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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Franz Schubert – Composer for Our Corona Times July 13th, 2020 Schubert…..makes tears catch at the edge of my eyes; such fragile hope, such powerful emotions. Ian McMillan, poet (via Twitter) I was reminded of Ian McMillan’s quote while listening to the final lunchtime lockdown concert from London’s Wigmore Hall, a -
In Memoriam: Ennio Morricone (1928-2020) July 12th, 2020 Interlude is sad to announce the passing of probably the most famous film composer of the 20th century. Ennio Morricone (1928-2020) scored more than 500 films over several decades in almost every imaginable musical style and for almost every imaginable -
In Praise of “Safe” Programmes July 12th, 2020 Should Organizers Focus on Popular Classical Repertoire During the Time of Corona? As concert venues, their managers, promoters and artists begin to emerge from lockdown and survey the devastation wrought on the industry by the coronavirus pandemic and governments’ responses -
The Music of Poetry
Cinq Poèmes de Baudelaire July 12th, 2020Setting the poetry of Baudelaire to music is a highly complex undertaking. His poems have a complexity of thought and a richness of verbal music that almost defy the composer to add anything. Francis Poulenc, who devoured Baudelaire’s verse avidly -
Exile Music—Even When the Body Is Quelled the Human Spirit Soars July 11th, 2020 Even under the worst of circumstances, when one group of people brutalizes another, despite oppression, the drive to make and create music cannot be suppressed. Research has shown that during the Holocaust, in the most heinous of conditions, the prisoners -
In Memoriam: Ida Haendel (1928-2020) July 10th, 2020 Hailed as one of the great violinists of the 20th century, Ida Haendel (1928-2020) “enthralled audiences around the world with a combination of classical rigor and romantic warmth—a mind-blowing mix of fire and ice.” Known for her gracious yet uninhibited -
Music as Art July 10th, 2020 How I find a musical voice from artworks Music in all its varied forms is the most accessible and affordable form of art we have today. The popularity of music as a recreational and active form of art participation for -
What Happens Next: Ching’s Buoso’s Ghost July 9th, 2020 In a sense, at the end of the opera, we’ve received closure for the story at hand (they marry, they die, they get their revenge, etc.) but sometimes there’s a large story that we are locked out of. Modern composers