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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The Timeless Topicality of Opera July 23rd, 2022 How classical operas can relate to our current life We were looking at a list of opera titles the other day and started noting (with a certain snarkiness) that many of the title could be applicable to today’s news. Just -
Frances Wilson in Conversation With Maxim Vengerov July 23rd, 2022 “I’m the lucky one, who can bring the music alive – and this is the greatest joy” I’ve admired world-renowned violinist Maxim Vengerov ever since I first heard him at the Proms in 1999, when he played a fabulous, varied -
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23 July: Maria João Pires Was Born July 23rd, 2022Performances by Maria João Pires, born on 23 July 1944 in Lisbon, are “distinguished by her crystalline technique, spontaneous poetry and profound, impassioned musicianship.” A daughter of João Baptista Pires and his wife Alzira dos Santos Alexandre Barbosa, Pires played -
Hilarity Onstage! July 22nd, 2022 Audience members may be surprised to hear that we classical musicians are not staid, dour, formal, and stiff. Yes, we are serious about our art, and achieving excellence takes diligence, hard work, sacrifice and years of practice. But we cannot -
On This Day
22 July: Manuel de Falla’s El Sombrero des Tres Picos Was Premiered July 22nd, 2022On 22 July 1919, the Alhambra Theatre in London saw the world premiere of the ballet El sombrero de tres picos under the title “Le Tricorne.” It had been commissioned by Serge Diaghilev and featured choreography by Léonide Massine, costumes -
Beloved Maestro Bramwell Tovey July 21st, 2022 Beloved Maestro—seems like a non-sequitur. But the recent passing on July 12 of Bramwell Tovey has inspired these honorariums. So many colleagues have indicated how devastating it is to have lost Bramwell Tovey, cited not only for his tremendous contribution -
On This Day
21 July: Mozart’s “Haffner” Serenade Premiered July 21st, 2022On 22 July 1776 two of the most powerful Salzburg families joined for the wedding of Elisabeth Haffner and Franz Xaver Späth. The bride’s father, Sigmund Haffner had married the heiress of an important trading post. Sigmund Haffner worked in -
The Youth of a Composer: Rautavaara’s Lost Landscapes July 20th, 2022 Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016) was one of the new Finnish composers who followed after Sibelius. He wrote using both 12-tone serial techniques and in a neo-romantic style. He started his music education with his father, an opera singer and cantor, but