E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) was a man of diversified talents, an artist, composer, conductor, critic, jurist, and writer. Although he is best known for his stories, he was a music critic and composer for years before he wrote his celebrated Tales. Hoffmann has long been considered an extremely important force in the shaping of musical romanticism, yet this volume is the first adequate documentation of his influence. Because much of the primary material...

Initially imagined as a way to create a grassroots community of performers and offer an alternative to classical music's dogma of highly trained musicians, this album blends professional and amateur talents in its cast of 1,000 choir singers, musicians, conductors, actors, and dancers.