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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The Making of a Superstar September 15th, 2021A good many performing artist today are known by a single name. There is Beyoncé and Lola, Madonna and Sting, Cher and Hauser. And we might make an exception and include Lang Lang in this list. These celebrities are so -
Composing 2.0
The Purpose of Computers in the World of Creative Music September 15th, 2021Throughout the history of music, there have been a couple of events and inventions that have revolutionised both how music was created and how it was experienced. The invention of musical notation, the keyboard and later the piano, the development -
Music in View: The Metropolitan Museum of Art September 14th, 2021 One of the great things to do in an art museum is to go through the collection to see what’s being pictured. This may sound a bit obvious, but for those with a musical bent, it’s an interesting exercise to -
Ten Movies About Musicians September 13th, 2021 Classic films such as Amadeus, Immortal Beloved, and Lisztomania have brought the stories of our legendary composers to life. While these movies are known widely, I want to share some lesser-known movies about the music world that you might want -
The Last Rose of Summer II
Flotow, Mendelssohn, Franchomme, and Glinka September 12th, 2021“The Last Rose of Summer” reached a world audience as part of the romantic opera Martha by Friedrich von Flotow (1812-1883), premiered in Vienna on 25 November 1847. Adapted from a ballet to a story by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges, -
Cello Music by Women Composers IV
Keal, Soulage and Kaprálová September 11th, 2021British composer Minna Keal (1909-1999) was born Minnie Nirenstein of Russian Jewish parents. By the age of 12 she had already begun composing and subsequently she was offered a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music. When in -
Symphonies by Women Composers
Smyth, Auerbach, Holmès, Chen, and Taaffe Zwilich September 11th, 2021Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) was determined to devote her life to music and thus she studied at the Leipzig Conservatory. There she met Dvořák, Grieg and Tchaikovsky, and later through her private teacher Heinrich von Herzogenberg, became acquainted with Clara Schumann -
Let People Enjoy Music September 10th, 2021 I review classical music and jazz concerts. My editor says you are not a critic, do not critique the music or the performance. While sometimes I come close to critiquing the music; I hold back. But other times, there’s an