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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Mealtime with Gustav Mahler May 23rd, 2024Stepping into the footsteps of his idol Richard Wagner, Gustav Mahler wrote to a friend in 1880.“For the last month, I have been a total vegetarian. The moral effect of this way of life, with its voluntary castigation of the -
Composers Like Beethoven: Eight Composers to Check Out May 22nd, 2024 The music of Ludwig van Beethoven has captivated generations of musicians and listeners. However, some classical music lovers are so enamored by Beethoven that they fail to appreciate Beethoven’s gifted colleagues. If we look at music history, we can find - From Venice to Naples
Franco Alfano’s Suite romantica May 21st, 2024The Italian composer Franco Alfano (1875–1954) was one of the Italian ‘Generazione dell’Ottanta’ of composers born in the 1880s, the best known of which included Alfredo Casella, Ildebrando Pizzetti, Gian Francsco Malipiero, and Ottorino Respighi, who sought to bring back -
10 Pieces of Classical Music About Freedom May 20th, 2024 Classical music has been used for political purposes countless times, both in oppressive regimes (like in Stalin’s Soviet Union and Nazi Germany) and in battles for self-determination and freedom (like in the Finnish independence movement). European revolutions have had classical -
The Melodic Support: The Double Bass May 19th, 2024 The lowest member of the string family is the double bass – its genetics place it closer to the viol than the violin in that it has sloping shoulders (see cello for a viola da gamba image), its body is -
Masterworks Dedicated to Yehudi Menuhin May 18th, 2024 Ever since I was a little child, I listened to recordings by Yehudi Menuhin. In every single note that phenomenal violinist produced fantastic intensity and emotion. I remember listening to Bach’s Air on a G string, and I had never - Enescu’s First Rhapsody May 17th, 2024 A product of a 19-year-old composer, George Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 1, completed in 1901, is thought to be a loosely connected set of episodes sources on folk dances and folk songs. But although these are seemingly ‘as found’, Enescu
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Which Composers Were Gay? (And How Do We Know?) May 15th, 2024 The history of classical music spans centuries. Over that time, society has had very different ideas about sexual identities (when they verbalized them at all). It goes without saying that it’s unfair to look back in time and breezily apply
