- [Siete canciones populares españolas](https://gianmariagriglio.com/siete-canciones-populares-espanolas/): Siete canciones populares españolas, by Manuel de Falla, is one of the most popular cycles of folk-songs in music history. Originally written for piano and voice, there are transcriptions for voice and guitar, cello and piano and two versions for orchestra.
- [Polo - meaning, lyrics and musical analysis](https://gianmariagriglio.com/polo/): Heart breaking and passionate to the bones, Polo concludes the cycle of De Falla "Siete canciones populares españolas" with a lover screaming his head off.
- [Canción](https://gianmariagriglio.com/cancion/): Second to last of the De Falla "Siete canciones populares españolas", Canción is apparently cheerful, but an underlying anger accompanies the whole piece.
- [From Pickwick to picnic](https://gianmariagriglio.com/from-pickwick-to-picnic/): Pickwick was a great program from RAI TV. Last December the same RAI TV humiliated the RAI Orchestra in an unprecedented way. 
- [Djamileh - origins and synopsis](https://gianmariagriglio.com/bizet-djamileh/): Djamileh, Bizet's first mature opera, came right before Carmen. Its music is rich, sensual and beautifully orchestrated, totally worth the listening.
- [Nana - Musical analysis, meaning, and lyrics](https://gianmariagriglio.com/nana/): An Andalusian lullaby, Nana is gloomy, sad, soothing and cradling, all in two pages of pure beauty as part of De Falla "Siete canciones populares españolas"
- [Ravaged Beauty](https://gianmariagriglio.com/ravaged-beauty/): The conceptual opera "Audioguide III" ends with the disruption of 66 violins. Does this serve the kantian philosophical underground of the work?
- [Jota](https://gianmariagriglio.com/jota/): Wrapped in the upbeat rhythm of one of the most popular dances of Spain, in De Falla's hands Jota is a tale of secret love and melancholic farewell.
- [Asturiana](https://gianmariagriglio.com/asturiana/): A tree, weeping through the notes of the piano, becomes pure poetry in De Falla's third of "Siete canciones populares españolas", the Asturiana.
- [The art of training and developing the voice](https://gianmariagriglio.com/the-art-of-training-the-voice/): The great dramatic tenor James McCray offers his thoughts on some misunderstandings in the modern way of training the voice. 
- [Seguidilla murciana](https://gianmariagriglio.com/seguidilla-murciana/): Second one of the "Siete canciones populares españolas", with Seguidilla murciana De Falla keeps intact the original character of the song. With a twist.
- [El paño moruno](https://gianmariagriglio.com/el-pano-moruno/): First song in the cycle Siete canciones populares españolas, with El paño moruno De Falla throws the listener right into the Spanish folksong tradition.
- [Baudelaire's goats](https://gianmariagriglio.com/baudelaires-goats/): How Baudelaire's poem "L'irreparable" and an old man's story inspired a new piece.
- [Does size matter?](https://gianmariagriglio.com/does-size-matter/): Who says opera should only be staged and performed by big opera houses?   Small opera companies have the capacity to refuel people’s attention on this art, breaking the rituals and engaging new and old audiences.
- [Schumann Symphony n.3](https://gianmariagriglio.com/schumann-symphony-3/): Written just a few years before his death, Schumann's 3rd symphony is one of his most popular works.  Here's a walk through this masterpiece with musical analysis and audio excerpts.
- [Creative dissonance](https://gianmariagriglio.com/creative-dissonance/): Composing is a reflection of everyday life and how you live your emotions throughout it. Live mildly and you’ll get bland notes out of your pen. But why do that when you can have no fear of right or wrong and listen to the radio in colors?
- [Drowning culture](https://gianmariagriglio.com/drowning-culture/): The Italian government cuts once again orchestra funds. The country of culture keeps drowning.
- [Diverging rails](https://gianmariagriglio.com/diverging-rails/): A recent interview to Franz Welser-Möst got me thinking about Karl Böhm and how much a certain approach can affect the end result of a production.
- [Midsummer night's rant](https://gianmariagriglio.com/midsummer-nights-rant/): A midsummer night's rant on ego-driven performances and their lack of appeal.
- [The rape of Opera](https://gianmariagriglio.com/the-rape-of-opera/): The recent production of Guillame Tell at ROH staged a rape scene. Does it help the opera or does it take away from the music?
