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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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 -
Best Songs in F Major February 13th, 2021 The beautiful key of F major is frequently associated with the outdoors. It is supposed to convey feelings of calm and contemplation, and depict rustic or pastoral scenes. It’s all clearly Beethoven’s fault, because his “Pastoral” symphony is written in -
Music That Makes You Feel in Love February 12th, 2021 Ah, love – that ineffable feeling of excitement and happiness and belonging. What’s the music that gives you that same feeling or what was the music that brought together all those disparate feelings? We surveyed our writers and got an -
The Best Love Duets for Valentine’s Day February 12th, 2021 Love comes in all forms, shapes, colours, and sizes. We’ve all been there, and falling in love is rather strange and really wonderful. Of course, it’s always complicated as well. The process of falling in love can be a beautiful -
Welcome to the Year of the Metal Ox
Gong Hei Fat Choy 2021 February 12th, 2021A good many people around the world are probably overjoyed that the Year of the Rat is quickly coming to an end. 2020 was a difficult year all around, but luckily we can look forward to the Year of the