In essence

1709 Posts
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Why We Owe “The Flying Dutchman” To A Dog
Robber, the giant Newfoundland dog, took to the pit with his master, Richard Wagner. The twentysomething conductor and composer had recently won a job as music director of the Riga opera, and his dog Robber frequently joined his master at
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Enrique Granados: Transcending Nationalism
Composers working at the turn of the 20th-century are frequently categorized as nationalists. And Spain produced three prominent composers that seemingly fit this narrow description. Isaac Albéniz composed vibrant piano works of Lisztian difficulty and Iberian color, while Manuel de
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Minors of the Majors
Claude Debussy: L’enfant prodigue
“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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Drowning in Passion
Enrique Granados and Clotilde Godó Pelegrí
On 28 July 1894, Amparo gave birth to the first of their six children. With his family rapidly expanding, Enrique was desperately trying to secure a steady source of income. Various applications to conservatories in Barcelona and Madrid came to
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Music à la “Mode”
The Lydian Kingdom
Ancient Greek philosophy described the physical world in terms of four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Health and spiritual wellbeing depended on a balance of four bodily fluids or temperaments. Phlegmatic temperament was associated with water, choleric with fire,
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Writing for An Angel
Right in the middle of writing his opera Lulu, Alban Berg (1885-1935) was also procrastinating on a commission from violinist Louis Krasner. Krasner was born in the Ukraine but moved to America at age 5 and graduated from the New
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Minors of the Majors
Maurice Ravel: Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé
“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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Catalan Passion
Enrique Granados and Maria de los Desamparados Gal y Lloveras
When pianist Enrique Granados (1867-1916) first appeared on stage on 20 April 1890, critics were simply ecstatic! “Granados will be one of the great artists who always seek applause in pure art, without flashiness and cheap concessions.” Praising the young
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