In essence

1706 Posts
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Minors of the Majors
Johannes Brahms: Deutsche Volkslieder
“Minors of the Majors” invites you to discover compositions by the great classical composers that for one reason or another have not reached the musical mainstream. Please enjoy, and keep listening!
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Movers and Shakers of Music World
The God among Impresarios: Alessandro Lanari (1787-1852)
Of the three great impresarios of 19th century Italy (Domenico Barbaja, Alessandro Lanari, Bartolomeo Merelli), Lanari stands out as the one who commissioned the most operas that have lasted to this day: Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and L’Elisir d’Amore,
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Mahler beyond the Couch
The 2010 film “Mahler on the Couch” provided a fictional reconstruction—dressed up as a grand historical drama—of the famous therapy session involving Sigmund Freud and Gustav Mahler! We do know that the meeting actually did take place, but how did
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Orchestral Music in a New Tuning
Norwegian composer Eivind Groven (1901-1977) came from the province of Telemark and his love for the province drove his artistic sensibilities. He was a self-taught composer, was a performer on the willow flute, and was a legendary fiddler. He collected
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Unsung Concertos
Moritz Moszkowski (1854-1925): Piano Concerto Op. 3
Critical mass is a concept used in nuclear physics, group dynamics, politics, public opinion, medicine, and technology. Differences between disciplines none withstanding, it “identifies the minimum amount (of something) required to start or maintain a venture.” In business, for example,
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Minors of the Majors
Manuel de Falla: Allegro de Concierto
“Minors of the Majors” invites you to discover compositions by the great classical composers that for one reason or another have not reached the musical mainstream. Please enjoy, and keep listening!
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Muses and Musings
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Rondo for the Baroness Waldstädten
Full of optimism, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart arrived in Vienna in 1781 ready to make his mark on the Viennese musical scene. By sheer coincidence he was introduced to the Baroness Martha Elisabeth von Waldstädten. She was thirty-seven at that time
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The First German Requiem
When Prince Heinrich II, Count of Reuss-Gera, died on 13 December 1635, he knew exactly what would happen at his funeral as he had designed it all himself. The texts, from scripture and from 16th century writers, such as Martin
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