January, 2024

89 Posts
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From Impossible to Standard: Brahms’ Violin Concerto
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) first started working on a violin concerto in 1878, intending to write a 4-movement work. He sent his first drafts to his friend and the dedicatee, the violinist Joseph Joachim, in August 1878 and asked him to
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Are You Looking for a Beginner’s Model Piano?
Credit: Classical Music Humor on Facebook
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Musicians and Artists: Poole and Hiroshige
Geoffrey Poole: Crossing Ohashi Bridge The travellers on the bridge hunch down under their small straw coverings – the rain is pouring down, catching them on the exposed walkway. Part of Hiroshige’s series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, which
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The Fabulous Arnold Bax Piano Miniatures
“In This Life, One Should Try Everything Once, Except Incest and Folk Dancing”
Arnold Bax (1883-1953) was a fantastic pianist, but being shy and reclusive, he rarely appeared in public after he had reached his 20th birthday. The piano had always been his favourite instrument, and he was known for astonishing audiences by
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Arranging One’s Winter’s Journey II: Going on the Road Schubert’s Winterreise
Let’s continue to explore more re-arrangements of Schubert’s Winterreise. With Song 13, the village of disappointment is left behind, and our narrator sets his face on the road. But, inevitably, there are things that call his mind back. Just as
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Humanity
Erwin Schulhoff’s “Menschheit”
The question as to what makes us human has been pondered for many thousands of years. While there are multiple theories, we can probably say that humans are unique. In fact, the very act of contemplating what makes us human
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David Popper (1843-1913)
“Very Few Luminaries Survive More Than One Generation”
David Popper, born in Prague in 1843, was one of the most influential cellists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a celebrated virtuoso of his time, lauded for his flawless technique and expressivity, with George Bernard
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Why Does Classical Music Make Us So Emotional?
Have you ever found yourself awed by a symphony? Have you ever been moved to tears by a delicate cascade of notes in a piano concerto? Have you ever wondered why this music makes me feel so emotional? Classical music
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