- [Latin flavours](https://gianmariagriglio.com/latins-flavours/): Latin composers don't make it often in concert programming, but they're influence has been everything but insignificant for other composers around the world.
- [On singers' size](https://gianmariagriglio.com/on-singers-size/): An open letter to the critics of the London Times, who are targeting singers for their appearances
- [Is structure mandatory?](https://gianmariagriglio.com/is-structure-mandatory/): Some say it’s essential to have a structure before you start writing anything. I don’t quite share that opinion, at least not completely.    A structure can be very useful, but also very constraining.
- [Gumption 'n Rose](https://gianmariagriglio.com/gumption-n-rose/): Rose Beuret, long life companion of Rodin, was not initially part of the plan.  After all the opera already had two main female charachters, the old and the young Camille.
- [Creation's fever](https://gianmariagriglio.com/creations-fever/): For a long time I thought it was just a myth, an old wives tale that people like to ramble about to look cool.    Until I experienced it first hand. I was writing the libretto for the opera “Camille Claudel” and abruptely Rose, Rodin’s wife, came into the scene. The scene is a fight between Camille and Rose, extremely confrontational and passionate on both sides.
- [Camille Claudel and Creative Fever](https://gianmariagriglio.com/camille-claudel-and-creative-fever/): Why compose an opera based on the life of Camille Claudel?  I have been asked this question more than once.    The answer, is that I was simply compelled to do it.
- [Culture shall not feed you](https://gianmariagriglio.com/culture-shall-not-feed-you/): Art in general and music in particular are not considered to be fundamental to a person’s education. Why is that the case?
- [The annoying kid](https://gianmariagriglio.com/the-annoyng-kid/): I recently experienced something that seems to be quite common in today’s concert halls: the annoying kid that will not stop moving, coughing, talking or pointing.
- [Math and music](https://gianmariagriglio.com/math-and-music/): From the point of view of providing a 360 education, people from the middle ages were more advanced that we are.
- [Give me back my right to boo! (and be booed...)](https://gianmariagriglio.com/give-me-back-my-right-to-boo-and-be-booed/): In 2011, I was for the first time in Bayreuth and had the good fortune to attend their new production of Meistersinger. What I particularly appreciated was the enormous effort of Katharina Wagner to think out of the box and bring a brilliant new take on this masterpiece. While half of the hall enjoyed the show at as much as I did, the other half thought it was horrendous and when the time came for the director to appear on stage, she was literally submerged with boos and hostility.
- [On contemporary music](https://gianmariagriglio.com/on-contemporary-music/): Why is contemporary music so frightening to audiences and artists? Why do people have hesitations (to be polite...) in attending contemporary music concerts?
- [Twelve-tone technique and the failed revolution](https://gianmariagriglio.com/twelve-tone-technique-and-the-failed-revolution/): Many of our preconceptions about music are a legacy of the late eighteenth century: a period in which music, both in the courts and in the large urban centers, assumed a very specific aesthetic, a formal connotation more defined than ever. 
- [Grieg - Two Elegiac Melodies](https://gianmariagriglio.com/grieg-two-elegiac-melodies-analysis/): During the course of his life, Grieg had several unproductive periods due to a chronic illness.  The year 1880 marked the end of one of such periods, and the inspiration came from poet Aasmund Olafsson Vinje, a proud romantic Norwegian nationalist.   Grieg, whose sentiments perfectly aligned with Vinje's, chose 12 poems to set to music as a song cycle. From those 12, Grieg transcribed two of them for string orchestra: Hjertesår (The Wounded Heart), and Våren (The Last Spring).
- [Mozart - Mass K257 - Credo](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mozart-mass-k257-credo-analysis/): The Mass K257 falls in the stream of the so-called Credo-Masses. The name is derived from the long setting of the Credo, a practice adopted on many occasions, including, among others, Mozart's own Kleine Credo Messe K192 and, later on, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis.
- [Bruckner - Symphony n.8, Mov. 4](https://gianmariagriglio.com/bruckner-symphony-n-8-mov-4-analysis/): The triumphant Finale of Bruckner 8th - the last symphony that the composer completed - is a marvel of compositional structure and clarity of process.
- [10 Black Conductors Who Changed Music History](https://gianmariagriglio.com/10-black-conductors-who-changed-music-history/): Orchestras as a whole are still, largely, whitewashed. As a classical musician myself, this has always baffled me. Here are 10 black conductors who I believe have changed music history in a large way. 
