January, 2024

89 Posts
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The Ultimate Vivaldi Quiz
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On This Day
26 January: Jacqueline du Pré Was Born
Cellist Jacqueline du Pré only began to perform publicly at the age of sixteen, “yet her musical genius was evident at a very early age and its special nature was defined by her rich emotional inner world, rather than her
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Mrs. Billington the Caricatured Singer
In the caricatures of James Gillray (1756–1815) in the early years of the 19th century, the soprano Mrs. Billington figures large. James Gillray started working as an apprentice to a lettering engraver and in 1778, was admitted to the Royal
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Erik Satie’s Jack in the Box
In 1899, Erik Satie (1866–1925) wrote a little pantomime ballet for piano entitled Jack in the Box to a scenario by the illustrator Jules Depaquit, an artist who was his very good friend and known for his love of hoaxes.
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Let’s Celebrate and Nurture Classical Music’s Core Audience
It’s well known and acknowledged that the core audience for classical music is in the age range from c55 to 80+. These are the people with the money and, more importantly, the time to engage with classical music. Fretting about
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On This Day
24 January: Bellini’s I Puritani Was Premiered
The “Théâtre Italien” in Paris premiered Vincenzo Bellini’s final opera I Puritani (The Puritans) on 24 January 1835. Presented just months before Bellini’s untimely death at the age of 33, the opera presents a love story set during the violent
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Is Classical Music Boring? We’re Sounding Off
Classical music is often thought of as stuffy, insufferable, and boring. But is it? We’d argue that it’s not. The stereotypes fail to recognize the depth, beauty, and transportive power of classical music. We’re ready to debunk the myth that
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With Richard Strauss in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
In Touch With Dr. Dominik Šedivý
Picturesquely located on the Bavarian side of the Alps with fabulous vistas of Germany’s highest mountain, the united towns of Garmisch and Partenkirchen are primarily known to winter sports aficionados. After all, the region hosted the 1936 Winter Olympic Games,
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