Masterful essays honoring the great pianist and critic Charles Rosen, on masterpieces from Bach and Beethoven to Chopin, Verdi, and Stockhausen. Charles Rosen, the pianist and man of letters, is perhaps the single most influential writer on music of the past half-century. While Rosen's vast range as a writer and performer is encyclopedic, it has focused particularly on theliving "canonical" repertory extending from Bach to Boulez. Inspired in its liveliness and variety of critical approaches by Charles Rosen's challenging work, Variations on the Canon offers original essays by some of the world's most eminent musical scholars. Contributors address such issues as style and compositional technique, genre, influence and modeling, and reception history; develop insights afforded by close examination of compositional sketches; and consider what language and metaphors might most meaningfully convey insights into music. However diverse the modes of inquiry, each essay sheds new light on the works of those composers posterity has deemed central to the modern Western musical tradition. Contributors: Pierre Boulez, Scott Burnham, Elliott Carter, Robert Curry, Walter Frisch, David Gable, Philip Gossett, Jeffrey Kallberg, Joseph Kerman, Richard Kramer, William Kinderman, Lewis Lockwood, Sir Charles Mackerras, Robert L. Marshall, Robert P. Morgan, Charles Rosen, Julian Rushton, David Schulenberg, Laszlo Somfai, Leo Treitler, James Webster, and Robert Winter. Robert Curry is principalof the Conservatorium High School and honorary senior lecturer in the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Sydney; David Gable is Assistant Professor of Music at Clark-Atlanta University; Robert L. Marshall is Louis, Frances, and Jeffrey Sachar Professor Emeritus of Music at Brandeis University.

Collection of archive footage featuring works by Giuseppe Verdi. Arturo Toscanini conducts the NBC Symphony Orchestra in a performance from 1943 of the 'La Forza del Destino' overture. Carlo Maria Giulini leads the New Philharmonia Orchestra in the 'I Vespri Siciliani' overture and 'Quattro Pezzi Sacri: Stabat Mater', recorded in 1968. Finally, Charles Mackerras conducts the London Symphony Orchestra in a 1958 performance featuring 'Ehi! Taverniere!' from 'Falstaff' and 'Vanne... Credo in un Dio Crudel' from 'Otello', sung by baritone Tito Gobbi.

Collection of archive footage featuring works by Giuseppe Verdi. Arturo Toscanini conducts the NBC Symphony Orchestra in a performance from 1943 of the 'La Forza del Destino' overture. Carlo Maria Giulini leads the New Philharmonia Orchestra in the 'I Vespri Siciliani' overture and 'Quattro Pezzi Sacri: Stabat Mater', recorded in 1968. Finally, Charles Mackerras conducts the London Symphony Orchestra in a 1958 performance featuring 'Ehi! Taverniere!' from 'Falstaff' and 'Vanne... Credo in un Dio Crudel' from 'Otello', sung by baritone Tito Gobbi.

Collection of three of Mozart's operas performed at the Royal Opera House. Charles Mackerras conducts a 2008 production of 'Don Giovanni' starring Simon Keenlyside as the eponymous character. Keenlyside also features in 'Die Zauberflöte' (2003), alongside Dorothea Röschmann and Will Hartmann with Colin Davis conducting. Finally, the cast of 'Le Nozze di Figaro' (2006) includes Erwin Schrott, Miah Persson and Gerald Finley with Antonio Pappano as conducter. The Royal Opera House Orchestra and Chorus perform each of Mozart's scores.

Collection of archive performances of works by Richard Strauss. Recorded between 1961 and 1970, the footage features Irmgard Seefried, Hertha Töpper, Rita Streich and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.

Collection of archive performances of works by Richard Strauss. Recorded between 1961 and 1970, the footage features Irmgard Seefried, Hertha Töpper, Rita Streich and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.