- [Haydn - Symphony n.44](https://gianmariagriglio.com/haydn-symphony-44-analysis/): Haydn's symphony 44  is known as Trauer (Mourning). An apocryphal story relates that Haydn asked for the slow movement of this symphony to be played at his funeral.
- [How to Conduct with Singers](https://gianmariagriglio.com/accompanying-singers/): Being able to recognize the voice type you are working with is crucial to conducting vocal accompaniment and a successful performance. 
- [How to Conduct with Instrumentalists](https://gianmariagriglio.com/how-to-accompany-instrumentalists/): One of the things that conductors have to face all the time is accompanying a soloist. It's still a listen and react process but the technical aspects can be different, in some ways, from conducting, let's say, a symphony. Things to consider are balance, rests, and, of course, the musical partnership between the conductor and the soloist.
- [Mussorgsky: Pictures at an exhibition](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mussorgsky-pictures-at-an-exhibition/): The painter Victor Hartmann was a close friend of Modest Mussorgsky and when he died, Mussorgsky was devastated. A couple of weeks after his passing, Hartmann's friends and supporters organized an exhibition of his paintings at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg.  And about a year later, Mussorgsky channeled his pain into a new piano work, making his memories of his close friend immortal.
- [How to conduct syncopations](https://gianmariagriglio.com/how-to-conduct-syncopations/): It is rather normal for conductors early in their studies to find themselves tricked by the change of accents within the bar, sometimes following the syncopation instead of remaining anchored to the basic pulse. In this post, we'll see a few examples of syncopated rhythms and some exercises you can practice at home.
- [Dvořák - Violin concerto](https://gianmariagriglio.com/dvorak-violin-concerto-analysis/): The only violin concerto by the great bohemian composer Antonín Dvořák was written in 1879 and cut its place out in the repertoire, especially because of its melodic lines, its folk references, and its sparkly finale
- [How to conduct accents](https://gianmariagriglio.com/how-to-conduct-accents/): Accents, just as much as cues, need to be prepared ahead of time. What if you have a fortissimo accent after a pianissimo? Or vice-versa?
- [How to conduct rests](https://gianmariagriglio.com/how-to-conduct-rests/): From small breaths to longer fermatas, rests give a conductor the opportunity to use a variety of baton strokes.
- [Liszt - Faust Symphony](https://gianmariagriglio.com/liszt-faust-symphony-analysis/): Franz Liszt's interest in Goethe's Faust was prompted by an illustrious mediation, that of Hector Berlioz, who dedicated his Damnation de Faust to Listz in 1846. The favor was returned by Liszt who dedicated to Berlioz the Faust Symphony.
- [Grieg - Holberg Suite](https://gianmariagriglio.com/grieg-holberg-suite-analysis/): Originally written for piano and transcribed for strings after its premiere, Grieg's Holberg Suite is an example of 19th-century music containing a recovery of the form and musical style of previous centuries.
- [Conducting Upbeat Technique](https://gianmariagriglio.com/the-upbeat-conducting-technique/): The most important single motion for a conductor, the upbeat, holds in itself the indications of tempo, dynamics, and articulation of the first sound the orchestra is going to play
- [Baton technique - Mixed meters](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mixed-meters-conducting-technique/): Mixed meters are an integral part of the conducting technique: what do conductors need to account for in order to make them clear for the players?
- [Beethoven - Symphony n.1](https://gianmariagriglio.com/beethoven-symphony-n-1/): A dominant seventh chord that made history: this is how Beethoven's first symphony begins. 
- [Baton technique - Legato and staccato strokes](https://gianmariagriglio.com/baton-technique-legato-and-staccato-strokes/): When music shapes the technique, legato and staccato strokes are a response to a musical articulation. Here are a few pointers on how to practice these strokes. 
- [Weber - Euryanthe Overture](https://gianmariagriglio.com/weber-euryanthe-overture-analysis/): With the opera Euryanthe, Weber, a contemporary of Beethoven, aimed at the close union of arts already advocated by Hoffmann. A concept largely inherited by Wagner.
- [Baton technique - how to control the pulse](https://gianmariagriglio.com/baton-technique-how-to-control-the-pulse/): It's one of the key aspects of conducting technique: the pulse. How do you control it?
