My latest for Liberty Fund: Die erste Walpurgisnacht
My article on Goethe’s dramatic ballad “Die erste Walpurgisnacht” (the first Walpurgis Night) and Mendelssohn’s musical setting of it is up on the Liberty Fund website.
My writing
New article on Wagner and Nazism
My latest article for the Online Library of Liberty, “Wagner and Nazism,” looks at Richard Wagner’s muddled political philosophy. The Nazis made him a cultural icon, and in some ways you can see why, but it would be unfair to call him a proto-Nazi. His music should stand or fall on its own merits. This article looks into some of the complexities.
Lully and music under Louis XIV
Here’s my latest for the Online Library of Liberty: “The Politics of Music Under Louis XIV.” Under Louis, successful art was art which he liked, by people he liked. In music, that meant Jean-Baptiste Lully, who got monopoly privileges from the king.
There are lots of famous German and Italian composers from that period, but French composers who weren’t Lully didn’t have much of a chance. Lully finally killed himself by conducting too vigorously.
New article: “Bach’s Ode to Caffeine”
I’ve got a new article up on the Liberty Fund website: “Bach’s Ode to Caffeine.” Johann Sebastian Bach’s cantata, “Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht,” more often known in English as the “Coffee Cantata,” was likely first performed at Zimmermann’s Coffeehouse, where he was a regular performer. It’s a miniature comic opera in which a father wages a one-man War on Coffee.
If you’d like to hear the cantata, I highly recommend this performance on YouTube:
Fly, my bird! 5
Here’s Chapter 40 of The Magic Battery. It’s a little Christmas story by itself.
The Christmas guests at Thomas’s house were the mages Lucas Schneider, Jacob Kessler, and their families. The dinner, everyone agreed, was excellent. The fire made the room pleasantly warm. Everyone was in good spirits.
Kessler stood on a chair and raised his cup. “To Thomas Lorenz, for bringing in a new age of magic!” All joined in enthusiastically.
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Smashwords end of year sale: 50% off my books
Starting today, December 15, and until New Year’s Day, Smashwords is running a sitewide end-of-year sale on participating books. This includes all three of my books on Smashwords, which are available at 50% off. While you’re there, look for other titles that might interest you. Here are the links for my books:
The Magic Battery and Spells of War: Now in paperback!
Just in time for your holiday shopping, The Magic Battery and Spells of War are now available from Amazon in paperback!
A review of Spells of War
Walter Donway has written an enthusiastic review of Spells of War. It’s always nice to see these. Give it a mention if you’d like to help my sales. If you haven’t gotten Spells of War yet, I hope this review will push you to buy and read it.
New article on OLL: Authority and Oppression in Verdi’s Operas
My latest article for Online Library of Liberty, “Authority and Oppression in Verdi’s Operas”, is now up for your reading enjoyment. I’m especially proud of the research that went into this one.
Smashwords summer sale: 50% off my books
The Magic Battery and Spells of War are available at half price as part of Smashwords’ site-wide July promotion. No coupon code is necessary; just go to the book’s page. These prices are good through the end of July 2022.