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
20 July: Nicola Benedetti Was Born July 20th, 2022Nicola Benedetti, born on 20 July 1987, is widely considered one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation. According to critics, “her ability to captivate audiences with her innate musicianship and spirited presence, coupled with her wide appeal as -
The Symphonic Poem of Nature
Čiurlionis’ In the Forest and The Sea July 19th, 2022Lithuanian composer Mikolajus Kosntantinas Čiurlionis (1875-1911) was the son of an organist and started the musical school of Polish Prince Michał Ogiński in Plungė before attending the Warsaw Music Institute at age 19. He started as a piano student, then -
Music for Sleeping:
12 Pieces You Should Know July 18th, 2022A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine invited me to play some lullabies for her baby shower. She collected lullabies from different parts of the world and transcribed them for guitar, piano, and violin. I am very much -
On This Day
18 July: Kurt Masur Was Born July 18th, 2022For well over three decades, Kurt Masur was one of the world’s most celebrated conductors, having established an international reputation as “a sensitive and innovative interpreter of the Classical and Romantic repertoire, specifically Mendelssohn, Brahms and Tchaikovsky.” He was also -
Cutting a Swathe through Vivaldi
Max Richter’s The Four Seasons (after A. Vivaldi) July 17th, 2022We’ve said it before – some music you can just hear too much. For a while, you couldn’t move on American public radio without being assaulted by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Every once in a while, though, a performance has the -
Reduced to Anonymity:
Ukrainian Composer Dmitri Klebanov July 16th, 2022Another prodigiously talented composer is being resurrected from obscurity. Dmitri Klebanov (1907-1987) had two strikes against him during the Soviet era of cultural suppression. He was Ukrainian and Jewish, and his music has been largely unknown. Somehow, he evaded capture, -
Influencers: Hungarian Violinists and Sisters, Jelly and Adila d’Aranyi July 16th, 2022 The D’Aranyi Sisters Play Spohr’s Duo in D minor 1927 Two sisters and outstanding violinists inspired several great musical works of the 20th century. Born in Budapest, Adila (1886) and Jelly d’Aranyi (1893) possessed royal musical blood. Their great-uncle was -
The Baschet Brothers and Their Instruments July 15th, 2022 You want to travel with your guitar, but your luggage just won’t let you. How do you manage? The French inventor François Baschet ran into that problem when he wanted to travel after WWII. His guitar proving too big to