- [Wagner - Parsifal Prelude to Act 1](https://gianmariagriglio.com/wagner-parsifal-prelude-act-1-analysis/): The very first phrase of Wagner's Prelude to Act 1 of Parsifal holds in itself the germs of dramatically important leitmotifs recurring throughout the whole opera: the Redemption, the Wound, and the spear motif. 
- [Beethoven - Leonore overture n.3](https://gianmariagriglio.com/beethoven-leonore-3-overture-analysis/): Leonore 3, one of the 4 overtures Beethoven wrote for his only opera Fidelio, is a huge symphonic fresco, often programmed as a standalone concert piece 
- [Josef Suk - Serenade for strings](https://gianmariagriglio.com/josef-suk-serenade-for-strings-analysis/): A prominent figure in the Czech musical world, Josef Suk was acclaimed by some of the greatest composers of his time like Brahms and Dvořák. His string serenade is to this day one of the audiences' favorites.
- [Mozart - Symphony n.36 "Linz"](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mozart-symphony-36-linz-analysis/): A masterpiece written in 4 days: Mozart's Linz symphony breaks the conventions with the Haffner and sets the tone for his latest symphonies
- [Brahms - Symphony n.1 Movement 4](https://gianmariagriglio.com/brahms-symphony-1-movement-4-analysis/): As with the first movement, Brahms begins the 4th movement of his first symphony with an introduction in C minor. The grandiosity of the musical gesture gives us a taste of what's to come. 
- [Tchaikovsky - Serenade for strings [ANALYSIS]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/tchaikovsky-serenade-for-strings-analysis/): An analysis of Tchaikovsky's Serenade for strings, a cornerstone of the repertoire and a piece that every conductor must face at one point or another
- [Mieczysław Karłowicz - Serenade for strings](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mieczyslaw-karlowicz-serenade-for-strings/): The Serenade for strings of Mieczysław Karłowicz has gained its spot in the repertoire. Winking at Tchaikovsky and Dvořák, this serenade, with its beautiful melodies, is fun to play and to listen to.
- [Gabriel Fauré - Pelléas et Mélisande Prelude [ANALYSIS]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/pelleas-et-melisande-faure-prelude-analysis/): The Prelude to Fauré 's Pelléas et Mélisande is imbued with the gentleness and drama of the characters . Rich in orchestration, it's a gorgeous page where the main challenge for a conductor lies in the subtleties of the constant push-and-pull
- [Béla Bartók - Romanian Folk Dances](https://gianmariagriglio.com/bartok-rumanian-folk-dances/): Embued in the richness of the folk tunes of Hungary, Bartók's Rumanian Folk Dances are an orchestral miniature firmly set in the repertoire, often appearing in conducting auditions and competitions.
- [The Benefits of the Podium: A Flutist's Perspective](https://gianmariagriglio.com/benefits-conducting-flutist-perspective/): How does a player benefit from conducting lessons? Find out how flutist Aleah Fitzwater improved the quality of her playing through a deeper understanding of conducting and its non-verbal mechanisms.
- [Schreker - Der Schatzgräber Interlude](https://gianmariagriglio.com/schreker-der-schatzgraeber-interlude/): The luscious interlude from Schreker's Der Schatzgräber is a gripping symphonic page rich in tempo changes and harmonic shifts
- [Puccini - Manon Lescaut Intermezzo](https://gianmariagriglio.com/puccini-manon-lescaut-intermezzo/): The Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut is one of the most powerful symphonic pages in the repertoire. Conducting-wise the trickiest aspect is the art of rubato.
- [Beethoven - Egmont Ouverture](https://gianmariagriglio.com/beethoven-egmont-analysis/): Beethoven's Egmont Overture remains one of his most popular works. Taking after the Dutch hero depicted in Goethe's play, Beethoven gives us another musical portray of his political views
- [Richard Strauss - Till Eulenspiegel [ANALYSIS]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/richard-strauss-till-eulenspiegel-analysis/): The witty trickster boy depicted in music by the intricate orchestration of one of Richard Strauss's most popular tone poems.
- [Ravel - Mother Goose Suite (Ma Mère l'Oye) [ANALYSIS]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/ravel-mother-goose-suite-analysis/): 5 pieces for children turned into one of the most elegant orchestral suites: Ravel's Mother Goose Suite (Ma mère l’Oye). In this episode, after a bit of introduction, I'll dive into the first 2 movements: the Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty and Little Tom Thumb.
