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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At the Piano With Manuel María Ponce December 21st, 2024 Manuel María Ponce (1882-1948), the leading Mexican musician of his time, was a wonderful pianist who composed a substantial number of piano works. These works combine a profound knowledge of the instrument with his Romantic heritage and nationalist tendencies. Manuel -
Interlude Wishes You Happy Holidays! December 17th, 2024 -
Ludwig van Beethoven
A “Bagatelle” Tribute December 17th, 2024Arguably, the first composer to write true piano music was Ludwig van Beethoven. To be sure, he had tremendous technical ability, and critics wrote, “He was attacking pianos with such force that during the performance, keys, hammers and strings would -
“The Little Drummer Boy”
10 Beautiful versions for Christmas December 16th, 2024Traditionally sung at Christmas or the surrounding Christmas holiday season, Christmas carols are some of the most popular and festive holiday songs. They are still sung today in homes, churches, and at public events, and carolling is still a popular -
Home Music with Your Friends December 15th, 2024 Along with the production of orchestral and opera music in the 19th century, there was a parallel industry that made the same music for smaller forces: piano, piano two-hands, string quartet, small wind ensembles, etc. In the centuries before, music -
César Franck (1822-1890)
A Birthday Tribute December 10th, 2024César Franck was born in the city of Liège on 10 December 1822, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. His father, Nicholas-Joseph was a minor clerk, unemployed at the time, but he had great plans for his -
By Popular Request
Bonus Repertoire for Piano Quintet December 8th, 2024Chamber music featuring the piano has always been popular. The reason is comparatively simple; similarly to a string quartet as a whole ensemble, the piano is a perfect unit in itself. It is also one of the reasons the musical -
The Magic of Mozart
The Viennese Piano Concertos December 5th, 2024The series of piano concertos Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed during his years in Vienna is undoubtedly his greatest achievement in instrumental music. The dozen piano concertos composed between February 1784 and December 1786 are works of the highest quality and