January, 2019

51 Posts
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Extreme Danger! There is an Opera in Town
Fromental Halévy (1799-1862) composed roughly forty works for the Parisian state. And while La Juive of 1835 turned out to be his most successful work, Charles VI might be the most dangerous opera in the repertoire. Composed in 1843, it
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At the Center of the Musical Universe
Franz Schubert II
Greatness will invariably recognize greatness! And Franz Liszt’s efforts and commitment on behalf of forgotten masterpieces set a powerful trend in the 19th century. As such it is hardly surprising that Franz Schubert occupied a central place in Liszt’s transcriptions
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The Organist and the “Virgin Queen”
She was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, and everybody knew her as the “Virgin Queen.” Elizabeth I (1533-1603) had various suitors, but in the end she was never swept away by her emotions that
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Music. And Silence
“Music is the silence between the notes” Attributed to Debussy and also Mozart “…..the pauses between the notes – ah, that is where the art resides” Artur Schnabel “Music starts in the silence” Stephen Hough, pianist
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Chinoiserie in Motion: Chao Kang
Louis Henry (1784-1836) was an exceptional French dancer, choreographer and ballet master. Born in Versailles, he started his career at the Paris Opera in 1803 but quickly got into heated competition with Louis Duport and Auguste Vestris. Vicious infighting forced
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Mozart: “Prague” Symphony KV 504
Premiered Today in 1787
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had contemplated a journey to London in the autumn of 1786. However, his father Leopold strongly objected, and he even refused to look after Mozart’s children. As such, instead of going to London, Mozart accepted an invitation
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KLENGEL, J.: Cello Concertinos (Complete) / Concert Piece in D Minor
Concert Piece in D Minor, Op. 10 From KLENGEL, J.: Cello Concertinos (Complete) / Concert Piece in D Minor (2017) Released by Naxos Klengel: Concert Piece in D Minor, Op. 10Based in Leipzig with a lengthy career as principal cellist
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A Grand Work of Art Explores Cross-Cultural Currents
Michael Parekowhai’s ‘Maori’ Steinway
Recently I had the opportunity to play a rather special Steinway grand piano as part of the fascinating ‘Oceania’ exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts.
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