The viola may be the less flashy sibling of the violin, but in the hands of these seven great women composers, the viola truly shines as a solo instrument. From the bold modernism of Marga Richter and Peggy Glanville-Hicks to
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Exploring the Most Relaxing Classical Music Pieces for the Cello December 26th, 2020 The voice of the cello touches us deeply. Perhaps it speaks to us in a special way as it is the closest sound to the human voice. Due to the fantastic range of the cello, from the brilliant high tones -
Beethoven in the Background December 26th, 2020 We’ve looked at Monumental Beethoven where Beethoven is a presence that overwhelms everything – he’s depicted in statuary all over the world. There’s another type of artwork, however, where Beethoven appears, but not front and center. He’s used as a -
The Sacred Celebration December 25th, 2020 Once you get away from the commercialization and implied coziness of Christmas, we come to the backbone of Christmas – the celebration and the reason why it’s a season of generosity and the family. Carols started out as basic songs -
Having A Merry Little Christmas December 24th, 2020 Christmas music comes in two varieties – the secular, which includes jingling bells and sleigh rides, and the sacred, which involves travel by donkey and stables, with the appearance of a few camels. The language of the secular Christmas, even -
William Henry Fry’s Santa Claus: Christmas Symphony December 23rd, 2020 William Henry Fry (1813-1864) has rather fallen off our musical horizon, but he was the first native-born American to write for a symphony orchestra, and the first to write a grand opera. He was the first music critic (remember those?) -
Composers of the Zodiac
Tropic of Capricorn December 22nd, 2020The astrological sign Capricorn is one of the four cardinal signs, and it is ruled by the planet Saturn. The sun transits this constellation from about December 22 to January 20, and people born under this sign are said to -
Beethoven’s Lairs
“Altes Schwarzspanierhaus” December 22nd, 2020In October 1825 Ludwig van Beethoven moved into his final lodgings at the Schwarzspanierhaus, the old monastery of the “Black Spaniards,” where he remained until his death in 1827. His apartment was located on the upper floor of the building -
Greetings of the Season
Rare Holiday Gems of Music to Listen December 21st, 2020Holiday music lists crop up at this time of year and there are several that one can refer to including on Interlude. I thought it would be interesting to not only feature the classics, but also rare gems. British composer