It changed my world

She gave us all permission. Until Joni, I felt like all these feelings and all of that artsitic expression and working out your sexual selves and your emotional selves in a public and creative forum - I thought that was all the province of men until Joni did it. And then I saw how possible it was for a woman to explore [that] in a public arena. And it was completely inspiring. It changed my world.
Rosanne Cash on Joni Mitchell in Listen to This by Alan Reder and John Baxter. Can classical music help change the world?

Sleeve scan is Joni's 1969 album Clouds. Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). Report errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk

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The Berlin Philharmonic's darkest hour

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Wilhelm Furtwängler was born on 25th January 1886. He was Music Director of the Berlin Philharmonic from 1923 to his death in 1954, and held this position for the twelve years that Hitler was in power. In January 1945 he was conducting in Vienna, and fled from there to Switzerland where he remained until the Battle of Berlin ended in the defeat of the Nazis. The musicians of his orchestra remained in Berlin during its darkest hour. Here is their story: On 28th March 1945 the Russian forces commanded by Marshal Georgy Zhukov were just twenty miles to the east of Berlin. A month previously Albert Speer had been replaced as Nazi armaments minister after trying to persuade Hitler that defeat was inevitable. Speer now turned his energies to preventing the musicians of his adored Berlin Philharmonic from perishing in the inevitable final battle. Reich Commisioner Dr Joseph Goebells, who was in charge of the defence of Berlin, had ordered the entire orchestra to be drafted into the Vol
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Audio perfectionists are an almost extinct breed

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Never sit in the comfy chair

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Classical music is not connecting with its rewired audience

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Classical music has many saviours

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Master musician who experienced the pain of genius

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