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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Interview With Helmut Deutsch, Pianist August 21st, 2020 “I think one has certain ideals in performance which one attempts to reach” Helmut Deutsch ranks among the finest, most successful and sought-after song recital accompanists in the world. He was born in Vienna, where he studied at the Conservatory, -
The Modern Theremin: The Theremini August 20th, 2020 The tradition theremin, developed in the early 20th century by Léon Theremin and patented in 1928, looks like a box with antennas. It’s not stylish, it really only has one sound and it’s not even something you want in your -
A Matter of Discretion
Franz von Suppé, Therese Merville and Sofie Strasser August 19th, 2020In his professional diary under 2 May 1841, Franz von Suppé writes, “First encounter with Therese Merville, my 1st wife.” We do know that Suppé age 22 and Merville age 25 married on 13 October 1841 in Preßburg, currently Bratislava. -
Beethoven’s Lairs
“Döblinger Hauptstrasse 92” August 18th, 2020The House Where Beethoven Wrote The Eroica Symphony Escaping the stifling summer heat of Vienna, Beethoven enjoyed spending his summer months in the countryside. And he seemed to have preferred the wine-growing villages to the northwest of the city. Bordering -
On Tradition & Innovation: The Case of Stravinsky August 17th, 2020 Artists are taught tradition in order to innovate. While there are some discussions about tradition and innovation, they are both essential to the wellbeing of art, to progress and continuity. I like to think that one looks at the past, -
Outspoken Performances: Politics on and off the Stage August 17th, 2020 While it has been fashionable to separate the art from the artist—just think of Caravaggio, Woody Allen, Benjamin Britten, Richard Wagner and countless others—music and politics have always been intricately connected and entwined. As the great Isaac Stern famously said, -
The Music of Poetry
John Keats and Fanny Brawne “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” August 16th, 2020Fanny Brawne met John Keats at Wentworth Place in November 1818. She was described as “small, her eyes were blue and often enhanced by blue ribbons in her brown hair… She was not conventionally beautiful; her nose was a little -
Tapering and the Craft of Performance Preparation August 16th, 2020 Athletes and experts in peak performance understand very well the concept of “tapering” – a significant reduction in training load in the days before a competition which is, paradoxically, thought to have the effect of optimising performance. This often involves