Articles

4175 Posts
archive-post-image
What Happened to Bach’s Twenty Children?
Johann Sebastian Bach is, of course, one of the most beloved composers of all time. He’s also famous for having fathered twenty children. A few became famous composers in their own right…but many of them died tragically young, too. Today
Read more
archive-post-image
26 May: World Dracula Day
I am sure I have told you that I am an absolute fan of gothic and horror novels and films. From “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” to “Alien” to “Prey for the Devil” and “M3GAN,” I just love them all.
Read more
archive-post-image
On This Day
26 May: Samuil Feinberg Was Born
For a good many commentators, the Ukrainian city of Odessa is the “cradle of Russian pianism.” The unique blend of Russian, Yiddish, and Ukrainian cultures has given birth to pianists like Benno Moiseiwitsch, Vladimir de Pachmann, Shura Cherkassky, Emil Gilels,
Read more
archive-post-image
The Dark Ensemble: Voice and String Quartet
The most familiar accompaniment to the voice is the piano, or in earlier days, the guitar or the lute. Putting the voice with larger ensembles runs the risk of drowning the voice in the volume of the other instruments. One
Read more
archive-post-image
On This Day
24 May: Pärt’s Berliner Messe Was Premiered
Estonian-born composer Arvo Pärt (1935- ) has managed to strike a sound of devotional archaism into a world of chaotic modernity. Highly experimental during his early musical career, Part’s study of early music inspired a new, and completely unique musical
Read more
archive-post-image
On This Day
23 May: Alicia de Larrocha Was Born
Alicia de Larrocha, born on 23 May 1923 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, was never too keen on giving interviews in English. That reluctance was based on the unfounded fear of being unable to express her views on music fully and
Read more
archive-post-image
On This Day
22 May: Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri Was Premiered
L’Italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers) is Gioachino Rossini’s first buffo masterpiece in a fully-fledged two-act form, and it is one of the greatest comic masterpieces ever created. Based on a libretto by Angelo Anelli, and specifically written
Read more
archive-post-image
22 May: “Sherlock Holmes Day”
Sherlock Holmes, the fictional detective of great observational and deductive powers, is probably the best-known sleuth in the world. The invention of British author Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes sprang to life in 1887 and is supposedly modeled on Joseph Bell,
Read more