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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Swimming in Music August 6th, 2022 It’s summer! Where I live, it’s been humid and heavy with some days at ‘93° but feels like 124°’ (33C, feels like 51C), according to my overly helpful weather app, so definitely summer. So, let’s see where water has inspired -
On This Day
6 August: Busoni’s Fantasia Contrappuntistica Was Premiered August 6th, 2022Ferruccio Busoni had always been fascinated by the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and he gradually “achieved a profound understanding of Bach’s polyphony and his expressive intentions.” Over time, Busoni translated a good many of Bach’s compositions for the piano, -
Dance, Dance, Dance: The Baroque Dance Suite August 5th, 2022 Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue In the new series on dance music, Dance, Dance, Dance, we’ll be looking at dance and how it comes into classical music. You’re going to be surprised at some of the places where it has -
When the Hero isn’t Quite Heroic
The Clueless Heroes in Classical Operas August 4th, 2022Throughout most of the opera, there are certain tropes that repeat and repeat: the heroine will die of some wasting disease (La Bohéme, La Traviata, etc.), the hero will save the day (Die Zauberflöte), and so on. There are some -
Musicians and Artists: Alwyn and Frith August 3rd, 2022 William Alwyn: Derby Day Commissioned by the BBC to replace a performance of his Second Piano Concerto, British composer William Alwyn wrote a lively overture that was only after the fact linked to a work of art. Alwyn agreed that -
On This Day
2 August: Pietro Mascagni Died August 2nd, 2022Pietro Mascagni wrote fifteen operas, an operetta, several orchestral and vocal works, and also songs and piano music. However, he will always be remembered for his 1890 masterpiece Cavalleria Rusticana. Considered the first verismo opera, Cavalleria Rusticana mirrored the Italian -
Vivi Vassileva August 1st, 2022 ‘We Need To Always Search For More’ Vivi Vassileva Performs Jacob Gade’s Tango Jalousie Hailing from Hof in southeast Germany, percussionist Vivi Vassileva grew up in a family of Bulgarian musicians and has been described as ‘hold[ing] an exceptional musicality -
Nickname Symphonies by Joseph Haydn August 1st, 2022 Over the last couple of days, I have conducted a little musical experiment. I noticed that 35 out of 106 Symphonies by Joseph Haydn carry a nickname of sorts. There is a “Bear,” a “Queen,” a “Philosopher,” a “Surprise,” a