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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Famous Composers as Subjects of Opera III November 21st, 2020 Police officals in Naples were presented with a rather gruesome scenario on 16 October 1590. The palace apartment near the Piazza San Domenico Maggiore was the scene of a horrific double murder. They found the body of Don Fabrizio Carafa, -
By Life Tormented
Anton Arensky: 3 Vocal Quartets November 20th, 2020In Russian literary circles, and indeed in many other parts of the world, Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet (1820-1892) is considered to be “among the best lyricists of Russian literature.” A critic wrote, “Such lyrical insight into the very core of human -
Orchid Music November 18th, 2020 What do you think of when you think of orchids – exotic plants in whites and purples and all the colours in between? What’s the sound of an orchid? What is its music? We surveyed several composers’ works to see -
Most Popular Classical Pieces of Music in 2020 November 17th, 2020 I am sure you have noticed already, but it is getting really difficult to find your way around classical music these days. That particular musical world is full of influencers and marketing specialists that are happy to tell you exactly -
Monumental Beethoven November 17th, 2020 We did a survey of Beethoven monuments and it turns out that there are basically two kinds. The most traditional is Beethoven in full glower, standing or sitting and thinking of things far beyond the knowledge of mere mortals. The -
The Next Operatic Stars
Five Promising Young Singers That You Should Watch Out For November 16th, 2020Lockdowns have given this correspondent plenty of time to review the next crop of promising young singers. All under 40 years old, these performers have enormous talent and are likely to be on the cusp of stardom once the theatres -
The Music of Poetry
Goethe: “The Book of Suleika” II November 15th, 2020The Suleika figure we find in Felix Mendelssohn’s settings is far less Oriental and feminine than the one found in his sisters reading. Some scholars have suggested that chromaticism is traditionally linked with Orientalism. “It is supposed to embody cultural -
On ‘Letting Go’ as a Musician
Part 1 – Letting Go of the Music November 15th, 2020Writers, artists and musicians all understand this dilemma – when do we “let go” of that article or book manuscript, painting or piece of music? Given half the chance, most of us would happily continue tinkering and refining ad infinitum,