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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Art and Life Are Not Two Separate Things October 4th, 2019 The statement in the title of this article was made by Felix Mendelssohn. In his short life of just 38 years, Mendelssohn left his mark on the art world with compositions that are still highly popular today. His music was -
The Difficulty With Mozart October 3rd, 2019 “The sonatas of Mozart are unique; they are too easy for children, and too difficult for artists.” ― Artur Schnabel Artur Schnabel Plays Mozart’s Piano sonata K.333 On the page the piano music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart looks simple (but -
Revisiting the Past
Benjamin Britten : A Simple Symphony October 2nd, 2019As a composer, Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) showed his skills early, composing his first works at age 5. He started piano lessons 2 years later and the viola when he was 10. In his prep school, South Lodge, Lowestoft, he wrote -
Regula Mühlemann October 1st, 2019 Opera and Song I meet Swiss soprano Regula Mühlemann over lunch the day before her Wigmore Hall debut, singing Mozart arias with The Mozartists, and talk to her about her outlook on performance, opera, and life in general. This season -
A Guide to Music Appreciation September 30th, 2019 This article has been written in reaction to hearing “I don’t like this [enter instrument, genre, artist etc.]” too often. As a composer, diversity in music is equal to the painter’s, who constantly seeks for new colours, or the chef’s -
Musicians and Artists: Poulenc, Éluard and Their Friends September 29th, 2019 Francis Poulenc knew all the best poets, setting the works of Apollinaire and Éluard again and again. He set the poets to opera (Les Mamelles de Tiresias), for a cappella choir, for voice and piano, in a secular cantata (Figure -
Finding Meaning in Music September 29th, 2019 Meaning in music is elusive — in fact, there are those who have said that music has no meaningAlan Gilbert, conductor Must we always find “meaning” in music? Why can’t our listening experience simply be one of absorbing the sounds -
Guy Mintus
Electrifying Israeli Jazz Pianist, Composer, and Vocalist September 28th, 2019Last year, I was invited to perform during a special week of commemoration and celebration upon the 100th birthday of Leonard Bernstein, and the 70th anniversary of his appearance at the Displaced Persons camp in Landsberg, Germany. It’s a picturesque,