The love story between Robert and Clara Schumann is often regarded as one of the most romantic in classical music history. Happily for historians, many of their love letters survive. They document their inner thoughts and emotions, as well as
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When Opera Houses, Art Museums, and Concert Halls Are Imperiled by War April 17th, 2022 Freedom Square in the heart of Kharkiv, Ukraine houses the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, Kharkiv Philharmonic concert hall, and numerous universities and government buildings. On March 1st, the square, the second largest city square in Europe, became the -
Iannis Xenakis April 17th, 2022 “Mathematical formulas translated into beautiful and convincing music” In 2022 we celebrate the centenary of the birth of Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001), an artist of fierce originality who produced some of rawest and wildest music in history. He belonged to a -
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17 April: Gregor Piatigorsky Was Born April 17th, 2022For several decades in the mid-twentieth century, Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-1976) was the undisputed cello superstar. Some say, that he “was the greatest string player of all time, possessing a glorious low-register sound characterized by a distinctive fast and intense vibrato.” -
Classical Music Moments in Movies V April 16th, 2022 The music of American composer Howard Hanson entered popular consciousness when excerpts of his 2nd Symphony were used in the 1979 sci-fi horror movie “Alien.” Although the musical excerpt was used without permission, the composer decided not to fight the -
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
“Simplicity Is the Ultimate Sophistication” April 15th, 2022On 15 April 1452, a small village near the town of Vinci in Tuscany saw the birth of Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most diversely talented individuals to ever have lived. Scholars have rightly suggested that “the scope and -
On This Day
15 April: Neville Marriner Was Born April 15th, 2022Neville Marriner is perhaps the most recorded of all classical conductors. In fact, his legacy includes more than 600 recording of 2,000+ works, including the soundtrack to the 1984 hit film “Amadeus” that sold more than 6.5 million copies and -
On This Day
14 April: Léo Delibes’ Lakmé Was Premiered April 14th, 2022Brooklyn-born soprano Marie van Zandt (1858-1919) “outshone her competitors with her extraordinary ability to learn parts quickly and to sing them perfectly.” Her mother was a well-known singer who traveled extensively across Europe, and she had professional connections with Paris -
How to Practise Music
A Pocket-Sized Guide by Andrew Eales April 13th, 2022The expression “small but perfectly formed” is rather over-used, but in the case of this new book How to Practise Music (Hal Leonard) it is entirely apt. Written by Andrew Eales, a highly respected British music educator, piano teacher and