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 Concerto
Part 4 – Women Composers and More January 6th, 2019“A woman must not wish to compose” – Clara Schumann Clara Schumann (then Clara Wieck, 1819-1896) began her Piano Concerto in A minor at the age of 13 and premièred it three years later at the Leipzig Gewandhaus under the -
Paralyzed by Imposter Syndrome? —When Will I Be Good enough? January 5th, 2019 No-one said becoming a musician is easy. It takes years of practice, discipline, and a unique personality—of humility, to convey the composer’s intention as best we can, and self-confidence, to walk onto the stage and play with panache. But no -
Picture studies: Rachmaninoff’s Études-Tableaux Op. 33 January 4th, 2019 Rachmaninoff composed his Opus 33 Études-Tableaux between August and September of 1911, the year after he completed his Opus 32 Preludes, and while the Opus 33 shares some stylistic points with the Preludes, the pieces are very unlike them. Rachmaninoff -
Mozart’s Musical Journey
3 January 1781: Idomeneo January 3rd, 2019On 3 January 1781, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his father from Munich, “My head and my hands are so fully occupied with my third act, that it would not be wonderful if I turned into a third act myself, for -
The Inspiration of Imagination – Fictional Characters in Music January 2nd, 2019 Composers are inspired by the world, by their experiences, and by others’ imaginations. Novels and stories have been set by composers as everything from little piano pieces (here, Debussy was inspired by the Golliwog character in children’s book by Florence -
Wagner: The Flying Dutchman
Premiered Today in 1843 January 2nd, 2019Richard Wagner (1813-1883), not for the first or last time in his life, had to flee his creditors in 1839. His employment in Riga had left him and his wife Minna heavily in debt, and police officials had even impounded -
Pulling out all the Stops
Celebrated Organ Concertos II January 1st, 2019If you are appointed as organist at a major church at the age of 7, and you compose a three-part mass with organ accompaniment shortly thereafter, you’ll probably have some kind of professional musical career ahead of you. And that’s -
Haochen Zhang January 1st, 2019 ‘Breathe More andante Enjoy Life’ Haochen Zhang on Oxygen in Performance Chinese pianist Haochen Zhang performs Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto on 18 and 19 January with the Hong Kong Philharmonic. Between concerts in the USA and China he takes a