The solo violin has long been acknowledged as the perfect instrument to express emotions like love, longing, heartbreak, rapture, and romance. The Romantic era lasted from the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century and produced numerous works that
Latest article
Spotlight
-
Khachaturian – Piano Works / Iyad Sughayer April 23rd, 2020 The young Jordanian-Palestinian pianist Iyad Sughayer makes an excellent case for the piano music of Aram Khachaturian in this impressive debut album. His interest in this music developed at a young age – he played the Toccata when he was -
Music Under Quarantine
Feeding the Imagination April 22nd, 2020If being locked up under quarantine is getting on your nerves, just imagine how your children feel? In times of uncertainty, the experts suggest that children and young people need as much stability as possible. They look to us on -
Henry Vieuxtemps (1820-1881)
Virtuoso and Pedagogue April 22nd, 2020The 19th century saw the emergence of a new kind of democratic society, and musical life began to center on the public concert hall. Whereas previously the musician had functioned under a system of aristocratic patronage, they now were supported -
Live-Streaming: The Bastard Child of Live & Recorded Performance April 21st, 2020 My mother is a phenomenally smart woman – virtually everything she says is correct. Sadly, even after 31 years of listening to her sage advice (read: nagging), I still find myself occasionally having to admit that, yet again, I was -
My Beethoven by Frances April 21st, 2020 I can’t remember how old I was when I first encountered the music of Ludwig van Beethoven, but I probably first heard his music on the record player in my paternal grandfather’s front room, a space which was used only -
THE EXHALE
A Holistic Approach to Inspiring Musicians’ Well-Being April 20th, 2020Founded by renowned violinist Gwendolyn Masin, The Exhale is a series of online holistic music masterclasses bringing together a faculty of world-class artists and practitioners. Created for professional musicians, string students who wish to pursue a professional career, players in -
Is There a Keith Jarrett Blueprint? April 20th, 2020 The following article is a rewrite and condensation of a university dissertation written in 2015. Approached quite ingenuously at the time, I later came to realise that this writing had prematurely exposed what is to become my primary approach to -
Virtual Music or Live Concert Hall Music? What Do You Want? April 19th, 2020 Could virtual concerts become the norm following the COVID-19 outbreak? With economies, companies and groups around the world taking a major financial hit due to lockdown restrictions, some orchestras and ensembles might have to rely upon the virtual world to