In the spring of 1892, about 6 months before he departed to lead the National Conservatory in America, Czech composer, Antonín Dvořák’s music publisher asked him to write a little ‘humoresque’. He complied with a lovely little piano piece in

Beniamino Gigli, born on 20 March 1890, in Recanati, Italy, emerged from humble beginnings to become one of the most celebrated operatic tenors of the early 20th century. The son of a shoemaker with a passion for opera, Gigli’s extraordinary

Pablo Ferrández emerged from a musical family in Madrid to become one of Spain’s most recognised cellists, blending a rigorous performance schedule with a knack for collaborations. Since winning the Sony Music Prize at age 19, he has tackled works

Composers can spend months or years crafting the perfect ending to a symphony. It’s easy to understand why the ending is so important. Those last few minutes of a piece are the ones that audiences will walk away thinking about.

Part of the “Sure Mesure” series available on ARTE Concert, this stunning 33 minute performance features pianist Alexandre Tharaud and dancer Chun-Wing Lam. “Bach in the Ruins” was recorded at the Fonderie Saint-Lubin, located about 30 kilometres from Paris, a

Carl Nielsen’s second symphony bears a curious title: The Four Temperaments. The temperaments, or the four bodily humours, were the four liquid elements that make up the human body: ‘yellow bile, phlegm, black bile and blood, a preponderance of any

The Russian composers of the late 19th century seemed to vie with each other for difficult piano music. Mily Balakirev (1837–1910) was active as both a nationalist composer and encourager of other composers, most importantly Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Balakirev was important

Today we’re looking at some of the most famous dreams in classical music! Take your melatonin, put on your comfiest pajamas and silkiest sleep mask, and let’s get started. Giuseppe Tartini: Devil’s Trill Sonata (ca. 1740s) According to legend, violinist