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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Harriet Mackenzie and the World Heart Beat Music Academy March 24th, 2023 ‘Music will be your Friend for Life’ On 24th March, internationally acclaimed violinist Harriet MacKenzie gives a concert to mark the opening of a new hall at the World Heart Beat Music Academy, a music school in southwest London offering -
The Bulletproof Musician: An Interview With a Performance Psychologist Noa Kageyama March 24th, 2023 Noa Kageyama is a performance psychologist who focuses on teaching performing artists to apply principles of sports psychology to demonstrate their full potential even under pressure. Noa has a thriving career. In addition to maintaining his popular performance psychology blog, -
Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis March 23rd, 2023 Ralph Vaughan Williams’ 1910 Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis was his consummate mix of all that interested him: folksong and the glories of English music from earlier centuries and their modal scales. His form was the 17th century -
Musicians and Artists:
Hovhaness, Hiroshige and Fujita March 21st, 2023Alan Hovhaness’ Piano Sonatas Inspired by Paintings of Cats Cats were the favourite creatures of the Ukiyo-e (floating world) painters. They were shown in all kinds of attitudes: caught up in hunting, caught up in clothing, washing, playing, sleeping, in -
On This Day
21 March: Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 130 Was Premiered March 21st, 2023Completed in early 1826, Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 130 premiered on 21 March 1826 as part of the concluding subscription concert by the Schuppanzigh Quartet. The work immediately caused great puzzlement, as we read in a contemporary review, “The most -
On This Day
20 March: Shenyang Was Born March 20th, 2023Chinese-born bass-baritone Shenyang came to the world’s attention in 2007 when he won the “BBC Cardiff Singer of the World” competition. Ever since he has established himself as one of the finest voices of his generation. He has accumulated an -
Why Those Serious Musicians Love to Laugh March 19th, 2023 We musicians love to laugh just like everyone. Perhaps our profession requires a quirky sense of humor considering all the years of discipline, motivation, and practice let alone the stress of competitions, auditions, and irascible conductors. I’ve illustrated some of -
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George Frideric Handel March 19th, 2023George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was one of the all-time great composers. Restless and resourceful, Handel was a workaholic musician of great charisma with a genius for invention. For most of his life—at least during his time in London—Handel operated as