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
Latest article
Spotlight
-
Inspired and Fertilized by Music IV
Lüpertz, Klee, Bukowski and Libeskind August 22nd, 2021The city of Salzburg rose from a small Celtic settlement into a powerful economic center because of its trade in salt. The city regulated the collection of tolls and taxes from barges ferrying salt from the northern part of the -
A Work Symbolic of the World: Alexander Tchaikovsky’s Quarantine Symphony August 22nd, 2021 For composer Alexander Tchaikovsky (b. 1946), it wasn’t the thought of doing his 9th symphony that was the difficult mountain to meet, it was the sixth and seventh. Having completed his sixth symphony (and remembering that the sixth symphony was -
Cello Music by Women Composers II
Hensel (Mendelssohn), Farrenc, and Le Beau August 21st, 2021We continue with more wonderful cello works by the accomplished women composers of yesteryear who had to grapple with a lack of recognition for their music. Fanny Hensel, née Mendelssohn (1805-1847) is recognized as an important composer especially of lieder, -
Can You Improvise Classical Music? August 20th, 2021 As a lover of jazz, especially early jazz, the thing that pulls me towards this form is the improvisation that gives jazz its unique quality. Not all jazz is improvised. In fact, most is not. But at the heart of -
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Peanuts Gallery August 19th, 2021 Widely considered the most influential cartoonists of all time, Charles Schulz (1922-2000) created the “Peanuts” in 1950. This most famous of all comic strips ran for 50 years, with 17,897 original strips published in all. It appeared in over 2,600 -
Interview With Monica McCabe August 18th, 2021 Remembering the Piano Music of John McCabe Monica McCabe, thank you so much for talking to me today about the piano music of your husband. I first met John McCabe and you in 2005; now, after his death in 2015, -
Caravaggio (1571-1610)
“All Works… Are Made and Painted From Life” August 17th, 2021In 2021 we commemorate the Quincentenary of the birth of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610). He was an enigmatic, rebellious and dangerous individual, and he did affect a paradigm shift in the arts. His paintings probed the physical and emotional -
Classical Music Inspired by Your Purry Friends! August 16th, 2021 That’s right! This article is about cat-inspired music. I love cats, and I have two cats. My older cat, Miss Cruncher, is turning four and she likes listening to music… at least she never runs away when I practice the