Unconscious bursts of creativity that engender significant artistic endeavors are not necessarily inspired by passionate romantic love alone. Greek mythology believed that this kind of stimulus came from nine muses, the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. Muses were long considered the source of knowledge embodied in poetry, lyric songs and ancient myths. Throughout the history of Western art, artists, writers and musicians have prayed to the muses, or alternately, drawn inspiration from personified muses that conceptually reside beyond the borders of earthly love. True to life, however, composer inspiration has emerged from the entire spectrums of existence and being. Nature has always played a decidedly important role in the inspiration of various classical composers, as did exotic cities, landscapes or rituals. Composer inspiration is also found in poetry, the visual arts, and mythological stories and tales. Artistic, historical or cultural expressions of the past are just as inspirational as is the everyday: the third Punic War or the contrapuntal mastery of Bach is inspirationally just as relevant as are the virulent bat and camel. Composer inspiration is delightfully drawn from heroes and villains, scientific advances, a pet, or something as mundane as a hangover. Discover what fires the imagination of people who never stop asking questions.
Clara, Ludwig, or both? Robert Schumann (1810-1856) had one of the most fascinating and varied biographies of all the nineteenth-century German composers. Forced by his guardian to study law, he rebelled against its pharisaical quibbling at age nineteen and moved
The German born conductor Bruno Walter worked closely with Gustav Mahler as an assistant and protégé. In addition, he frequently heard Mahler conduct his own works. Since Mahler did not live to lead performances of Das Lied von der Erde
Scholars are generally in agreement that the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart attended a performance of J.C. Bach’s opera “Adriano in Siria,” which premiered at King’s Theatre London on 26 January 1765. J.C. was clearly at the centre of London’s almost
During his stay in London, Wolfi apparently composed a number of duet sonatas, that is, two players performing at one piano. They were probably intended for his personal use and included the participation from his sister Nannerl. Advertisements from 1765
The “German Requiem” by Johannes Brahms, more so than any other of his compositions, first established the composer’s reputation among a wide range of music lovers in Germany, and subsequently secured his international reputation as well. Not unexpectedly, however, the
After a mere four weeks in England, Wolfi showed remarkable progress and growth as a composer. Leopold wrote, ”what he had known when he left Salzburg is nothing compared with what he knows now; it defies the imagination … right
After the rousing financial success of “Der Rosenkavalier”, Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal eagerly sought to continue their artistic collaboration. It seems, however, that they were pulling in slightly different artistic directions. Strauss wanted them to reengage with “Semiramis”,
During his initial stay in London, which lasted from 23 April 1764 through 1 July 1765, young Wolfi regaled in the invigorating and stimulating musical environment offered by the British capital. A rapidly prospering and growing middle class not only
