His record label, Putumayo, gathered sounds from around the globe and pushed them into the mainstream, selling 35 million compilation CDs worldwide.
Category: Music
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5 Highlights From the Pianist Alfred Brendel’s Sprawling Career
Brendel, who died on Tuesday at 94, concentrated on a small number of canonical composers, mainly Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert.
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The Best Classical Music of 2025, So Far
Our critics picked nine performances that included star turns, new opera productions and the unveiling of a concert hall at the Frick Collection.
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Alfred Brendel, Bravura Pianist Who Forged a Singular Path, Dies at 94
With little formal training but full of ideas, he focused on the core classical composers, winning over audiences (though not every critic) worldwide.
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Does It Matter How a Cello Is Held? It’s a Centuries-Old Debate.
Historical response to the cello endpin, which anchors the instrument to the floor, has alternated between acceptance and pushback.
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American Modern Opera Company Arrives at Lincoln Center
The American Modern Opera Company is taking over Lincoln Center for a five-week residency. It is both a milestone and a homecoming for these artists.
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Foday Musa Suso, 75, Dies; Ambitious Ambassador for West African Music
A master of the kora who worked with Herbie Hancock and Philip Glass, his career was powered as much by experimentation as by reverence for tradition.
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Arthur Hamilton, Who Wrote the Enduring ‘Cry Me a River,’ Dies at 98
A hit for Julie London in 1955, it was later recorded by — among many others — Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand and Michael Bublé, who praised it for its “darkness.”
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Review: ‘The Counterfeit Opera’ on Little Island Falls Short
At Little Island, “The Counterfeit Opera” falls short of its wildly successful historical models.
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Brian Wilson and Beach Boys’ Style Showed What California Living Looked Like
In Pendleton shirts and khakis, Mr. Wilson and the Beach Boys showed the world what easy Southern California living looked like.
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How “Pet Sounds” Became the Beach Boys Masterpiece
Brian Wilson’s 1966 masterpiece is now considered a crowning achievement of music. The album’s reputation grew over time.
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As Mister Romantic, John C. Reilly Just Wants to Spread Love
The actor’s passion project is a cabaret act in which he sings the standards. “It might sound Pollyanna-ish,” he says, but his goal is to connect.