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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The Versatility of the Clarinet May 31st, 2021 You probably will have heard at least something on this list already, perhaps without even realising. The clarinet has a chameleon-like ability to change styles at the drop of a hat, and while there might not be many solo clarinet -
Behind the Curtain
Haydn’s Funeral Music May 30th, 2021The story of Haydn’s funeral and last remains is complicated and pretty macabre. It all starts in 1771, when Haydn was director of the Esterházy court orchestra. He conducted and wrote music for that ensemble for many, many years, and -
The Classical Music Profession May 30th, 2021 When we think of those who work in classical music we tend only to think of the musicians – soloists, ensemble players, orchestral musicians and conductors. But there’s a whole “back office” and “supply chain”, if you will, of other -
Musicians and Artists: Rorem and Picasso May 29th, 2021 The influence of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) for the art world is clear – from his cubist works to his focus on mythological beings, with his effortless drawing and painting style, he created a 20th century that has never really been -
Music is Performance May 28th, 2021 After attending live music festivals here in Australia recently, this has more than cemented my already long-held view that music is performance. Over the two large festivals where around 10,000 music lovers paid their money and turned up to hear -
Water-Inspired Piano Music May 27th, 2021 The piano seems to me to be the perfect instrument to convey the patter of raindrops, downpours and showers, the play of water in fountains, the shimmering sea lit by the sun, and the serenity of calm waters…..as these water-inspired -
Eugène Ysaÿe, Louise Bourdau and Jeannette Dincin
An Officer’s Daughter and a Brooklyn Bride May 26th, 2021On 28 September 1886 something special happened in the town of Arlon, just west of the Belgium-Luxembourg border. On that memorable day, the violin superstar and newly appointed professor at the Brussels Conservatory Eugène Ysaÿe married the singer Louise Bourdau -
How Do Rehearsals Work? May 25th, 2021 The rehearsal room of an orchestra is a strange place. We musicians take it for granted, but for people on the outside it can seem like the rehearsal is a mysterious place with its own customs, rituals and etiquette. Things