- [Mozart - Die Zauberflöte Overture [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mozart-magic-flute-overture-analysis/): A wonder of sonata form mixed with a fugato in a formal perfection of orchestral writing: this is Mozart's Overture to the Magic Flute
- [Franz Liszt: Dante Symphony – Part 2](https://gianmariagriglio.com/franz-liszt-dante-symphony-part-2/): From the circles of hell, we'll ascend to the purgatory in the epic Liszt's Dante Symphony. 
- [Franz Liszt: Dante Symphony - Part 1](https://gianmariagriglio.com/franz-liszt-dante-symphony-part-1/): A mesmerizing descend into hell: Dante's Divine Comedy turned into a symphonic poem by the imagination of Franz Liszt
- [Wagner - Tannhäuser Overture  [ANALYSIS]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/wagner-tannhauser-overture-analysis/): The luscious, energic and grandiose overture to Wagner's Tannhäuser. 
- [Mendelssohn – Italian Symphony – Part 2 [ANALYSIS]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mendelssohn-italian-symphony-part-2-analysis/): The elegant 3rd movement and the energic and whirly 4th movement conclude this journey through Italy as seen through Mendelssohn's eyes. 
- [Mendelssohn - Italian Symphony - Part 1  [ANALYSIS]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mendelssohn-italian-symphony-part-1-analysis/): The vitality of an Italian piazza and a religious procession: an analysis of the first 2 movements of Mendelssohn's Symphony n.4
- [Mozart - Don Giovanni Ouverture [ANALYSIS]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mozart-don-giovanni-ouverture-analysis/): Ominous, sparkling, surprising, and most of all ahead of its own time. Find all of this out through this analysis of this Mozart's masterpiece
- [Schubert Symphony n.5 - Part 2 [ANALYSIS]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/schubert-symphony-5-part-2-analysis/): The analysis of the 3rd and 4th movements of Schubert's charming symphony n.5
- [Schubert Symphony n.5 - Part 1 [ANALYSIS]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/schubert-symphony-5-part-1-analysis/): The lighthearted and harmonically subtle 5th symphony of Franz Schubert: its first and second movements are the subject of this post.
- [Mahler – Das Lied von der Erde – Part 3](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mahler-das-lied-von-der-erde-part-3/): The last article on Das Lied von der Erde, covering the final two movements of this magnificent Mahler's Symphony
- [Mahler - Das Lied von der Erde - Part 2](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mahler-das-lied-von-der-erde-mov-3-4-analysis/): The journey into Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde continues with the analysis of the 3rd and 4th movements
- [Mahler - Das Lied von der Erde - Part 1](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mahler-das-lied-von-der-erde-analysis-part-1/): The analysis of the 1st and 2nd movements of one of the pinnacles of symphony writing: Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde.
- [Joseph Haydn - Symphony n.88 mov.1 [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/haydn-symphony-88-mov-1-analysis/): Wittiness, humour, and masterful composing craftmanship are the key elements of Haydn's symphony n.88, analyzed in this article.
- [Johannes Brahms - Symphony n.4 mov.1 [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/johannes-brahms-symphony-n-4-mov-1-analysis/): The complex simplicity of romantic melancholy depicted in music, nested into the most classical form.
- [How to study a score more efficiently with Visual Score Study](https://gianmariagriglio.com/how-to-study-a-score-more-efficiently-visual-score-study/): Visual Score Study: how to look at the score from a technical point of view and improve your conducting studying
- [De Falla - La Danza ritual del fuego](https://gianmariagriglio.com/de-falla-la-danza-ritual-del-fuego/): One of the most popular standalone pieces from De Falla's ballet El amor brujo.
- [Verdi - La forza del destino Ouverture [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/verdi-la-forza-del-destino-ouverture-analysis/): The wonderful themes of an opera taking place in Spain but written for the St.Petersburg theater condensed in this standalone symphonic masterpiece which is the Sinfonia from Giuseppe Verdi's La Forza del Destino.
- [Dvořák – Serenade for strings [analysis] – PART 2: movements 3, 4, and 5](https://gianmariagriglio.com/dvorak-serenade-for-strings-analysis-part-2-movements-3-4-and-5/): A scherzo, the sweetest slow movement, and a brilliant finale.
