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 Concert Preacher: Music in the Service of Politics? October 17th, 2018 When Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman told American audiences during his debut recital at Disney Hall in Los Angeles “Get your hands off my country,” he stirred up the seemingly endless debate whether classical music and political advocacy can or should -
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
“Music Is Heaven’s Gift to Humanity” October 16th, 2018Boris Asafyev, one of the founders of Soviet musicology, wrote the following summary assessment regarding Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, “He was the first composer of a new Russian type… in a deeply original, personal and national style he united the symphonic -
Composers and Their Poets: George Crumb October 15th, 2018 One of the most striking of George Crumb’s compositions is his 1970 song cycle Ancient Voices of Children. Based on fragments of poetry by Federico García Lorca, this work challenges the singer to extremes of vocalizations, set against an ensemble -
Britten: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
Premiered Today in 1946 October 15th, 2018Benjamin Britten once described the process of putting music on paper in the following way, “Composing is like driving down a foggy road toward a house. Slowly you see more details of the house—the colours of the slates and bricks, -
Orchestral Pipe Dreams
Symphonic Works with Organ October 14th, 2018Magnificent pipe organs of various sizes and innovative designs are an integral architectural and musical part of most dedicated concert halls. Freed from its customary sacred and/or liturgical functions, the instrument is capable of taking on a number of exciting -
Dvořák: Violin Concerto
Premiered Today in 1883 October 14th, 2018Writing a dedicated composition for a famous soloist can sometimes be a trying process. In 1879, Dvořák’s publisher Simrock commissioned the composer to write a violin concerto. Giving Dvořák free reign in artistic matters, the publisher did specify that the -
Discovering New Repertoire October 14th, 2018 One of the greatest joys (and frustrations!) of being a pianist is the vast and myriad repertoire available for our instrument, from early Baroque wonders to brand-new contemporary fancies. One could spend a lifetime learning only the works of Chopin -
Cello Concerto Overview: The Ought to Haves Part II October 13th, 2018 The great cellist Mstislav Rostropovich was committed to the composers of our time. Any composer who hoped to write for the cello in the 20th century fantasized about Rostropovich playing their work. As astonishing as it sounds, he performed 105