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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At the Center of the Musical Universe
Vincenzo Bellini III March 12th, 2018Here is what Robert Schumann had to say about Carl Czerny’s Fantasies Brillantes on Original Themes Op. 434, “A greater bankruptcy of imagination than that demonstrated in Mr. Czerny’s newest creation could hardly exist. One should force the esteemed composer -
Achille-Claude Debussy March 11th, 2018 Sonic Explorer and Visionary On 25 March 1918, Achille-Claude Debussy (1862-1918) lost his battle with rectal cancer at his Paris home. Aged 55, Debussy was universally acknowledged as one of the most important musicians of his time. His harmonic innovations -
The Creativity Routine March 11th, 2018 Where does inspiration come from, the spark to create? ….even fairly mundane activities can feed in to the discovery of new insight, new knowledge and new means of expressing ideas in all sorts of ways – Professor John Rink -
Forgotten Cellists: Raya Garbousova March 10th, 2018 The eminent cellist, Raya Garbousova, had it all—a gorgeous cello sound, formidable technique, boundless energy, and movie-star allure. Born in Tbilisi, the Capital of the country of Georgia, in 1909, (there are some disputes about her age. Some sources list -
The Voice as Pure Instrument March 9th, 2018 If there are two words that you cannot imagine in a row, it’s ‘coloratura’ and ‘concerto,’ but Russian composer Reinhold Glière wrote such a piece: his 1942 Concerto for Coloratura Soprano and Orchestra in F Minor, Op. 82. This work -
Composers of the World March 8th, 2018 In time for Women’s History Month, we should consider the women composers in our world. Hmmm. None come to mind? Expand your thoughts, think of bigger concepts. Think international. Chihchun Chi-sun Lee is a Taiwanese composer who studied in Taiwan -
Musical Voices of WWI (1914-18)
Vaughan-Williams, Stephan and Bliss March 7th, 2018Ralph Vaughan Williams was already an established composer at the onset of the First World War. By 1914, he had created a considerable body of works, including two symphonies and various works for orchestra, an opera and a number of -
Placing Music in Context – An Interview with Ton Koopman March 6th, 2018 Ton Koopman will be coming to China and Hong Kong in May for 4 concerts that reflect many aspects of his career. His first two concerts, 20 May in Guangzhou and 25 May in Shanghai, are solid 18th century masterpieces