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
Latest article
Spotlight
-
Jumping in Time
Edward Elgar’s 3 Characteristic Pieces January 12th, 2024English composer Edward Elgar (1857–1934) wrote his Three Characteristic Pieces in 1899, revising an earlier Suite in D. The first movement is the very Polish mazurka, a work in triple meter with a quick tempo. The mazurka was a stylized -
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and the Impact of Climate Change January 12th, 2024 The Four Seasons, the fabulous collection of four violin concerti by Antonio Vivaldi have topped the Classical Music charts for decades on end. It has become part of modern culture, and the music is reshaped and arranged into different musical -
Breaking Boundaries
Xavier Foley Double Bass Player and Composer January 12th, 2024Xavier Foley, a dazzling double bass player, is a multi-talented musician who is breaking boundaries. A prizewinner of the 2016 Young Concert Association Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, the 2014 Sphinx Competition, and a 2018 Recipient of the Avery Fisher Career -
Sweetest Harmony January 11th, 2024 Harmony in music is easy; you take two or more notes and play them together. Of course, all this developed into a complex system of chords and rules. In theory, harmony among nations and people should also be a simple -
Musicians and Artists: Alpaerts and Ensor January 11th, 2024 Flor Alpaerts: James Ensor Suite The Belgian artist and printmaker James Baron Ensor (1860–1949) left school at age 15 to start his artistic training and two years later entered the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. His early work was -
Beethoven’s Only Portrait: Stolen by the Nazis! January 10th, 2024 Beethoven sat for one portrait in his life. The painting that resulted from that one series of sittings has become an iconic image from cultural history. Here’s why: In it, Beethoven gazes past the viewer. He is seeing things that -
Rediscovering Conrado del Campo January 9th, 2024 The Spanish composer and teacher Conrado del Campo (1878–1953) was considered the most important Spanish music teacher of his time, teaching at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música in Madrid for over 40 years. He was also a conductor, leading -
On This Day
8 January: Arcangelo Corelli Died January 8th, 2024The remarkable boom in music publishing around 1700 forever secured and spread the reputation of Arcangelo Corelli. His op. 1 was issued in 39 known editions between 1681 and 1790, and that does not include collective editions of opp. 1-4