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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Artist Suzanne Valadon, Why Was She Satie’s One True Love? April 7th, 2023 She was composer Erik Satie’s one true love. But artist Suzanne Valadon was so much more than that. Here are thirteen facts you may not know about Suzanne Valadon: 1. She was born Marie-Clémentine Valadon in Haute-Vienne, France, in 1865. -
On This Day
6 April: Dvořák’s Symphony No. 4 Was Premiered April 6th, 2023In 1874, Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904) submitted an application for an artist’s stipend from the Austrian government for poor but talented students. Hoping to supplement the meager income from his job as an organist at St. Adalbert, Dvořák first obtained a -
Hallelujah for Easter
Handel Messiah Part II April 5th, 2023Listening to a performance of Handel’s Messiah has long been an Easter tradition in many parts of the world. It is undoubtedly one of the composer’s most popular and enduring works, as it features three distinct parts: the Prophecy of -
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5 April: Herbert von Karajan Was Born April 5th, 2023Herbert von Karajan is frequently hailed as the greatest living conductor of orchestral music. And while his conducting method is one of total authority and power, many critics have praised his emphasis on the perfection of sound, “note-perfect expressions of -
Song and Mime: The World of Cantomimes April 4th, 2023 Building on the French mime tradition, traditionally done with white face and in white Pierrot dress, 19th-century mime Georges Wague expanded this to include song. Predating modern lipsynching by nearly a century, ‘cantomimes’ were created with a singer and instrumentalists -
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4 April: Vladimir Jurowski Was Born April 4th, 2023For conductor Vladimir Mikhailovich Jurowski, born on 4 April 1972, classical music is not simply an article of consumption. “The Arts should oblige people to think and ask questions and maybe fundamentally change people’s perceptions. It doesn’t mean we give -
Challenging Transcriptions of Famous Melodies April 3rd, 2023 Very recently, I attended a recital by a rather well known pianist. After the programme proper had concluded, it was time for the encore ritual. Audience members were clapping furiously, cheering, standing up from their seats, and demanding that the -
On This Day
3 April: Grieg’s Piano Concerto Was Premiered April 3rd, 2023During his time at the Leipzig Conservatory, Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) heard Clara Schumann perform her husband’s Piano Concerto. As he later recalled, the work continued to signify a deeply musical experience lasting for decades. “Inspired from beginning to end,” he