In essence

1709 Posts
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Beethoven’s Lairs
“650 St. Petersplatz”
Between 1796 and 1799, Beethoven did not have a permanent address in Vienna, at least not that we know. He was busily engaged in establishing his reputation, and rubbed shoulders with royalty and with Joseph Haydn. He played a piano
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Ludwig van Beethoven and the Ladies
Much has been written about the women in Beethoven’s life, and undoubtedly you have either read or seen one or the other fictional take on the matter. It all seems a bit muddled and mysterious, so let’s try to unravel
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Composers of the Zodiac
The Tropic of Virgo
In Greek mythology, Virgo is the Goddess of Innocence and Purity, called Astraea. She was the daughter of the Titan Astraeus, the god of dusk, and Eos, the goddess of dawn. She lived on earth alongside humans during the Golden
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A Matter of Discretion
Franz von Suppé, Therese Merville and Sofie Strasser
In his professional diary under 2 May 1841, Franz von Suppé writes, “First encounter with Therese Merville, my 1st wife.” We do know that Suppé age 22 and Merville age 25 married on 13 October 1841 in Preßburg, currently Bratislava.
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Beethoven’s Lairs
“Döblinger Hauptstrasse 92”
The House Where Beethoven Wrote The Eroica Symphony Escaping the stifling summer heat of Vienna, Beethoven enjoyed spending his summer months in the countryside. And he seemed to have preferred the wine-growing villages to the northwest of the city. Bordering
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Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Jessie Sarah Fleetwood Walmisley
“Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen”
On the very last Saturday of 1899, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor married Jessie Sarah Fleetwood Walmisley in a parish church at Selhurst, near Croydon, England. Just a regular wedding ceremony, I hear you say, but in reality it followed some very tense
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Overtures by Franz von Suppé (1819-1895)
From Popeye to Betty Boop
You might never have heard of the composer Franz von Suppé (1819-1895), but there is a very good chance that you know some of his music. Suppé composed tantalizing music mainly for the theater, in particular operettas, ballets and comedies.
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Beethoven’s Lairs
“Obere Pfarrgasse”
For a couple of short months in 1822, Beethoven took quarters at Obere Pfarrgasse, currently 22 Laimgrubengasse. We don’t have any particular knowledge of the apartment’s interior, but it is mentioned in connection with the revival of Fidelio, which took
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