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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Chiun-Teng Cheng
Founder of the “Professor Shu-Te Sylvia Lee Violin Competition” May 17th, 2022The most famous and recognized violin competition with the highest prize money in Taiwan, “Professor Shu-Te Sylvia Lee Violin Competition” (the Competition), will return at the end of December 2022. The Competition is sponsored and organized by Chiun-Teng Cheng Rare -
From Silence to Death: The Silver Swan May 17th, 2022 The swan is a bird of many metaphors: sailing perfectly calmly on the surface and flapping wildly with their webbed feet below is one of the more memorable. In music, however, the swan is the bird that is silent in -
Piano Repertoire
Ludwig van Beethoven May 16th, 2022It has never been a big secret, but the piano is definitely my favorite instrument. For me, no other instrument possesses that kind of versatility. Actually it’s ideal as a means of musical expression for both the amateur and the -
On This Day
16 May: Friedrich Gulda Was Born May 16th, 2022Pianist Friedrich Gulda is commonly regarded as the “cross-over” pioneer of his time. Known for his extraordinary interpretations of the music of Bach, Mozart, Schubert, and Beethoven, he freely cultivated an interest in jazz and composition. Stylistic references to jazz -
Musicians and Artists: Carpenter and Braque May 15th, 2022 Gary Carpenter: After Braque The French painter Georges Braque (1882-1963) had a style that encompassed Fauvism from 1905 before he worked with Picasso on the development of Cubism (1908-1912). Where Picasso’s Cubism was more puzzling and confrontational, Braque’s Cubism was -
Musical Tributes: Chopiniana, Mozartiana, Vivaldiana and Bachiana May 15th, 2022 In 1892 Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936) set to work on an orchestral suite with arrangements of piano music by Frédéric Chopin. Entitled Chopiniana it was introduced to the public in December 1893 by Rimsky-Korsakov, and published by Belyayev one year later. -
Bird Music May 14th, 2022 Birds in music are everywhere – even non-singing birds, such as Sibelius’ The Swan of Tuonela. There’s also Vaughan Williams’ Lark (ascending), and Delius’ First Cuckoo in Spring, and even Mussorgsky’s Ballet of Unhatched Chicks. Let’s explore some other birds. -
Thinking About Returning to the Piano? May 14th, 2022 Here are some tips to help you on your piano journey It may be two years or twenty since you last touched a piano, but however long the absence, taking the decision to return to playing is exciting, challenging and