ITL #14: The King’s Gambit

New year, new ITL: after some light banter about the rebranding, Chris and Sridhar discuss the similarities between music and chess, why it might be that there are so many musicians who are avid chess players, a poster for an old New York Philharmonic concert conducted by none other than Gustav Mahler, Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherezade,” and Leonard Bernstein’s affinity for Mahler.

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Useful Links:

Ennio Morricone Plays Chess - Paris Review interview

Leonard Bernstein explains the harmonic series

Bernstein conducts Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique

Composer Alexander Liebermann notates animal sounds

Olivier Messiaen - Le Merle Noir (The Blackbird)

Arnold Schoenberg's paintings

Chris's Elementary School chess handbook

Bobby Fischer Against the World on YouTube

Arthur Rimbaud - one of the few poetic prodigies

Sergei Nakariakov - shopping for a new trumpet

How many chess games are possible? - Numberphile video

Gustav Mahler - wikipedia

Program for Mahler's matinee with the New York Philharmonic

Scheherazade (1001 Arabian Nights)

Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov piece) - wikipedia

Scheherazade - Sinfónica de Galicia (YARR!)

Leif Segerstam - Finnish composer/conductor

Bernstein conducts Mahler's unfinished Symphony no. 10

Mahler - "Ulricht" from Symphony no. 2 on theremin

Who is Gustav Mahler? - Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts

The Unanswered Question: Bernstein on Mahler

Mahler rehearsals with Leonard Bernstein

Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack

The Mask of Zorro suite by James Horner

Alma Mahler - wikipedia

Bernstein & Alma

Tom Lehrer - "Alma"