Ludwig van Beethoven may be one of the most famous composers in Western music history, but he’s also one of the most misunderstood. Over the past two centuries, a powerful mythology has grown around Beethoven: the image of a lonely,

The first opera I ever saw live on stage was Carl Maria von Weber’s masterpiece Euryanthe. It was all a bit confusing at first, because there was just so much going on. I tried to follow everything, including the story,

In the world of classical music, when careers can last for decades, few losses are as profound as those of extraordinary talents who die young. During the mid-twentieth century, a number of remarkable violinists captivated audiences with their brilliance, charisma,

It is quite common — and somehow expected — for composers to seek new sounds. Sometimes these sounds come from what surrounds them; sometimes they come from what appears distant, unfamiliar or even exotic. Throughout history, composers have been drawn

Today, Amalie Joachim is often remembered solely as being the wife of violinist Joseph Joachim: an injustice, given her own era-defining musical talents. Their messy divorce is known among classical music lovers as the inciting event that nearly destroyed Joachim’s

Cecilia Bartoli, born in Rome on 4 June 1966, was already an established star when she turned seriously to Mozart‘s music. Initially, she focused on Mozart’s mezzo roles, which often portray passionate or conflicted characters. However, she soon began to

In 2009, Chinese pianist Zhang Haochen and Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii shared the Gold Medal at the 13th edition of the famous Van Cliburn Competition. With the Silver Medal going to South Korean pianist Yeol Eum Son, it started what

French pianist Michel Dalberto, winner of the Clara Haskil Prize and the First Prize in the Leeds International Piano Competition, selected the music of Franz Schubert for his first commercial recording. His recording of two piano sonatas by Franz Schubert