Stephen Johnson

"The world premiere of Gustav Mahler's Eighth Symphony in Munich in 1910 was the artistic breakthrough for which the composer had yearned all his life, filling Munich's huge Neue Musik-Festhalle on two successive evenings to rapturous and tumultuous applause. Representatives of many European royal houses were in attendance, along with luminaries of literary and musical world. Also in attendance were Alma Mahler, the composer's young wife, and Alma's...

Edinburgh, Scotland - 1766 One particular bible is printed in the Kincaid and Bell print shop and makes its way to its first family in Ayr, Scotland. For over 250 years, this small Family Bible would weave its way throughout the United States of America beginning in Charleston, South Carolina, in the late 1790's, ending up in Tennessee in 2001, where it remains today. Its recorded journey introduces seven generations and a multitude of characters....

Wagner's Ring cycle is the most ambitious work in the history of music: four operas that combine to tell a single epic story. Based in legend, it has become a legend in its own right: a supreme challenge for conductors, singers, opera producers, and indeed for audiences. But for all its grandeur and complexity, The Ring is far more accessible than many music lovers think. This two-CD guide explains the basics of the plot, profiles the leading characters,...