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
Latest article
Spotlight
-
Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir December 1st, 2020 December’s Artist of the Month is Icelandic-American cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir. Currently based in Seattle, she has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra and NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester. Sæunn also teaches cello at the -
My Beethoven by Anson December 1st, 2020 Unlike others, I often find it difficult to recall my first encounter with a certain composer. So, for Beethoven, it could have been his Für Elise, Symphony No.5 (ta-ta-ta duh) or something else – I don’t know. But anyways, as -
When the Eye Meets the Ear
How Are Intricate Music Concepts Represented in Visual Arts November 30th, 2020In my article When the Ear Meets the Eye, I mentioned how music and visual arts have collaborated throughout the years, and particularly how composers have taken inspiration in works of visual art to create their own musical works. I -
The Music of Poetry
John Keats: Ode to a Nightingale November 29th, 2020In the woods in May 1819, a nightingale sings of summer and her notes fall on the ears of the poet John Keats. He uses the metaphor of the audible but invisible bird, singing to the open skies, as a -
That’s “My” Music! November 29th, 2020 How often a listener returning from a recital by an important performer remains unsatisfied. Not because of the imperfection of the artist’s playing but because of lack of penetration into the composer’s ideas – ideas that the amateur has cultivated -
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