In 1877, Tchaikovsky received a letter that would change his life forever. It was from a wealthy woman named Nadezhda von Meck, who described herself as a “fervent admirer.” She commissioned some chamber music from him, and eventually, she began

Antonio Salieri, born on 18 August 1750 in the town of Legnago just south of Verona, was described as “the greatest musical diplomat, as he carefully cultivated friendships with people who could help him to build a career.” The first

Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits (b. 1969) used the inspiring and tragic story of the flyer Amelia Earhart (1897–1937) as the basis for his 2022 work Tiibade hääl (The Sound of Wings). Setting the text of Estonian poet Doria Kareva, Kõrvits

In looking at costuming for Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, we found some interesting 19th-century interpretations of Figaro himself. In a production at the Théâtre Royal Italien in 1844, the artist and designer Alexandre Lacauchie put the serenading barber in

Every music lover knows that Mozart was one of the most extraordinary prodigies in the history of music: he began composing when he was only five years old! But have you ever sat down and listened to these early works?

In my last article, I introduced six Children’s operas written in the 1900s. Children’s operas are often made for children or young people, but they also appeal to adult audiences. In this article, I share eight more children’s operas that

Artistic types are famous for their big personalities and the beef and rivalries that result. Over the centuries, classical composers have had more than their fair share of tiffs. Today we’re looking at the stories and personalities behind five of

We’re used to the two basic rhythms: duple and triple. Duple or two is because we have two feet – left-right, one-two, and off we march. Triple is for dancing, like a waltz. The fun comes when they get combined