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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Musicians and Artists: Respighi and Botticelli September 11th, 2022 Ottorino Respighi: Trittico botticelliano Venus, in the middle, presides over her realm, but as it’s Spring, as we know from the painting’s title, Primavera, the world is a buzz of activity. As we read the painting from right to left, -
What’s Better Than One Violin, Viola, and Cello? TWO! String Sextets II September 11th, 2022 After Brahms wrote his two brilliant string sextets, Dvořák, Erwin Schulhoff, Schoenberg, Tchaikovsky, Reger, Rimsky-Korsakov, Franck, Korngold, Martinů, and others followed suit. I’d like to feature two Czech composers’ sextets. Antonín Dvořák (1841-1903) the first of 14 children, showed exceptional -
On This Day
11 September: Arvo Pärt Was Born September 11th, 2022Arvo Pärt was born on 11 September 1935 in Paide, in Järva County, Estonia, as the only child of Linda Anette and August Pärt. Raised by his mother and stepfather, the family moved to Rakvere, where he studied at Rakvere -
Jean Françaix September 10th, 2022 “My music exists to give pleasure” The son of the former director of the Conservatory of Le Mans, Jean Françaix (1912-1997) was a prodigious musical talent. He received his early musical instructions from his father and composed his first piano -
Opera Doctors – The 20th Century, Part I September 10th, 2022 The 20th century normalized doctors – we now see them in their more accustomed roles as healers or consultants to the ill. The occasional black magician / doctor still appears, but that role is increasingly rare. We open the century -
King and Composer: João IV of Portugal September 9th, 2022 João IV / John IV (1604-1656) of Portugal, got the nickname of ‘John the Restorer’ for his freeing of Portugal from Spanish rule. Beginning in 1580, Portugal and Spain were ruled together by the Habsburg Spanish court. Under João, the -
A Book As String Quartet
Elena Ruehr’s Bel Canto September 8th, 2022American author Ann Patchett’s 2001 book Bel Canto, which used the 1996-97 Japanese Embassy Hostage Crisis in Lima, Peru, as its inspiration, was, in turn, inspiration for American composer Elena Ruehr (b. 1963) to write her String Quartet No. 5, -
On This Day
8 September: Antonín Dvořák Was Born September 8th, 2022Since all of Antonín Dvořák’s predecessors were butchers or innkeepers, it was automatically assumed that he would inherit the business. However, in addition to the butcher’s trade the Dvořák family also cultivated another talent, namely, a flair for music. However,