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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In Love with the Boss’s Daughter
Ferdinand David and Sophie von Liphardt November 22nd, 2022By a remarkable coincidence, the German violin virtuoso and composer Ferdinand David (1810-1873) was born in the same house in which Felix Mendelssohn had been born a year earlier. Like Mendelssohn, David was Jewish but later converted to Christianity. And -
On This Day
22 November: Stephen Hough Was Born November 22nd, 2022Stephen Hough has been described as “one of the most distinctive artists of his generation.” And while his achievements as a pianist are well-known and documented, Hough is also a published and frequently commissioned composer. But what is more, he -
Cellists and Their Composers
The Bach Solo Suites: A Cellist’s Inspiration November 21st, 2022The Bach Six Solo Cello Suites are considered a must for every cellist and when you look at lists of recordings of the Bach Suites they read like a who’s who of cellists. These pieces are an incredible inspiration and -
On This Day
21 November: Pablo Heras-Casado Was Born November 21st, 2022A critic writes, “Pablo Heras-Casado came roaring in like a lion. There was a thunderous physicality to his conducting that I don’t recall having witnessed before, a readiness to unleash the full sonic resources of the orchestra and to marshal -
American Art November 20th, 2022 A Short Summery of American Classical Music and Its Leading Figures A recent visit to Los Angeles triggered the intensification of my curiosity of American art in general, but particularly American classical music. While quite aware of many American composers -
Claude Debussy and His Circle of Friends November 20th, 2022 For a good many of his contemporaries, Claude Debussy was considered unsociable and reserved. Some writers even describe him as having “little strength of character.” To be sure, he frequently distanced himself from most musicians and tended to mingle with -
Dance, Dance, Dance: The Gavotte November 19th, 2022 Our Guide to The Gavotte Dance Coming from the area of the Gavot in Brittany, the gavotte is a dance in duple time usually of a moderate tempo. In the late 16th century, the Gavotte was usually associated with the -
Leonard Bernstein: Seven Anniversaries (1942-3) November 19th, 2022 Over the course of 40 years, Leonard Bernstein crafted a series of short compositions to honor close friends, relatives, family members, and professional colleagues. He started writing his “Anniversaries” in the 1940s and composed the last group in 1988, two