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Vladimir Ashkenazy (Born 6 July 1937)
A Dance of Fire and Finesse
Vladimir Ashkenazy, born in Gorky, Soviet Union, on 6 July 1937, stands as one of the most revered pianists and conductors of his era. A child prodigy, he rose to international fame through standout performances at the Chopin Competition in
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How Clara Schumann’s Father Taught Her Piano
Friedrich Wieck (1785-1873) is best-known as Clara Wieck Schumann’s litigious father, the man who did everything he could to keep his daughter from marrying Robert Schumann. However, he was also a well-respected piano teacher. Despite the fact that he only
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Johannes Brahms and Johann Strauss II: Behind Their Unlikely Friendship
Classical musicians often put music into boxes. Sonatas and symphonies are considered Serious with a capital S, whereas waltzes and dance music are often dismissed as mere light trifles. So it may come as a surprise to find out that
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Wanda Landowska (Born July 5, 1879)
Revival of Baroque Brilliance
Wanda Landowska, born in Warsaw on 5 July 1879, stands as a pivotal figure in the twentieth-century revival of early music. Her mastery of the harpsichord transformed the instrument from a historical artefact into a vibrant instrument for modern concert
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Franz Kafka (Born 3 July 1883)
The Prophet of Bureaucratic Dread
In the pantheon of modern literature, few figures loom as enigmatically as Franz Kafka. A Czech-Jewish writer born in Prague on 3 July 1883, Kafka crafted stories that resonate with a haunting, almost prophetic clarity that captured the anxieties of
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Dmitri Shostakovich’s Three Fascinating Wives
Composer Dmitri Shostakovich had a tumultuous professional life, surviving discouragement and denunciation by the Soviet government over a period of decades. He also had a tumultuous personal life. He was married three times to three very different women: Nina Varzar,
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Father and Son in Concert
Jean-Jacques and Alexandre Kantorow interpret Brahms
First aired on 24 May 2024, the Arte Concert “Jean-Jacques and Alexandre Kantorow interpret Brahms,” performed with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, showcases a remarkable father-son collaboration. The father sets the tone conducting Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 2, and
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Ilya Gringolts (Born 2 July 1982)
Echoes of Bach, Visions of Tomorrow
Ilya Gringolts, born in Leningrad on 2 July 1982, is a violinist whose remarkable blend of technical brilliance, emotional depth, and intellectual curiosity has established him as one of the foremost musicians of his generation. He displayed prodigious talent early
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