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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Jaap Nico Hamburger
Outstanding Composer While a Heart Specialist, The Holocaust and Music from the Camps November 28th, 2020Canadian Composer Jaap Nico Hamburger has had a unique career. A well-regarded cardiologist he is now a full-time composer, currently the Composer in Residence with Mécénat Musica in Montréal, where he lives with his wife and five children. Recently I -
The Title Is a Lie: Chopin’s Minute Waltz November 25th, 2020 Chopin was inspired by the antics of a small dog chasing its tail to write his Waltz No. 6 in D-Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 1. His publisher, Breitkopf & Härtel, added a title on it to let people know -
Beethoven’s Lairs
“Landstraßer Hauptstraße 26” November 24th, 2020In the autumn of 1817, Ludwig van Beethoven accepted an offer from the Philharmonic Society of London. He was commissioned to write two symphonies, and invited to appear in London during the winter season of 1817/18. However, Beethoven had not -
Quantity Creates Quality November 23rd, 2020 The saying goes this way, quality over quantity. But what if the saying was: quantity creates quality? What if instead of focusing on one or the other, one would lead to the other? In order to grow, a composer — -
Composers in the Court Room
Bach versus Longman & Lukey November 23rd, 2020Johann Christian Bach was one of the leading composers of his day; if you don’t believe me, just ask Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! But the “London Bach” was also known in legal circles, as he brought the first legal action for -
Composers of the Zodiac
Tropic of Sagittarius November 22nd, 2020Chiron was a centaur of Greek mythology, and his stepfather Apollo taught him the art of medicine, herbs, music, archery, hunting, gymnastics and prophecy. In essence, Chiron was able to “rise above his beastly nature.” Centaurs were notoriously wild, lusty, -
A Sense of Place
My Favourite Piano Music Evoking Landscapes and Places November 22nd, 2020Composers, especially from the Romantic period onward, have sought to evoke places, real or imagined, in their music – from the awe-inspiring grandeur of the Alps in Liszt‘s Vallée d’Obermann to Debussy‘s shimmering pagodas, the heady sounds, scents and scenes -
Best Songs in C Major November 21st, 2020 I have a huge list of favorite songs. Actually, there are so many different kinds of songs in my list that I get easily confused. So I was thinking of organizing them somehow, but that’s still not so easy. If