Specific cities have inspired a huge amount of classical music over the years. Today, we’re looking at a selection of classical works explicitly connected to major cities, examining how each composer responded to each place. Some pieces reflect civic pride
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Eric Lu December 1st, 2022 ‘Experience Goes a Long Way’ Eric Lu Plays Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35 (Leeds Semifinal) Born in 1997, pianist Eric Lu splits his time between Berlin and Boston, performing frequently across both Europe and the US. -
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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