On 22 February 1903, Hugo Wolf tragically died in an insane asylum. In imitation of his hero, Robert Schumann, he had attempted to drown himself in October 1898. And just like Schumann, the impending paralysis of tertiary syphilis was accompanied

The Austrian composer, pianist and teacher Carl Czerny (1791–1857) was one of the towering figures in the history of nineteenth-century pianism. He is probably best known for his extensive pedagogical works, such as his études and exercises. Yet, Czerny was

Richard Wagner was the manliest of composers. He was a titan who looked at opera and demanded more gods, added dragons, and maidens to guard the cursed gold. Wagner’s stories are not dainty salon entertainments; they are mythic endurance tests

I just love the piano music of Frédéric Chopin. It makes me laugh, it makes me sigh, it makes me feel as if the world has suddenly become brighter, softer, and a little more magical. There is something in the

The legacy of Henri Duparc (1848-1933), who died at Mont-de-Marsan on 12 February 1933, rests on a remarkably small body of works. Although he only composed a limited number of French mélodies, either sixteen or seventeen, depending on the source,

I will say this upfront, as a pianist who knows exactly how hard this instrument can bite. Yuja Wang is a miracle! She is both an inspiration and a delightful menace. She raises the bar so high, it feels almost

Constantin Brâncuși (1876-1957), the world-famous artist who basically founded modern sculpture, did not sit around writing essays about music. He did not annotate scores or lecture on counterpoint. He did not, heaven forbid, issue pronouncements about “sculptural sonata form.” And

György Kurtág, born on 19 February 1926 in Lugoj, in the Banat region of present-day Romania, developed a highly personal musical language. Shaped by a multicultural environment and profound musical curiosity, Kurtág followed a singular path that placed miniature forms at