In classical music, the Romantic Era lasted from around 1810 to around 1910. That century gave us some of the most famous symphonies in the repertoire. Nineteenth-century composers like Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvořák, Schubert, Mahler, Rachmaninoff, and others elevated the symphony
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On This Day
12 August: Leoš Janáček Died August 12th, 2022On the occasion of his 70th birthday, Leoš Janáček received his first honorary doctorate from the Masaryk University in Brno. The composer was predictably proud and signed his correspondence and all his compositions as “Dr. Ph. Leoš Janáček” thereafter. It -
The Unsung Hero of Music Making
Collaborative Pianist: An Interview With Leona Cheung August 10th, 2022For this month, I would like to shift your focus towards one of the unsung heroes of music making that are vital in concerts — collaborative pianists. As a Boston-based professional collaborative pianist, Leona Cheung is an acclaimed musician who -
On This Day
10 August: Alexander Glazunov Was Born August 10th, 2022Alexander Glazunov, born on 10 August 1865 in St Petersburg, was a musical prodigy. His father Alexander was in the publishing business, and his mother Yelena, née Gromova, was a professional pianist. From his earliest years, Glazunov was blessed with -
Making the Piano Hide August 9th, 2022 We’re so used to the piano being a large black hole in the middle of the living room, or, perhaps, a smaller black hole on the side of the living room, as an upright piano placed against the wall. In -
Musicians Divulge a Secret: The Pieces They Would Rather Not Play Ever Again! August 8th, 2022 Put Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe or La Valse, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, or Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances—or pretty much anything by Prokofiev or Mahler—in front of me and I’ll play them happily over and over, and I have. But dear readers -
What Does an Associate Principal Cello Do? August 7th, 2022 If you love classical music and attend symphony concerts you are aware certain musicians have titles and special responsibilities. The concertmaster does not simply get a bow at the beginning of a concert and a handshake at the end. He -
Lukas Foss August 7th, 2022 “An Authentic Genius” A scholar writes, “the works of Lukas Foss (1922-2009) spring from a distinct personality: enthusiastic, curious, and receptive to every kind of musical idea…he was one of his era’s most communicative and representative composer-performer.” It’s not surprising -
Gazing at the Stars
Charles Koechlin: The Seven Stars’ Symphony August 7th, 2022French composer Charles Koechlin (1867-1950) started life as an engineering student but poor health and poor grades made him give this up at age 22, he entered the Paris Conservatoire. He studied composition with Jules Massenet with his fellow students