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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On This Day
14 December: Schubert’s Symphony No. 6 Was Premiered December 14th, 2021During his short but highly productive career Franz Schubert worked on a total of thirteen symphonies. Three symphonic projects were abandoned in fragments, and three more left incomplete. The Symphony No. 7 in E major was fully sketched and fully -
The Fortunate Fisherman: Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sadko December 14th, 2021 One of Rimsky-Korsakov’s most beloved operas in Russia was Sadko, a tale of a musician-fisherman who makes good. This opera was given its premiere in 1896 and was staged in Moscow in 1898. The opera’s libretto was written by the -
Bach’s Greatest Chorale Hits
“Music Is an Agreeable Harmony for the Honour of God” December 13th, 2021The term “chorale” can be somewhat confusing. That’s not surprising, as the meaning is slightly different in German and in English usage. Let’s not get into the technical differences but simply say that a “chorale” is the congregational hymn of -
On This Day
13 December: Franz von Lenbach Was Born December 13th, 2021Franz von Lenbach (1836-1904) was one of the most accomplished portrait artists in German art of the 19th century. As one of the leading exponents of 19th century realism in Germany, he was the best-known and highest-paid portrait painter of -
Legacies December 12th, 2021 Death has been on our minds, collectively and individually, more than usual during this time of COVID. A number of famous people have died during the pandemic, though not necessarily as a direct result of it but merely due to -
Exploring Partitas II
Telemann, Graupner, L. Mozart, Albrechtsberger, M. Haydn, Rosetti, Mozart and Krommer December 12th, 2021Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) published his collection of “Little Chamber Music” in 1716. As he writes in the preface, “it consists of 6 Parties, which are arranged in a light and singing manner for the violin, transverse flute, and for -
On This Day
12 December: Ravel’s La Valse Was Premiered December 12th, 2021Composed between 1919 and 1921, La Valse by Maurice Ravel premiered on 12th December 1920 in Paris. On that occasion, Camille Chevillard conducted the Lamoureux Orchestra of Paris in a performance of the orchestral version. Ravel and Alfredo Casella had -
Changing the Unattainable: Nielsen’s Pan and Syrinx December 11th, 2021 The tale of the Greek god Pan and the nymph Syrinx is a tale of unrequited love and the invention of a musical instrument. After doing readings in Ovid’s Metamorphses, the Danish composer Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) took up the take