In 1938, American composer Walter Piston (1894–1976) wrote his only ballet, The Incredible Flutist. The Boston Pops under Arthur Fieldler commissioned it and premiered it on 30 May 1938. At the premiere, Hans Wiener and His Dancers, with Orchestra, performed

Audiences can never resist a duel. For hundreds of years, audiences have enjoyed watching confrontations between virtuoso pianists that showcase both their technical prowess and competitive spirits. Today we’re looking at six of the most famous piano duels in the

Mauricio Kagel (1931–2008) wrote Exotica on commission for the 20th Olympic Games, held in 1972 in Munich. In the work, he explored the idea of confronting musicians with instruments they’d never played before and challenging them to come up with

No great composer achieved their greatness in a vacuum. Although the narratives of music history often ignore them, all of the great composers had female relatives, friends, and colleagues who were major influences on their artistry. Today, we’re looking at

The piano is heavy, weighing between 480 to 600 lbs (180–270 kg) for an upright one, up to 1,100 (500 kg) for a baby grand, and over 1,200 (540 kg) for a concert grand. How do you put these out

When Carl Reinecke published the first of his well over three hundred works in the 1830s, Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Liszt were at the height of their fame. Such was Reinecke’s longevity that when his final scores were printed, Schoenberg, Webern,

Just how musically talented was Carl Maria von Weber? Well, at the age of 17, he was offered and accepted the post of Director at the Breslau Opera in 1804. Weber had spent some time in Vienna, studying hard with

I have recently been fascinated by the art music of Estonia, partially fuelled by the success of Arvo Pärt. But as I have explored in earlier blogs, this triumph of Estonian culture would not have been possible without the groundwork