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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Notes From the Past
Annotations on the Musical Score March 27th, 2022The musical score is both a text and a visual artefact that can be converted by the musician into an aural experience, for player and audience. In order to achieve this, virtually every score is annotated by those musicians who -
On This Day
27 March: Mstislav Rostropovich Was Born March 27th, 2022Mstislav Rostropovich has been called the greatest cellist of the second half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of all time. Armed with impeccable technique, his playing produced a unique richness of tone as he famously exploited -
Frédéric Chopin
Looking for Sex in Public Toilets March 26th, 2022Every week tabloid journalism reports “true stories” on celebrities, entertainment, alien abductions or people doing unspeakable things to themselves or others. Granted, the divide between professional journalistic standards and reporting stepped in sensationalism, which encourages biased or emotionally loaded impressions, -
On This Day
26 March: Pierre Boulez Was Born March 26th, 2022Probably the most important 20th century French composer of the avant-garde, Pierre Boulez was born on 26 March 1925 in Montbrison, a small town in the Loire department to Léon and Marcelle (née Calabre) Boulez. He tirelessly worked on behalf -
Why Rachmaninoff Wrote So Much Music in Minor Keys March 25th, 2022 You have to hand it to composer Sergei Rachmaninoff—his three symphonies, the Symphonic Dances, four piano concertos, and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini are all written in minor keys. Other favorites, perhaps less frequently performed, are also in -
On This Day
25 March: Claude Debussy Died March 25th, 2022As German troops bombarded the city of Paris, Claude Debussy died in 25 March 1918. The chaotic situation did no permit a public funeral, but a lonely funeral cortège nevertheless made its way through deserted streets, passing the Tuileries, and -
Leading Greatness Forward
An Interview With Naomi Belshaw March 24th, 2022Naomi Belshaw came to her new role with an ideal background: she’s worked at the Performing Rights Society, she’s been a PR person for contemporary music, and is experienced in all those areas necessary in the contemporary arts scene: funding, -
Classical Music Moments in Movies III March 23rd, 2022 Ever since sound was first coupled with moving images at the turn of the 20th century, classical music has played an important role. In fact, the new film medium provided the avenue for Western classical music to reach people from