Author Archives: Neil Kurtzman
A Photon – Time and Space
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 7th April 2026The subject of this post is off topic by a lot, but it’s interesting enough for a few comments. I’m a physician, not a physicist, so please check my presentation for accuracy. From the perspective of a photon, the concept of time as we experience it effectively ceases to exist. This phenomenon is a direct…
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Tito Gobbi
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 3rd April 2026I’ve been writing a lot about great baritones of the past century, while I’ve mentioned him a few times, this is the first post devoted exclusively to Tito Gobbi (1913-1984). A major figure of 20th-century opera, Gobbi combined vocal distinction with an acting ability rarely equaled among singers of any vocal category. His career, which…
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De Minimis
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 27th March 2026A small, bright life once pranced about my hand,A surge of joy that filled each silent room;With darting eyes that seemed to understand,He chased away the darkness and the gloom. With steps so light that left their mark so deep,Each move a grace upon my heart’s constraintAnd now the silence where he used to leapFalls…
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Renato Capecchi
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 24th March 2026Renato Capecchi (1923–1998) was a distinguished Italian baritone, actor, and opera director celebrated for his vast repertoire and exceptional dramatic versatility. While he performed many major dramatic roles, he was particularly renowned for his mastery of “buffo” (comic) characters. He made his operatic debut in 1949 as Amonasro in Aida at Reggio Emilia. By 1951,…
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Tristan und Isolde in HD – 2026
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 21st March 2026Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde holds a unique position in the annals of opera. To some, it is the peak of the art form; its supreme achievement. To others, it is an interesting work full of declamatory singing, occasional bombast, and much inspired music. I fall into the second camp. Regardless of where you’re positioned, it…
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New Blood Pressure Guidelines for Older Americans
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 18th March 2026In the 2025 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology hypertension guideline, management of hypertension in adults ≥65 years has shifted from an age-based to a risk-based approach. Unlike prior guidance, age alone no longer mandates pharmacologic therapy for stage 1 hypertension (130–139/80–89 mm Hg). Instead, treatment is recommended if the patient has ≥7.5% 10-year cardiovascular…
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The Greatest Musical Composition Ever – VII
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 16th March 2026I already covered this piece four years ago. It’s so grand that I decided to do it again with a musical analysis and a different solist and transcription. The Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 is likely the greatest work in Johann Sebastian Bach’s organ repertoire and therefore the greatest work for the…
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Chatting with GPT
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 12th March 2026Many users feed information to their AI of choice and ask it to organize it. I usually do the reverse. I feed it organized data and ask it to source it or verify it. Almost always, I’m asking the machine (usually ChatGPT) questions to which I already know the answer. As the machine speaks or…
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LSO Master Works 4 – Program Notes
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 8th March 2026The following are the program notes I wrote for the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra’s March 28 concert. Tickets can be purchased here. Price Symphony No. 1 Florence Price (1887–1953) was an important American composer and pianist. She was born Florence Beatrice Smith to Florence (Gulliver) and James H. Smith on April 9, 1887, in Little Rock,…
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Operas With Organ Parts
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 3rd March 2026There are several operas in which the organ has a prominent role. It is the reason that many major opera houses have organs built into their architecture. Examples include the Metropolitan Opera House, the Sydney Opera, the Vienna State Opera, the Palais Garnier, the Royal Opera House London, and the Rome Opera. Here are several…
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