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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Music is Supernatural June 14th, 2019 When I was researching this article I thought of titling it, Is Music Supernatural? But I’ve always known inside me that music is mystical; my research just confirmed it. One of the problems in talking about music as being supernatural -
A Pianist of the Golden Era: Nelly Akopian-Tamarina June 13th, 2019 Born in Moscow, the Russian pianist Nelly Akopian-Tamarina carries on an illustrious line of Russian Romanticism going back to Anton Rubinstein and Franz Liszt. A connoisseurs’ artist, she excels in repertory for which she has received the highest international recognition. -
Mozart’s Musical Journey
12 June 1784: “Menzl is, and always will be, an ass” June 12th, 2019When Mozart returned to Vienna in late November 1783, he entered into the busiest and most successful years of his life. He performed and conducted a substantial number of his own compositions, and in addition to public performances he was -
“Hérminie was right again”
Jacques Offenbach and Hérminie d’Alcain June 11th, 2019After Jacques Offenbach abruptly discontinued his studies at the Paris Conservatoire he gradually built a reputation composing for and performing in the fashionable salons of Paris. And at one of these cultured gatherings, his eyes fell upon a young Spanish -
Film Music and Concertos – Eleven Eleven by Danny Elfman June 10th, 2019 Composer Danny Elfman is best known for his film music – having produced music for well over a hundred films, he’s the modern film composer best known to most. His collaboration with Tim Burton is his longest-standing one, including writing -
Musicians and Artists: Pasqualini and Sacchi June 9th, 2019 The signs of greatness can include many things, but being crowned by Apollo, the god of music and the arts (among many other attributes), is a definite signal. Marc’Antonio Pasqualini (1614-1691) was a celebrated male soprano from Rome, first singing -
The Core Canon June 9th, 2019 Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467 (Murray Perahia) The notion of the “canon” of classical music developed about 200 years ago, when the patronage of composers and music by the aristocracy lost its stranglehold on what -
Classical Music at Hong Kong International Airport June 8th, 2019 I’ve been traveling extensively throughout the world, and for me personally, Hong Kong International Airport still ranks as one of the best such facilities in the world! Built on a large artificial island, it replaced the old Kai Tak Airport