The solo violin has long been acknowledged as the perfect instrument to express emotions like love, longing, heartbreak, rapture, and romance. The Romantic era lasted from the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century and produced numerous works that
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On This Day
21 September: Gustav Holst Was Born September 21st, 2021The English composer Gustav Holst was born in Cheltenham on 21 September 1874. His father Adolph von Holst was an excellent pianist and organist, and he was musically active in his local community. He married his piano student Clara Lediard, -
Romantic Classical Music September 20th, 2021 A famous writer once said, “Music is the most romantic of all arts.” And then he goes on to say that it “unlocks an unknown realm, a word with nothing in common with the surrounding outer worlds of the senses. -
Interview with Colin Riley September 19th, 2021 Paying tribute to unexpected sources of inspiration In my childhood years as a musician, I was inspired – paradoxically (I say as a concert pianist) – by people who, though they had little musical knowledge or training, were highly enthusiastic -
Nicolas Slonimsky
Rediscover His Legacy Through His Music and Life September 19th, 2021Nicolas Slonimsky (1894-1995) was a child prodigy, pianist, composer, conductor, scholar, lexicographer, and world traveler. His legacy continues to influence many musicians through his writings and compositions. Best known as the editor of Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Music, and author -
The Last Rose of Summer III
Giuliani, Hindemith, Kuhlau and Britten September 19th, 2021Italian cellist Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829) made his home in Vienna in 1806. In 1813 he played in the famous performance of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony during a gala event, which saw the participation of many of Vienna’s most celebrated musicians, including -
Your 21st-Century Classical Music Playlist for Moon Festival September 18th, 2021 In the last article, I introduced some moon-related music of the 20th century. In this article, I will introduce some moon-theme music written in the 21st century. These pieces span a variety of styles, instrumentation, and writing techniques. Written by -
Your 20th-Century Classical Music Playlist for Moon Festival September 17th, 2021 Moon festival is coming! Moon-theme music has been popular among composers and audience for centuries. This is the first of two articles introducing some 20th and 21st -century works related to the moon. Perhaps you might want to add them -
The Non-Meeting of Two Masters: Schoenberg’s Book of the Hanging Garden September 16th, 2021 The German symbolist poet Stefan George (1868-1933) and Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) probably never met – as one commentator said, ‘One reason could be that as charismatic leaders of cults, they too much resembled each other.’ In Paris in 1889, Stefan