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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Beethoven’s Lairs
“1087 Walfischgasse” September 15th, 2020In 1809, the French army under Napoleon once again set their sights on the city of Vienna. On short notice, the imperial family fled the city, but it was decided that Vienna should nevertheless be defended. French howitzers bombarded the -
A Day in the Life
Daily Creative Habits of the Most Well-Known Classical Composers September 14th, 2020What is the daily life of a composer like? How much time did Mozart spend on composing? Did Bach have a day job? What was Ives’ parallel career? Let’s find out the daily creative habits of some of the most -
J. S. Bach: Taxes From Beyond the Grave September 14th, 2020 As Benjamin Franklin famously said, “…but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” And while the mega rich have long attempted to find ingenious ways of avoiding tax payments, during Johann Sebastian Bach’s -
The Music of Poetry
Joseph von Eichendorff “In der Nacht” September 13th, 2020Joseph von Eichendorff was the quintessential poet of the German landscape. His indirect mode of representation is almost pictorial. Fields, trees, woods, river and streams conjure up images experienced at morning, noon, evening, dusk, and night. Each moment has its -
Yes, You Can Have a Concert in a Carpark! September 13th, 2020 A concert in a carpark? It’s certainly a novel way to experience live classical music, orchestra and audience gathered on Level 8 of a 1980s brutalist hulk of ugly concrete. The traditional rules of engagement of classical music are more -
Anson’s Favourite Pianists September 12th, 2020 1. Grigory Sokolov Winner of Tchaikovsky Competition in 1966, Grigory Sokolov has been hailed as one of the greatest pianists. Known for his mastery of the keyboard, Sokolov is always able to conjure up a kaleidoscope of tone colours from -
Max Frisch and Einar Englund: The Great Wall of China September 11th, 2020 Only months after the horrendous atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Swiss playwright and novelist Max Frisch (1911-91) penned his theatrical play “The Chinese Wall.” It is in equal parts tragedy, comedy, history and satire that address the possibility -
On My Music Desk……
Claude Debussy – La cathédrale engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral) September 10th, 2020Atmospheric, mysterious and dramatic, this quintessential example of “musical impressionism” is captivating to play and to hear. In less than 6 minutes of music, Debussy tells a remarkable story and creates a vivid aural, and visual, portrayal of the mythical