On 7 February 1786, the Schönbrunn castle on the outskirts of Vienna saw the premiere performance of Mozart’s Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario). On the same playbill was Antonio Salieri’s Prima la Musica, poi le Parole (First the Music and then the

Sergei Prokofiev and Igor Stravinsky are two of the most influential figures of the 20th century. Their compositions continue to captivate audiences today, and stories about their life and work have become legendary. However, there’s another lesser-known narrative that deserves

Claudio Arrau was probably the least flamboyant of pianists, avoiding virtuosic display as rigorously as some other pianists crave it. To be sure, he had the technical abilities of a virtuoso, but he was an intellectual and deeply reflective interpreter.

Alexander Tcherepnin (1899-1977) was frequently described as a “musical citizen of the world, a composer who belongs to many countries and cultures.” As an expatriate artist, he spent his lifetime moving from country to country, but he remained deeply connected

Ever since the hit series Game of Thrones pillaged across television screens, audiences around the world have found a new perspective on the dragon. In Western mythologies, dragons often guard treasures, fly through the skies, and breathe fire. Generally, they

Many people play musical instruments as a hobby. For some, this is a serious pursuit (in which case, the word “hobby” is perhaps a misnomer; “passion” may be more appropriate); for others, it’s a pleasurable activity which slots into their

The history of American classical music is dominated by names like Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber, and others. However, not all of the composers who contributed to American classical music have been men! On the contrary, many

Working in the 14th century, the Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375) compiled a collection of novellas entitled Decameron, sometimes nicknamed the “Human Comedy.” The work is set in Italy during the time of the Black Death, when a group of