- [Dvořák - Serenade for strings  [analysis] - PART 1: movements 1 and 2](https://gianmariagriglio.com/dvorak-serenade-for-strings-analysis-mov-1-2/): A milestone for every conductor: Dvořák's Serenade for strings. The first part covers movements 1 and 2
- [Mozart Symphony n.40 K550 - Movements 2-3](https://gianmariagriglio.com/mozart-symphony-n-40-k550-movements-2-3-analysis/): The analysis of the 2nd and 3rd movements of Mozart's 40th symphony
- [Elgar Serenade for strings [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/elgar-serenade-for-strings-analysis-conducting/): The joyful naivete of an outdoor evening coupled with the passionate lines preluding to his later works: Elgar's Serenade for strings
- [Conducting Smetana - The Moldau [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-smetana-the-moldau-analysis/): The beauty of the Czech landscape in Smetana's musical fresco
- [Schumann Symphony n.1 "Spring" - 1st mov. [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/schumann-symphony-1-spring-mov-1-analysis/): A joyful and sparkly outburst of energy, mixed with dark moods and dynamic shifts, topped by an obsessive rhythmic figure: this is Schumann's 1st symphony "Spring".
- [Rachmaninov - Piano concerto n.2 mov. 1 [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/rachmaninov-piano-concerto-2-mov-1-analysis/): The luscious, passionate melody that sweeps you away; the virtuoso parts interlaced with the orchestra; and the challenges of accompanying a soloist. 
- [Conducting Haydn Symphony n.104 "London" [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-haydn-symphony-104-london-analysis/): Friend of Mozart and teacher of Beethoven; popular to the point the King of England bowed to him; father of the symphony. We're talking about Joseph Haydn and his last symphony.
- [Conducting Mozart Symphony K504 "Prague" - 1st mov. [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-mozart-symphony-k504-prague-1st-mov-analysis/): Part of the major repertoire for any conductor, the "Prague" symphony is challenging in many ways: tempo, harmony, counterpoint.
- [Beethoven: Symphony n.4 - mov.1 [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/beethoven-symphony-n-4-mov-1-analysis/): Full of surprises and joie de vivre: Beethoven's 4th symphony's structure, phrasing, harmony and conducting tips  
- [Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet Overture [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/tchaikovsky-romeo-and-juliet-overture-analysis/): At first, Romeo and Juliet was not successful either in Russia or in Europe. But a small but powerful group of musicians showed its appreciation for it: Camille Saint-Saëns, in France, and the group of five in Russia. Romeo and Juliet went from a criticized piece to one of the most loved of all times: its love theme, with its passionate melody, has sunk into our own consciousness.
- [Conducting Revueltas: Sensemayá [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/revueltas-sensemaya-conducting-analysis/): A Latin Rite of Spring, full of mythological dances of the Mayas and the Aztecs and a ritual ending with the killing of a tropical snake: this is Revueltas' Sensemayá.
- [Conducting Janáček: Taras Bulba - Death of Andrei [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-janacek-taras-bulba-death-of-andrei-analysis/): Taras Bulba is among Janáček most significant works for orchestra alone. Once a rare piece, this rhapsody for orchestra has now become part of the standard repertoire thanks to its sophisticated harmonic language and its undeniable passion.
- [Conducting Dvořák: Symphony n.7 Mov.1 [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-dvorak-symphony-7-mov-1-analysis/): Culture wars and rising racism: historical context, structure, and conducting tips of the 1st movement of  Dvořák's 7th symphony 
- [Beethoven Symphony n.7, Mov. 1 [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/beethoven-symphony-7-mov-1-analysis/): How does a piece of music without any description manage to raise more descriptive explanations than any other work, ranging from catacombs to political revolution? What's the glue holding the entire symphony together? And what's one of the biggest issues that arise when interpreting this piece?
- [Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, 2nd movement [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/scheherazade-analysis-2nd-movement-rimsky-korsakov/): How did an amateur composer manage to weave one of the most magic carpets in the history of music? How did he create a narrative sound that transports us in an exhilarating journey to the fairy tale dimension of the far east?
- [Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique [analysis] 1st movement](https://gianmariagriglio.com/berlioz-symphonie-fantastique-analysis-mov-1/): Certainly Berlioz's most popular work, the Symphonie Fantastique could be defined as the first psychedelic symphony.  In this post, we'll go through an analysis of the 1st mov. and Berlioz's own program notes, both from 1845 and from 1855. And of course, some technical tips.
