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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An Old Genre is Given a New Voice
The Art of the Coloratura Soprano April 15th, 2023The art of the coloratura soprano came into its own in the 18th century with lyric coloratura soprano role in works by Mozart (Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Cimarosa (Caroline in Il matrimonio secreto), and Handel (Alcina). This -
Heroic Adventures for Guitar
Carlo Domeniconi’s Sinbad, a Fairy Tale April 14th, 2023The Italian composer and guitarist Carlo Domeniconi (b. 1947) took his education at the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro and at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin and combined with his interest in Turkey (he founded the classical guitar course at -
Should We Remember the Titanic’s Band as Heroes? April 14th, 2023 When the Titanic struck an iceberg on the night of 14 April 1912, sinking at 2:20 AM the following day, eight unlikely heroes emerged: the members of the ship’s band. They played for passengers, keeping them calm and preventing panic. -
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