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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- Bringing Hope
Xia Guan’s Hope December 28th, 2023Composed in 1999, the second symphony by Chinese composer Xia Guan (b. 1957) carries the title of Hope. Guan sees hope as the ‘driving force in life’ and believes that without hope, he couldn’t even imagine what life would be -
Five Pieces of Musical Advice from the Great Pianists December 27th, 2023 The world of classical music has been graced by a wide variety of truly legendary pianists. In addition to the example set by their astonishing playing, these giants have often shared insights about their art in interviews or in articles, -
Drought December 27th, 2023 The first modern experience many people had with drought was the American Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Decades of poor land management and the destruction of the topsoil meant that the fertile land just blew away in the wind. The -
Playing the Part December 26th, 2023 “…part of an actor’s task is to make the audience forget that they know the plot of a drama and surprise them with each event. The same applies in music: we have to play each piece as if it were - 5 Magnificent Choruses
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio December 25th, 2023Countless scholars, performers, and conductors have asked the almost impossible question of how Bach’s music sounded when it was performed for the first time. This question really caused a great stir some decades ago with Joshua Rifkin suggesting that what - A 14th-Century Carol of Approaching Death
Coventry Carol December 25th, 2023Not all carols celebrate the birth of Jesus; some commemorate the other actions that resulted from the news of that birth. Starting in the 14th century, the English city of Coventry held annual mystery plays where stories from the Bible -
75 Quotes About Classical Music December 24th, 2023 From the cantatas of Bach to the sonatas of Mozart to the passion of Tchaikovsky to the extroversion of Bernstein, the centuries-old classical music tradition has gripped audiences for generations. In this collection of 75 quotes, we’re traveling across the -
Seven of the Most Famous Classical Music Concerts of All Time December 24th, 2023 The history of classical music stretches back hundreds of years. During that time, millions of concerts have been given and attended in every country of the world. Certain performances out of those millions have stood out as being particularly important,