- [Conducting Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-dukas-sorcerer-apprentice-analysis/): Notoriously, The Sorcerer's apprentice was used in the Disney cartoon Fantasia. But the great popularity that it got from it also shadowed some of its unique characteristics, such as its structure and its orchestration. 
- [Conducting Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-ravel-pavane-pour-une-infante-defunte/): The Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a dead princess) is one of Ravel's most popular pieces and one that sooner or later comes to the attention of any conductor: it's relatively simple, with a very linear structure, and it's scored for a chamber orchestra. The real challenge is hidden in the orchestration and all the nuances that need to emerge by reading through the lines.
- [Conducting Schubert 8 "Unfinished" Symphony [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-schubert-8-unfinished-symphony-analysis/): Schubert's Unfinished Symphony is an open door to romanticism: why was it left incomplete? What was wrongly changed by an editor?
- [Conducting Beethoven Symphony n.2 Movement 1 [analysis]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-beethoven-symphony-n-2-movement-1-analysis/): Beethoven's Symphony n.2 is a piece that sooner or later becomes part of every conductor's repertoire. In this post, we'll go through an analysis of its 1st movement, its structure, and phrasing with, of course, some technical tips.
- [Conducting Mozart: Symphony n.40 K550 - 1st movement](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-mozart-symphony-40-k550-analysis/): Although one of the most recognizable pieces of all classical western music, Mozart's symphony n.40 K550 remains, like most of Mozart's music, full of traps, even though it doesn't seem so difficult to conduct from a technical point of view.  In this article we'll tackle the first movement of this immortal work, its structure, and phrasing, the "G minor key" aspect, and, of course, some technical tips.
- [Conducting Dvořák: Symphony n.9 - 1st movement](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-dvorak-symphony-9-mov-1-analysis/): Dvořák's Symphony n.9 "From the New World" is mandatory learning for any conductor: here we'll go through an analysis of its first movement, looking at structure, harmony, the "American" aspects of the music, and, of course, a few conducting tips. 
- [Conducting Tchaikovsky: Symphony n.5, 1st movement](https://gianmariagriglio.com/tchaikovsky-symphony-5-mov-1-analysis/): A milestone for every conductor, Tchaikovsky's Symphony n.5 is full of different motives: here's an analysis of the 1st mov. from a conductor's perspective.
- [Podium Time Podcast [2020 Interview]](https://gianmariagriglio.com/podium-time-podcast-2020-interview/): Podium Time is a fantastic podcast not just for conductors and conducting students but also for everyone who would like a peek on how different conductors work, think, and come to certain decisions, which are sometimes opposite but equally valuable. 
- [Conducting Mendelssohn: The Hebrides](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-mendelssohn-the-hebrides/): For a conductor, Mendelssohn's The Hebrides is a really fun piece to perform, with its changes in dynamics and its ascending/descending lines being perfect spots for registration and fluidity of gestures.
- [Conducting Beethoven: Coriolan ouverture](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-coriolan-ouverture-beethoven/): Beethoven's Coriolan Ouverture could be defined as a miniature symphonic poem: here's an analysis of the piece, keeping an eye on its conducting issues.
- [Conducting Mahler: an analysis of Symphony n.2 - Movement 1](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-mahler-symphony-n-2-movement-1/): A gigantic undertaking for any conductor, Mahler's symphony n.2 demands exceptional analysis and technique. in this post we'll take a look at the 1st movement from a conducting point of view
- [Conducting Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-debussy-prelude-a-lapres-midi-dun-faune/): The Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune is one of the most challenging pieces for any conductor: here's an analysis of the piece with a few conducting tips.
- [Johannes Brahms: a conductor's approach to Symphony n.1 ~ The first movement](https://gianmariagriglio.com/johannes-brahms-conductors-approach-to-symphony-1-movement-1/): Brahms Symphony n.1 from a conductor's perspective: the first movement
- [Johannes Brahms: a conductor's approach to Symphony n.1 ~ The introduction](https://gianmariagriglio.com/johannes-brahms-a-conductors-approach-to-symphony-n-1/): Looking at Johannes Brahms Symphony n.1 from a conductor's perspective: the key factors of tempo, balance, dynamics, and lines in the introduction.
