Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, “Jupiter” IV. Molto Allegro Berlin Philharmonic OrchestraHerbert von Karajan There are certain events in the history of humankind that must have been utterly magical. Take for example 23 September 1964, and picture

Giuseppe Verdi, Barcarola “Al tuo bambino” Once Giuseppe Verdi and Giuseppina Strepponi had fallen in love, things got rather complicated. This is hardly surprising amongst professional people as it can be rather challenging to balance career and love. Strepponi had

Did you know that no single cell in your body is older than 10 years? Some of your cells have an even shorter lifespan. For example, the cells lining your stomach only last five days, your red blood cells regenerate

Here is your pop quiz for today! Who said, “There is nothing on earth that approaches the perfection of The Magic Flute and the Bible”? I give you a hint; his paintings are rendered with an extraordinary formal inventiveness, vivid

Symphony No. 8, “Symphony of a Thousand” (Bavarian Radio Symphony, Kubelik 1970) When the Mahler family arrived in Maiernigg — an idyllic village located on the southern shore of Lake Wörth in the Austrian province of Carinthia — for their

Giuseppe Verdi, Nabucco, Act 2, Scene 1 Ben io t’invenni, o fatal scritto! Aria: Anch’io dischiuso un giorno Without doubt, Giuseppina Strepponi must receive credit for Verdi’s first operatic successes. Her performances in a number of his early operas not

Throughout the 17th century, all forms of staged musical theater were strictly forbidden during Lenten season. To substitute for this lack of operatic entertainment, this period of fasting and prayer that prepares believers for the celebration of Easter did see

Almost immediately after the premiere of Oberto in 1839, a contemporary critic considered the question of Verdi’s personal musical style. “Many salient features of this style are not Signor Verdi’s own,” he wrote. “The crescendo and the use — not