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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Romanticism and Modernism: An Interview With Violinist Madeleine Mitchell December 9th, 2022 We spoke with violinist and Royal College of Music professor Madeleine Mitchell recently about two very interesting films she’s just made. The first was created in relation to an exhibition at the V&A museum in London and the other is -
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9 December: Alexandre Tharaud Was Born December 9th, 2022Alexandre Tharaud considers the piano “an extension of his voice, of his body, of his heart.” At the same time, he likens the musical score with all the composer’s annotations “to a straitjacket that restrains us, and we are also -
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8 December: James Galway Was Born December 8th, 2022James Galway, who eventually became known as the “Man with the Golden Flute,” basically grew up with a flute in his crib. His grandfather James Galway was a highly regarded flute player in Belfast. He taught his son, another James -
César Franck December 8th, 2022 “I dared much, but the next time, I will dare even more” Born in the city of Liège on 10 December 1822, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, César Franck (1822-1890) composed in a rich and luxurious -
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7 December: Pietro Mascagni Was Born December 7th, 2022Pietro Mascagni, who single-handedly established the prototype of verismo opera with his 1890 masterpiece Cavalleria Rusticana, was born on 7 December 1863. His father was a baker, and he was determined that Pietro should follow in his footsteps. Pietro’s precocious -
Medieval Animal Musicians: Monkeys December 7th, 2022 Hidden in the decoration of medieval books are many different kinds of illustrations – some of them show people doing everyday things, others show animals doing everyday human things. And then, in some special ones, we see animals playing musical -
The Force of Internal Fire: An Interview With Işıl Bengi December 6th, 2022 In her latest album of piano music, pianist Işıl Bengi confronts the dark side of the recent COVID lockdowns. She writes in her programme notes: ‘I felt a lot of anger, disappointment, despair, doubts… To feel crushed in front of -
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6 December: Nikolaus Harnoncourt Was Born December 6th, 2022Specifically known for his historically informed performances of music from the Classical era, Nikolaus Harnoncourt was born in Berlin on 6 December 1929. His full name actually reads Johann Nikolaus Graf de la Fontaine and d’Harnoncourt-Unverzagt, a lineage passed on