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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Monteverdi and Jazz February 6th, 2022 We were listening to a bit of Bill Evans the other day and something struck us as very familiar about it. We heard, of all things, an odd bass line, played very slow – descending. And then the trumpets came -
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6 February: Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine Was Premiered February 6th, 2022Francis Poulenc: La voix humaine In the early 1920’s, Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) had been the unofficial spokesman for a group of six composers emphasizing directness, simplicity, clarity and humor. “Les Six,” comprising George Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, -
The Heart Symbol and Music February 5th, 2022 We don’t really think about what the heart symbol (♥) really means. We know it’s not the shape of a real heart, which is much more asymmetrical. It’s been discovered in jewelry dating back to 3,000 years BCE, and is -
Ferde Grofé February 5th, 2022 “On the Trail” Shortly before celebrating his 80th birthday, the American composer, arranger, pianist, and instrumentalist Ferde Grofé (1892-1972) died in Santa Monica, California. As we celebrate the 50th year of his passing, he might not be a household name. -
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5 February: Verdi’s Otello Was Premiered February 5th, 2022After the enormous success of Aida in 1871, Giuseppe Verdi decided on an early retirement. He still had things to say, but as a composer who had been at the forefront of Italian musical taste for two decades, he now -
2nd Hong Kong Early Music Festival 2021: A Historical Journey February 4th, 2022 In one way or another, this seemingly never-ending pandemic has greatly affected each and every one of us. It has severely restricted our freedoms and abilities to travel, affected our livelihoods, and occasionally left deep scars on our psychological wellbeing. -
Making Fun of Opera: Victorian Opera Burlesques February 3rd, 2022 As soon as an opera hit the London stage in the mid-to-late 19th century and everyone was familiar with the tunes, it immediately became subject of humorous versions. Beethoven’s Fidelio was turned into Pizzarro the Great Tyrant or the Little -
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3 February: Felix Mendelssohn Was Born February 3rd, 2022On 3 February 1809, Felix Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg into a highly prominent Jewish family. His grandfather Moses Mendelssohn was the “preeminent Jewish philosopher of the Enlightenment in Germany, who had argued for religious tolerance and the assimilation of