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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More Conducting Fathers and Sons February 20th, 2021 It’s almost uncanny how many musicians follow in their parents’ footsteps and conducting is no exception! Here are three legendary families. Leopold and Walter Damrosch One of America’s leading and most influential musicians, Walter came from a historically musical family. -
Composers of the Zodiac
Tropic of Pisces February 19th, 2021The deadliest creature in Greek mythology was a monstrous serpentine giant called “Typhon.” That vile creature challenged the god Zeus for supremacy of the cosmos, but was eventually defeated and buried underneath Mount Etna. During that cataclysmic battle, Typhon was -
Flowers in Piano Music February 18th, 2021 Nature is a rich source of inspiration for composers, and flowers and blossoms have inspired some really lovely piano music, often miniatures or intimate salon pieces celebrating the beauty of flowers, nodding buds, heady aromas, and delicate petals. Debussy: Bruyères -
The Orchestra in Hollywood February 17th, 2021 What do dinosaurs, an extra-terrestrial and a killer shark all have in common? The answer: well, apart from at-times-questionable prosthetics, they all share a soundtracks featuring sumptuous orchestral scores, in this case, from the modern master of movie music John -
Welcoming Spring: Delius’ Four Old English Lyrics February 16th, 2021 During the war years of 1915 and 1916, Delius looked to older poets for a cheering series. His collection of Old English Lyrics took the poetry of William Shakespeare, and his contemporaries, Ben Jonson, Thomas Nashe, and Robert Herrick, as -
Musicians and Artists: Carpenter and Vermeer February 14th, 2021 Silence and sound – we see this in the paintings of Vermeer and hear it in the Vermeer composition by Gary Carpenter. He was intrigued by an entry listing Vermeer’s works where in 1711, an inventory of the property of -
“You Don’t Play the Piano With Your Fingers” February 14th, 2021 When I said this to one of my students, he looked at me slightly askance from beneath his thick fringe of auburn hair, and I could see him thinking his piano teacher was probably slightly mad. Of course we play -
Year of the Ox Around the World February 13th, 2021 Perhaps when we consider the Chinese zodiac and why the Year of the Rat (2020) and the Year of the Ox (2021) are in that order perhaps we can also see a greater symbolism. According to ancient Chinese myths, the