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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Cyril Scott’s Oriental Fantasies June 26th, 2019 Known as the “English Debussy” Cyril Meir Scott (1879-1970) tellingly remarked, “That I should appeal to Eastern taste is curious because I have never been to the East, nor have I heard much Eastern music. I can, therefore, only account -
The Fun of Variations June 25th, 2019 One of the most interesting of the small forms is the variation. Typically, a theme is presented so that the audience is on the same footing at the composer. Then, the composer shows off by taking the original theme and -
Frédéric Chopin and Maria Wodzińska
Funeral March for the Heart June 24th, 2019Frédéric Chopin had turned twenty-five when he fell passionately and hopelessly in love with sixteen-year old Maria Wodzińska. He had known her as a child, and “used to chase her through the rooms at Pszenny.” She in turn greatly “annoyed -
Musicians and Artists: Ethel Waters and Beauford Delaney June 23rd, 2019 The American artist Beauford Delaney was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1901 and showed skill in drawing from an early age. His activities in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance as a pastel portraitist brought him into conjunction with -
Queen Victoria’s Gilded Piano graces the 2019 Proms June 23rd, 2019 To coincide with the bicentenary of Queen Victoria’s birth, this year’s BBC Proms, the world’s largest classical music festival, will include a performance on a beautifully decorated gilded Erard piano. Many illustrious pianists played Erard instruments, including Chopin, Liszt, Mendelssohn -
An International Career Cut Short
A Brief life of Richard Farrell June 22nd, 2019Richard Farrell (1926-1958) was, literally, one of those musical geniuses who came out of nowhere. Well, not really nowhere, but certainly far away from the usual centers of musical supply. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, and spending most of his -
Maestro Vänskä’s Finnish Adventure June 21st, 2019 Here is an conversation with Osmo Vänskä prior to his 2019 performances with the Hong Kong Philharmonic. -
Music and Nature
Seasons: Summer June 21st, 2019What kind of summer do you have? The burning summer of the Middle East? The humid summers of the Far East and the American Midwest? The ideal summers of sunny days and picnics, tennis and a hike? Or just the