The love story between Robert and Clara Schumann is often regarded as one of the most romantic in classical music history. Happily for historians, many of their love letters survive. They document their inner thoughts and emotions, as well as
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On This Day
14 April: Mikhail Pletnev Was Born April 14th, 2023Winning the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 1978 propelled Mikhail Pletnev to international stardom. His performances aroused ardent enthusiasm from the public and he was quickly dubbed “A Devil from Moscow.” A reviewer writes, “He uses such colors that have -
Satie’s Sports et divertissements at 100 April 13th, 2023 2023 happens to be the centenary of the publication of Erik Satie’s Sports et divertissements, a suite of 21 humoristic piano pieces depicting various sports and leisure activities. The music is accompanied by amusing text and corresponding illustrations and is -
Meet Olga Rudge, the Violinist Who Helped Rediscover Vivaldi April 13th, 2023 Olga Rudge is most often remembered today for being poet Ezra Pound’s mistress. But she also was important in the classical music world: she helped to spark the twentieth-century revival of Vivaldi! Here are thirteen fascinating facts about the life -
On This Day
12 April: Weber’s Oberon Was Premiered April 12th, 2023Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) was suffering from the advanced effects of tuberculosis when he received a letter from the impresario Charles Kemble in London on 18 August 1824. The letter issued an invitation to come to London and compose -
Little & Often: Practice ‘Snacking’ April 12th, 2023 I came across this phrase on Twitter, to describe doing short bursts of practicing, rather than long stretches. This may seem counter-intuitive: surely we should be practicing for long stretches of time to see noticeable progress? It’s a myth, which -
Ravel’s Trois Poèmes de Mallarmé – Fragile and Beautiful April 11th, 2023 It was in the summer of 1912 when hot off the heels of the sumptuous ballet score Daphnis et Chloé – his biggest creative undertaking to date – Ravel took some time off composing to recover and wait for inspiration -
On This Day
11 April: Beethoven’s Archduke Trio Was Premiered April 11th, 2023Johann Baptist Malfatti, Elder von Monteregio was an Italian/Austrian doctor famous for being one of Beethoven’s physicians. Beethoven first made his acquaintance in 1809 and seemed to have consulted him several times in 1810. Early in 1810 he also met -
Luise Adolpha Le Beau April 10th, 2023 “Teach girls the same things that are taught to boys” Luise Adolpha Le Beau (1850-1927) was regarded by major critics of her time as the first woman to compose large-scale vocal and orchestral works. However, throughout her professional career, she