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 Piano Sonata III May 16th, 2019 The Romantic Piano Sonata – Innovation within the Classical Form If Beethoven was the bridge from the Classical to the Romantic era in richly expressive piano sonatas like the Moonlight, the Appassionata, the Hammerklavier and the final three, Franz Schubert -
Chloe Flower
From Bach to Cardi B May 15th, 2019Glenn Gould catapulted to international stardom and iconic fame with his inventive and energetic interpretations of Bach But when he did his Beethoven crossovers, his idiosyncratic and sometimes outlandish interpretations were considered “questionable.” For Gould, “Beethoven always sounded like the -
Carl Loewe: Songs of Longing
Julie von Jacob and Auguste Lange May 14th, 2019When Carl Loewe (1796-1869) moved to Halle to further his musical education, he quickly became involved in the local “Singakademie.” Founded by Johann Friedrich Naue—a student of Carl Friedrich Zelter—in 1814, this large choral society was established to study and -
Superstar of the Italian Renaissance
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) May 13th, 2019What is there to say about Leonardo da Vinci that hasn’t been said over the last 500 years? Well, let’s start with some superlatives before placing the man within the context of the Italian Renaissance. -
Mozart’s Musical Journey
12 May 1781: “Injustice and incessant abuse” May 12th, 2019During Mozart’s time—and some would say it is still true today—Salzburg was a small provincial town. Mozart was working for the Archbishop Hieronymus von Colloredo as a musical servant, and he had nothing good to say about his hometown. “I -
Pedagogues and Demi-Gods May 12th, 2019 “….never had I had a piano teacher so demanding and tyrannical” – Leonard Bernstein on Isabelle Vengerova The composer Philip Glass described her as somewhere “between intimidating and terrifying” whose lessons invariably left students “shaken and silent”, while Virgil Thomson -
How Musical Imagery, the Art of Interpretation, and Google DeepDream Interact May 11th, 2019 When musicians first encounter a piece of music, they begin by learning the notes and rhythm, perfecting the dynamics, and studying the instructions from the composer. These might be sparse and involve merely tempo indications and subtle markings. What then? -
Is There a Language in Music? May 10th, 2019 The language of music is vast, however, just like the many spoken languages of the world, not all music will speak a dialect you can easily understand. What is in the music that you and I love that speaks so