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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Schumann and his Circle of Friends II February 27th, 2022 Robert Schumann was a progressive critic and editor of the influential music periodical Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, which he had founded in 1834. He populated the pages of his journal with a cast of characters called the “Davidsbündler” (League of -
Between Mozart and Mussorgsky: Persichetti’s Symphony No. 4 February 27th, 2022 We really can’t think of two more contrasting composers than Mozart and Mussorgsky – the first is a composer for whom the melodies flowed like water and the second a man for whom music was difficult to bring to completion -
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27 February: Patricia Petibon Was Born February 27th, 2022A critic wrote, “It is simply not possible to listen to Patricia Petibon—born on 27 February—without gasping with admiration at her versatility, flexibility, musicality, virtuosity and sheer force of personality… Petibon has the ability to make Baroque music so much -
Greek Mythology in Music II
Handel, Slonimsky, Schubert, Bolcom, Mendelssohn and Szymanowski February 26th, 2022The King of Arcadia had no use for female offspring, and when his daughter Atalanta was born, he ordered her abandoned in the wilderness. Luckily for Atalanta, a mother bear took on the human cub and the girl grew up -
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26 February: Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of Animals Was Premiered February 26th, 2022“The Carnival of Animals,” also known as “Le Carnaval des Animaux,” is one of Camille Saint-Saëns’ most famous works. It’s hardly surprising, as bees, bears, birds, cows and all manner of creatures spring to life in the ultimate musical animal -
Played by the Wind
Adams’ Artic Dreams February 25th, 2022Sound comes from something vibrating, be it your vocal chords or your guitar strings. What, though, if you want to have sound without using your body? This is where the wind harp comes in. Set in the outdoors where the -
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25 February: Myra Hess Was Born February 25th, 2022Julia Myra Hess was born on 25 February 1890 in London, as the youngest of four children. Her paternal grandfather Samuel Hess had migrated from his native Alsace to England, and he established a highly successful textile firm in London’s -
Monteverdi’s Toccata and Its Interpretations February 24th, 2022 Claudio Monteverdi’s 1607 opera L’Orfeo wasn’t the first opera, Jacopo Peri’s Dafne (1598) bears that honour. However, L’Orfeo is the earliest opera that is still on our opera stages, and for an opera to hold our attention for over 400