In classical music, the Romantic Era lasted from around 1810 to around 1910. That century gave us some of the most famous symphonies in the repertoire. Nineteenth-century composers like Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvořák, Schubert, Mahler, Rachmaninoff, and others elevated the symphony
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Music in View – The Art Institute of Chicago September 7th, 2021 The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the rare art museums that was founded by artists, rather than by collectors. With the Chicago Academy of Design in 1866, a group of 35 artists started a free art school with -
Dragging Mozart into the 21st Century September 6th, 2021 In the 21st Century, pop stars—real, imagined or virtual—are a dime a dozen. In 250 years will we see their faces printed on chocolates, dishtowels, coffee cups and all kinds of digital media? I suspect that the great majority will -
The Last Rose of Summer
Stevenson, Beethoven, Ries and Ernst September 5th, 2021As summer is stormily giving way to autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, and the next corona lockdown is just around the corner, we still fondly remember those warm and carefree summer days. The passing of the seasons and a deep -
Piano Rhapsodies September 5th, 2021 A rhapsody is a one-movement, episodic work, often featuring a contrasting moods, colours and tonalities, with a distinct air of spontaneity and improvisation. In these respects, the Rhapsody is related to the Fantasia or Fantasy or Ballade. Perhaps the most -
Cello Music by Women Composers III
Rebecca Clarke and Rita Strohl September 4th, 2021We have not exhausted the gorgeous cello music written by women composers by any means. Here are three more outstanding gems. Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979) is another composer who deserves the limelight. A world-class viola soloist, chamber musician, and composer, Clarke -
Everyone Wants a Goldberg September 3rd, 2021 J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations (Glenn Gould) We were thinking about Bach’s Goldberg Variations the other evening. Written, as related by Bach’s biographer Johann Forkel, for the ill and often sleepless Count Kaiserling, who wished for some night music that was -
Taking an Old Idea Further: Strauss’ Aus Italien September 2nd, 2021 The lure of Italy to those who live in cold Northern Europe cannot be understated. Composer after composer went south and brought back their musical memories of that country of sunshine and warmth, of folksong and dance, and of landscapes -
Joshua Hopkins September 1st, 2021 Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia – Largo al Factotum (Joshua Hopkins) Canadian Baritone Joshua Hopkins has developed a career as one of the leading young singers of his generation, performing regularly at the Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and the