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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How Not to Be a Musician October 11th, 2019 What do your dreams look like? Fame, stardom, success and riches? We all have dreams, but do you know how to achieve them? I can start by telling you what not to do, and you can take it from there. -
Preview of Dartington International Summer School 2020 October 10th, 2019 Incoming Artistic Director sees Dartington International Summer School as a “laboratory” for musicians and composers to experiment and explore Since its foundation in 1947, Dartington International Summer School (DISS) has been a place where musicians, professional and amateur, come together -
Joaquin Rodrigo October 9th, 2019 “In Heaven We Will All Be Sounds” The Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999) might not be a household name, but he undoubtedly wrote the most successful concerto for any instrument in the 20th century. Conceirto de Aranjuez, originally written for -
Leonardo Vinci: Death by Hot Chocolate October 8th, 2019 Not to be confused with Leonardo da Vinci, Leonardo Vinci (1690-1730) was an influential Italian composer, best known for his operas. In fact, his music had a direct influence on a number of composers of the next generation, most notably -
Jessye Norman (1945-2019)
“I Am Grateful That My Horizons Were Not Narrowed at the Outset” October 7th, 2019There can be no doubt that Jessye Norman (1945-2019) had one of the world’s most beautiful and powerful voices. Described as a “grand mansion of sound…that opens onto unexpected vistas,” Norman was a phenomenon that possessed a glorious rich middle -
Musicians and Artists: Morton Feldman and Mark Rothko October 6th, 2019 In the middle of Houston, Texas, lies a point of solitude. Given the title of a chapel, it’s a place for spiritual matters, but at the same time, it’s a gathering place for world leaders seeking solutions that will culminate -
Pietà by Richard Blackford
A Stabat Mater for Our Troubled Times October 6th, 2019The Stabat Mater, a Medieval hymn which portrays Mary’s suffering as Christ’s mother during his Crucifixion, has been set to music by numerous composers, most notably Pergolesi, Schubert, Dvořák, Arvo Pärt and James Macmillan. In Pietà, a new setting by -
Paul Badura-Skoda (1927-2019)
“Mozart Writes the Most Perfect, the Most Beautiful Music” October 5th, 2019When I was a young and aspiring piano student I once asked my teacher if she would teach me a Mozart sonata. “No,” she said brusquely, “Mozart is too easy.” Even then, this struck me as somewhat odd, because when