Clef Notes

In honor of Women’s History Month, we reviewed The Only Girl in the Orchestra, one of the nominees for Best Documentary Short at the 97th Academy Awards, set to take place on March 2. The film paints an intimate portrait of double bassist Orin O’Brien, the first female full-time musician hired by the New York Philharmonic in 1966. Now 87 and recently retired, O'Brien reflects on her life and career and the fulfillment she has found playing “second fiddle.”

March 3, 2025, marks the 150th anniversary of the premiere of one of the most popular operas of all time: Georges Bizet’s Carmen. While today it is in constant rotation at opera houses around the world—beloved for its memorable tunes and dramatic love story—the opera was not an immediate hit when it premiered at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Its poor initial reception may have even exacerbated Bizet’s already frail health. He died at age 36, just three months after the premiere. Read on to learn more about the turbulent beginnings of what is now a timeless classic.

On February 14, Cedille Records will release Songs in Flight, an album of world premiere recordings of vocal music by Chicago-based composer Shawn E. Okpebholo. The titular song cycle was inspired by the Freedom on the Move database, an archive of over 30,000 advertisements for runaway enslaved individuals from early American newspapers. The album features singers Rhiannon Giddens, Will Liverman, Reginald Mobley, and Karen Slack; pianist Paul Sánchez; and saxophonist Julian Velasco. Read on for our full review.

This month, we honor the 500th birthday of perhaps the best-known composer of the Italian Renaissance, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525–1594). Unlike most of his contemporaries and predecessors, Palestrina was unique in that his reputation continued to rise and his music continued to circulate long after his death, in large part because of the oft-repeated story that he “saved” Catholic church music. In this article, we examine the man behind the myth in search of a more comprehensive view of his musical contributions. Plus, we provide you with a specially curated Spotify playlist.

Here at Clef Notes, we’re always interested in how classical music is used in works of literature. This month, we review Deborah Levy’s latest novel, August Blue (2023). The book is told from the perspective of a famed concert pianist named Elsa A. Anderson, who leaves her illustrious performing career behind in search of her identity outside of the one that was created for her. What ensues is a journey of self-discovery told through Levy’s shimmering prose that blends the hyperreal with the surreal. Read on for our review and to listen to a Spotify playlist of music from the book.

Classical manager Max Ramirez takes us through some changes coming to the programming on Classical 90.9 in the new year.

We had the honor of interviewing author and botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer, recipient of the 2023 National Humanities Medal. Kimmerer wrote the libretto for Singing Land, a new piece commissioned by the Jupiter String Quartet with music by composer Su Lian Tan. The Jupiter String Quartet and UI Chamber Singers will premiere Singing Land on Sunday, January 26 at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Read on to learn more about Singing Land and what Kimmerer hopes audiences take away from the work.

Around the world, people celebrate the dawning of a new year with a wide array of traditions. In the United States, we set off fireworks and watch the ball drop from Times Square, while in other countries people eat grapes, burn effigies, jump off chairs, and even throw furniture and plates out of windows. Across cultural traditions there is one common thread—music—whether it’s the tolling of bells, the singing of folk songs, or the dancing of Viennese waltzes. In the English-speaking world, the music we generally associate with New Year’s celebrations is the Scottish air “Auld Lang Syne.” In this article, we investigate the origins behind this wistful ode to times and friends gone by.

In spite of its historical inaccuracy, Amadeus (1984) is still one of the greatest films about classical music of all time. Directed by Miloš Forman, Amadeus was adapted from Peter Shaffer’s 1979 stage play of the same name, which itself was inspired by Alexander Pushkin’s 1830 play Mozart and Salieri. In honor of the film’s 40th anniversary, we discuss why it has endured as a classic film beloved by musicians and non-musicians alike.

Recently, there has been a spate of films about classical music starring A-list actors: Bradley Cooper as conductor Leonard Bernstein in Maestro (2023), Cate Blanchett as the fictional conductor Lydia Tár in Tár (2022), and now Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas in Maria, in theaters November 27 and streaming on Netflix December 11. Each role has demanded significant preparation from the lead actors, requiring them to master skills such as conducting, playing the piano, speaking German, and in Jolie’s case, singing. In this article, we preview how Jolie trained for the role of Callas and what making the film has taught her.