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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Behind the Curtain
Brahms’ Funeral Music March 31st, 2021At the end of the summer of 1896, Johannes Brahms was displaying some typical jaundice symptoms. The whites of his eyes and the mucous membranes had started to turn yellow. His doctors continued to observe Brahms for several months before -
Upcycling Sound March 30th, 2021 You see them huddled on top shelves in antique stores, pinned to the walls in themed bars and restaurants, or piled in mouldy smelling cases at swap meets and antiques fairs. What can be done with these poor abandoned instruments? -
Music to Make you Happy and Feel Energized March 29th, 2021 Best Classical Music to Workout To There are certain times when you want music to bring you up out of your chair, get you skipping around the room, and change your feeling to one of complete energy. We surveyed our -
The Music of Poetry
Wilhelm Müller: “Die schöne Müllerin” March 28th, 2021The poet Wilhelm Müller (1794-1827) was famous in his lifetime for his verses in support of Greek struggle for emancipation from the Turks. Today, we mainly remember him for the highly popular song-cycles “Die schöne Müllerin,” and “Die Winterreise,” poems -
What Have Musicians Learned From Lockdown? March 28th, 2021 Most of us have had to live in lockdown or under various restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic for over a year now. It has been a particularly difficult time for musicians, in an already precarious profession, and the knock-on -
A Playlist for Piano Day 2021 March 27th, 2021 Piano Day was founded in 2015 by composer and pianist Nils Frahm, and a group of like-minded others, and it celebrates all things piano – the instrument and those who play it, its extensive repertoire, and other piano-related projects. It -
Best Songs in G Minor March 27th, 2021 I am always surprised how many different characteristic and emotions can be associated with a single key. Written by critics and theorist over time, some of these characteristics don’t seem to agree at all. When we look at the key -
Can Music Be Intelligent? March 26th, 2021 To frame the subject of can music be intelligent, we must first disregard most music that has lyrics or words from the subject. Studies have shown that people who received musical training displayed improved intelligence. But can music by itself