Night Music

This lecture-recital in Washington, D.C. explored parallels between James McNeill Whistler's Nocturnes and the musical nocturne of the 19th and 20th centuries, and presented a musical reading of particular paintings. Links were drawn between Whistler's art and the music of Chopin, Beethoven and Barber. The musical program included a performance of the following works: Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp minor, op. 27, no. 1 (1835) and Nocturne in C-sharp minor (1835, published posthumously 1875); Beethoven's Sonata in C-sharp minor, op. 27, no. 2, first movement; and Samuel Barber's Nocturne (homage to John Field), op. 33 (1959). The concert was advertised in the Washington Post on 25 June 2010. Funded by: Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution