We often forget the connections between composers. When you start to look at who knew who, particularly in the 20th century, connections are not only local but also international. The Australian composer Percy Grainger (1882-1961) knew the piano works of

Towards the end of his life, Gabriel Fauré struggled with increasing frailty and deafness. In fact, sounds had become seriously distorted, with high and low notes “sounding painfully out of tune.” When Prince Albert I of Monaco approached Fauré in

Moderato (It.) ‘Moderate’, ‘restrained’, e.g. allegro moderato (‘a little slower than allegro ’). adv. & adj. Music (Abbr. mod.) In moderate tempo……. Used chiefly as a direction. ‘Moderato’ is one of those rather ambiguous musical terms, like andante (“at a

The Planets, a set of seven self-contained orchestral “mood pictures” portraying Earth’s neighbors in the solar system, propelled Gustav Holst to international prominence. However, this sudden fame came with a hefty price tag. Holst had always wanted to be just

The first Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Festival takes place next week, 20th – 23rd November, at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. The result of months of planning, incorporating a competition for young chamber ensembles, this promises to be one of

Introducing new and unknown pieces of music to a wider public audience is always a special occasion. Ludwig van Beethoven scheduled such a concert full of premieres at the Theater an der Wien on 22 December 1808. Of course, Beethoven

They probably first met in Bologna around 1815, and the union between Giaochino Rossini and Isabella Colbran was to become one of the most successful artistic alliances in the history of music. Rossini was a rising star when he was

“One reason I love performing non-Western music is because I don’t find non-Western ideas in the music. I find basic human emotions and experiences that I have, I share, and I understand.” That outlook helps Ethan Sperry take on the