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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1 December: Rudolf Buchbinder Was Born December 1st, 2022Rudolf Buchbinder has been described as “the greatest natural pianist talent,” a performer “whose interpretations flow from a unique fusion of spiritual insight and intellectual rigour.” In fact, the critic Joachim Kaiser praised Buchbinder’s “innate ability to reveal fresh ideas -
Medieval Animal Musicians: Rabbits November 30th, 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 -
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30 November: Radu Lupu Was Born November 30th, 2022There is nothing more irritating to reporters and music aficionados than a superstar who makes himself unavailable. For well over 30 years, Radu Lupu basically refused to talk to the press. As such he was termed a “woolly recluse,” referring -
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29 November: Giacomo Puccini Died November 29th, 2022Giacomo Puccini lived life to its fullest. He loved fine cigars, expensive spirits, and fell in love at the drop of a hat. He was an addicted gambler and hunter and loved nothing more than fast cars and speedboats. Puccini -
Classical Music Beyond the Concert Stage PART II: 8 Classical Pieces Used in Commercials November 28th, 2022 It has been over a year since part one of Classical Music Beyond the Concert Stage was published. One year passed, and I discovered more TV commercials using classical music. Some of them were found and inspired by our readers -
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28 November: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 Was Premiered November 28th, 2022Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 has the reputation of being one of the most technically challenging piano concertos in the piano repertoire. It first sounded on 28 November 1909 in New York City with -
Claude Debussy and His Circle of Friends II November 27th, 2022 Let’s continue to look at Debussy’s relationships with his fellow artists and musicians. The Scottish operatic soprano Mary Garden wrote, “I honestly don’t know if Debussy ever loved anybody really. He loved his music – and perhaps himself. I think -
What Is Wrong With Labeling Classical Music From Around the World as World Music? November 27th, 2022 Classical music is a term often used to describe traditional academic — also sometimes wrongly called, serious music. It is generally defined as the formal musical tradition of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk, jazz, or