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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On This Day
21 December: Michael Tilson Thomas Was Born December 21st, 2023Conductor, pianist, and composer Michael Tilson Thomas has won twelve Grammy Awards and amassed a discography of more than 120 recordings. During his tenure with the San Francisco Symphony, he recorded the complete symphonies of Gustav Mahler and pioneering discs -
Five Most Popular Leonard Bernstein Performances December 20th, 2023 Composer, conductor, pianist, teacher, and all-around American musical legend Leonard Bernstein gave thousands of performances over the course of his career, many of which were broadcast and archived for future generations to enjoy. Bernstein – a boyishly handsome, gregarious force -
Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Christmas Carols December 20th, 2023 In a longer take on the traditional carol, English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams made a ‘fantasia’ on three carols from southern England to create an atmospheric work for baritone, chorus, and orchestra. Given its premiere at the Three Choirs Festival -
On This Day
19 December: Steven Isserlis Was Born December 19th, 2023British cellist Steven Isserlis, born 19 December 1958 made his breakthrough in 1988 when he asked John Tavener to write a dedicated work for cello and orchestra. Isserlis premiered The Protecting Veil at the BBC Proms and quickly followed up -
How Much Does He/She Love: Too Much!
The 12 Days of Christmas December 19th, 2023In the classic Christmas counting carol, The 12 Days of Christmas, on the 12 days following Christmas, the singer’s ‘true love’ sends him a present each day, plus the present from the day(s) before. The 12 Days of Christmas are -
Classical Music for Christmas
25 Holiday-Inspired Pieces to Celebrate the Season December 18th, 2023The holiday season will soon be upon us, and what better way to get into the festive spirit than with some classical music? In this blog post, we’re exploring 25 pieces of classical music that are perfect for the Christmas -
Flood
Luna Pearl Woolf’s Après moi, le déluge December 18th, 2023Looking at the climate terrors of 2023, we can only anticipate what 2024 might hold. The historical calamity of the Flood seemed to affect everywhere last year. But when you look at the music for flood (and for how we’re -
10 Inspirational & Thought-Provoking Quotes From Musicians and Composers December 17th, 2023 “Every time you play a great piece of music, there is a new discovery. Every time.” – Mitsuko Uchida, pianist MITSUKO UCHIDA ~ Beethoven Piano Concerto # 5 / BSO /Andris Nelsons “I am interested in music as ecstasy, as