On This Day

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On This Day
21 March: Johann Sebastian Bach Was Born
On 21 March, I always celebrate the birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach by listening to as many of his compositions as possible. Basically, it’s Seb overdose for an entire day, and I simply can’t get enough. As you might have
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On This Day
20 March: Sviatoslav Richter Was Born
He was described as “a pianist with a technique that conquered almost every obstacle, a sound that commanded the colors of the rainbow and an intellect and imagination that permitted an authoritative grasp of possibly the largest repertory in pianistic
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On This Day
19 March: Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor Was Premiered
With his Cello Concerto in B minor, Op.104, Antonín Dvořák created one of the all-time greatest works in the genre. Yet curiously, Dvořák had written in 1865, “The cello is a beautiful instrument, but its place is in the orchestra
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On This Day
17 March: Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 Was Premiered
Although he published it second, Chopin’s Piano Concerto in F minor was actually the first concerto he composed. Written before he had actually finished his formal education, Chopin was the soloist in the premiere of the work on 17 March
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16 March: Massenet’s Thaïs Was Premiered
When it comes to religious eroticism, nothing beats Jules Massenet’s Thaïs, composed to a libretto by Louis Gallet and based on a novel by Anatole France. The action takes place in Alexandria and the Thebaid desert in Egypt in the
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On This Day
12 March: Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden” Quartet Was Premiered
In 1774 the poet Matthias Claudius (1740-1815) published a short poem titled “Death and the Maiden.” The poem is designed as a dialogue, contrasting a young woman’s fear with the reassurance of death. Claudius creates opposites and connections between the
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On This Day
11 March: Katia Labèque Was Born
I really don’t know how to talk about one without the other, as many consider Katia and Marielle Labèque, “the best and closest piano duo in front of an audience today.” The Labèque sisters are tremendous, exclaims American composer Philip
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On This Day
10 March: Igor Levit Was Born
While pianists Yuja Wang and Lang Lang have undoubtedly achieved mass-market appeal, Igor Levit has, at least in German-speaking countries, become a political figure and social advocate. He is not only considered one of the best pianists of the century,
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