The love story between Robert and Clara Schumann is often regarded as one of the most romantic in classical music history. Happily for historians, many of their love letters survive. They document their inner thoughts and emotions, as well as
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The Music of Poetry
Johann Wolfgang Goethe “Heidenröslein” March 8th, 2020Goethe’s most famous lyric with refrain is undoubtedly “Heidenröslein” (Heath Rose). The poem is a sustained metaphor for the deflowering of a maiden, and it possibly originated during Goethe’s stay in Strasbourg. During his two-year stay, the 21-year-old poet fell -
Interview With Pianist Andrew Garrido
“I Always Look for Something That Will Push Me Towards Greater Playing” March 8th, 2020Young British pianist Andrew Garrido taught himself how to play the piano using a homemade paper keyboard because his mother couldn’t afford piano lessons for him. Now he is studying at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and performs -
Cats and Dogs in Concerts—Oh My! March 7th, 2020 When I was a student at The Aspen Music Festival and School, the conductor and music director at the time, Jorge Mester, brought his fluffy English Sheepdog to rehearsals. The enormous dog loved to stretch out on the podium while -
Nicolette’s 10 All-Time Favourite Music Pieces March 6th, 2020 Call me fickle, but as with food, I go through phases in terms of what I like to listen to and what I enjoy playing. However, I do have some favourites and they are mostly from the piano repertoire. Some -
The Psychology in Film Music II March 6th, 2020 In part I of this series, we heard several examples of how film music is designed to affect us psychologically. In this part, we look closer at why movie makers need to include music that pulls our psychological strings. In -
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
The Virulent Cow March 5th, 2020Watching cattle graze in their natural environment is one of life’s bucolic pleasures. As natural herbivores, they eat a lot of grasses and hay. Yet in commercial farming, various feeds are used, which may contain ingredients such as antibiotics, hormones, -
The Nature of the Elements
Bruce’s The North Wind Was a Woman March 5th, 2020What if we go back in time to when the world around us was made of personified elements? In Baroque opera, ideas were often personified, as in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, Music herself gives us the Prologue. In Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, -
Alexander Serov March 4th, 2020 Practice what you Preach The Russian composer and critic Alexander Serov (1820-1871) never held an official position, he never taught a student, and he never belonged to any organized group or faction. Regardless, he was one of the most significant