In classical music, the Romantic Era lasted from around 1810 to around 1910. That century gave us some of the most famous symphonies in the repertoire. Nineteenth-century composers like Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvořák, Schubert, Mahler, Rachmaninoff, and others elevated the symphony
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22 April: Sunwook Kim Was Born April 22nd, 2023The Leeds International Piano Competition is frequently described as “one of the world’s foremost music competitions.” It first launched in 1963 with the aim to discover the finest young pianists, and to prepare them for the challenging and ever-changing professional -
10 Most Exciting Operatic Overtures by George Frideric Handel April 22nd, 2023 George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) must be one of my all-time favorite composers. But I am a little shy to tell you that I only know a very small part of his music. When I checked a musical dictionary I found -
Chevalier: 13 Facts About Composer Joseph Bologne That Inspired the New Movie April 21st, 2023 Classical music movies are having a moment. Last year, Cate Blanchett played a renowned conductor in Tár, and Bradley Cooper is set to portray Leonard Bernstein in 2023’s Maestro. But the next big classical music movie due to hit our -
From Scientist to Symphonist
Borodin’s 3 Symphonies April 21st, 2023Alexander Borodin (1833–1887). Like many of his fellow composers in mid-century St Petersburg, had a professional career and a side career. Professionally, Borodin was Professor of Chemistry at the Medico-Surgical Academy, and in his spare time, was a composer. This -
On this Day
20 April: Villa-Lobos’ Symphony No. 12 Was Premiered April 20th, 2023Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) celebrated his seventieth birthday in the Alrae Hotel in New York City on 5 March 1957. The New York Times published a glowing editorial in his honor on 4 March. “Heitor-Villa-Lobos, Brazil’s most famous composer and one -
Are Performers Also Composers? April 20th, 2023 Throughout history, there has been no shortage of composers who were also brilliant performers. Even away from the obvious examples such as Mozart, Chopin, or Liszt, other composers such as Schumann, Ravel, or Richard Strauss had a prodigious talent for -
The Turbulent Life of Composer Germaine Tailleferre April 19th, 2023 Germaine Tailleferre is a composer who often flies under the radar for a number of reasons. She was a woman, and women composers have historically faced a harsher battle for recognition. She was part of a larger group of composers -
On This Day
19 April: Gluck’s Iphigénie en Aulide Was Premiered April 19th, 2023Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787), working at the Habsburg court in Vienna and at the Parisian stage, completely reformed operatic traditions. At a time when virtuoso singers dominated the operatic stage, Gluck set out to return opera to its origins by