One of the most frustrating things when it comes to learning about women composers from the Renaissance is that we know they existed, but all of their biographies are very bare-bones. When it comes to these mysterious, super-talented women, we

What music does an avowed pacifist write during the tumultuous year of 1939? Benjamin Britten was exceedingly discouraged by the rise of fascism and the defeat of Spain’s Republicans. As the Spanish Civil War raged, Britten had witnessed the senseless

At the start of the new year, I am learning some new pieces with my violin partner for our coming performances this year. The theme of our program is music about nature. In this article, I would like to share

When it comes to music, few genres have stood the test of time like classical music. It has enthralled audiences for centuries and pulled millions into its orbit. But why has it been so consistently popular? What’s so attractive about

With his character “Manon,” Jules Massenet created a portrait of the eternal feminine. As has been pointed out, this male view of seductive womankind “the generous, ambitious, pleasure-loving good-time girl who delivers the goods and expires of nothing so much

The German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) wrote a book titled Harmonice Mundi (The Harmony of the World) in 1619. He had been working on the book for roughly 20 years, establishing celestial-harmonic relationships. He also abandoned the Pythagorean

“Is it possible to play Music for Airports on the piano?” American pianist, Bruce Brubaker, asked himself this question when thinking about his new album, Eno Piano, a remarkable reinterpretation of Brian Eno’s ambient masterpiece Music for Airports (the album

Known for her even temperament and light, brilliant style of playing, Anne Queffélec has received international acclaim for her performances of French music and the keyboard works of Bach, Scarlatti, and Mozart. Queffélec is equally comfortable with the music of