- [10 women conductor who made history](https://gianmariagriglio.com/10-women-conductor-who-made-history/): 10 of the most influential women conductors in history: from Chiquinha Gonzaga to Antonia Louisa Brico, Veronika Dudarova and Xiaoying Zheng
- [Frederick Delius - La Calinda](https://gianmariagriglio.com/frederick-delius-la-calinda/): The single most famous musical passage from Delius' third opera "Koanga" contains the melody known as La Calinda, which is the only part of the score that has remained famous in the concert hall.
- [Conducting technique: how to break patterns](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-technique-how-to-break-patterns/): 3 ways to break a conducting pattern: registration, strokes types and body placement – resulting from pitch, notes' length and dynamics and orchestration
- [Henri Duparc - Lénore](https://gianmariagriglio.com/henri-duparc-lenore/): Due to mental illness, Duparc destroyed most of his music: Lénore, one of the few left, is a symphonic poem based on one of the most popular ballads in German literature.
- [Hans von Bülow - Nirvana](https://gianmariagriglio.com/hans-von-bulow-nirvana/): Legendary conductor Hans von Bülow, considered by Wagner the only one who could conduct his operas, was also a composer.  "Nirvana" is a symphonic poem and one of the few works of his that survived.
- [How to practice conducting at home](https://gianmariagriglio.com/how-to-practice-conducting-at-home/): How do orchestra conductors practice home? With time one learns to articulate musical thoughts but in the beginning it's good to have a few tips...
- [Body and baton placement](https://gianmariagriglio.com/body-and-baton-placement-for-conductor/): The orchestra can judge conductors even before they lift the baton: good body posture and baton placement are an excellent starting point
- [Alexander Borodin - Requiem](https://gianmariagriglio.com/alexander-borodin-requiem/): Alexander Borodin's Requiem is not your regular requiem: it's a 5 minutes piece based on "Chopsticks"
- [How to give a cue: preparation and release for orchestra and singers](https://gianmariagriglio.com/how-to-give-cue-conducting-technique/): Giving a cue is one of the conductor's jobs. A clear cue consists of 2 parts: preparation and release. Eye contact, as well as breathing, is crucial.  
- [Vítězslav Novák - In the Tatra Mountains](https://gianmariagriglio.com/vitezslav-novak-tatra-mountains/): Vítězslav Novák was a brilliant Czech composer: his tone poem In the Tatra Mountains (V Tatrách) shows folk influences, combined with impressionism, and a monumental vision of the symphonic architecture.
- [Vasily Kalinnikov - Symphony n.1](https://gianmariagriglio.com/vasily-kalinnikov-symphony-n-1/): Kalinnikov has not been one of the most prolific composers in history but his first symphony, also conducted by Toscanini during a special broadcast with the NBC Symphony Orchestra, is to this day part of the standard Russian repertoire.
- [Tempo changes in conducting](https://gianmariagriglio.com/conducting-tempo-changes/): Choosing the tempo is already a big challenge for a conductor. What if you need to change the tempo, instantly or gradually? How do you do it technically?
- [Havergal Brian - Symphony n.1 "Gothic"](https://gianmariagriglio.com/havergal-brian-symphony-1-gothic/): Brian's Gothic Symphony is one of the biggest works ever written for the concert stage: 1 hour and 40 minutes, employing almost 800 musicians.
- [How to talk to an orchestra during a rehearsal](https://gianmariagriglio.com/how-to-talk-to-an-orchestra-during-rehearsal/): This guide covers essential tips for conductors, focusing on preparation, communication, rehearsal management, and fostering a productive relationship with the orchestra.
- [Amy Beach - Symphony in E-minor, Op.32 "Gaelic"](https://gianmariagriglio.com/amy-beach-symphony-gaelic/): A remarkable child prodigy, Amy Beach was the first female composer to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra: the “Gaelic” Symphony was premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1896.
- [Conducting technique: the power of the left hand](https://gianmariagriglio.com/left-hand-conducting-technique/): From colors to solos, there is a world of opportunities that gives the conductor's left hand a chance to create a technique that is really unique.
- [Lili Boulanger: D'un matin de printemps](https://gianmariagriglio.com/lili-boulanger-dun-matin-de-printemps/): Lili Boulanger's "D'un matin de printemps" is a skillfully crafted tone poem, rich of impressionist colors and morning scents.

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