The solo violin has long been acknowledged as the perfect instrument to express emotions like love, longing, heartbreak, rapture, and romance. The Romantic era lasted from the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century and produced numerous works that
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Joan of Arc
The Maid of Orléans January 21st, 2024Joan of Arc, also known as the “Maid of Orléans,” was declared a national symbol of France by Napoleon in 1830. Her story had a profound effect on French society as the old societal order gave way to new ideas -
10 Beautiful Viola Concertos From the 18th Century January 21st, 2024 If you have heard one, you probably have heard them all! I am talking about viola jokes, a musical stereotype with a rich and proud heritage. Jokes directed towards violas and viola players probably originated in the 18th century, and -
Six of the Earliest Women Composers from the Renaissance Era January 20th, 2024 One of the most frustrating things when it comes to learning about women composers from the Renaissance is that we know they existed, but all of their biographies are very bare-bones. When it comes to these mysterious, super-talented women, we -
Music About Nature
5 Pieces Written for Violin and Piano January 20th, 2024At the start of the new year, I am learning some new pieces with my violin partner for our coming performances this year. The theme of our program is music about nature. In this article, I would like to share -
On This Day
19 January: Massenet’s Manon Was Premiered January 19th, 2024With his character “Manon,” Jules Massenet created a portrait of the eternal feminine. As has been pointed out, this male view of seductive womankind “the generous, ambitious, pleasure-loving good-time girl who delivers the goods and expires of nothing so much -
The Harmony of the World
Kepler and Hindemith January 18th, 2024The German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) wrote a book titled Harmonice Mundi (The Harmony of the World) in 1619. He had been working on the book for roughly 20 years, establishing celestial-harmonic relationships. He also abandoned the Pythagorean -
On This Day
17 January: Anne Queffélec Was Born January 17th, 2024Known for her even temperament and light, brilliant style of playing, Anne Queffélec has received international acclaim for her performances of French music and the keyboard works of Bach, Scarlatti, and Mozart. Queffélec is equally comfortable with the music of -
Benny Goodman Invaded Carnegie Hall
16 January 1938 January 16th, 2024Something entirely inconceivable took place on 16 January 1938. On that day, Benny Goodman invaded Carnegie Hall, the citadel of American high culture. The “King of Swing” brought his own band, including Harry James on trumpet, Lionel Hampton on vibraphone