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 Dark Childhood of Joseph Haydn December 22nd, 2017 Joseph Haydn has entered music history as a jovial, grandfatherly figure with a reputation for a quick wit. Generations later, we still chuckle at the stories behind the Surprise Symphony or the Farewell Symphony. His famous good humor is all -
Unravelling the influential Franco-Belgian violin and organ schools I December 21st, 2017 By 1918, the century-old Franco-Belgian traditions of violin and organ studies, developed at the Paris Conservatoire, had undergone modifications that helped consolidate their tenets, empower their disciples, and spread their influence worldwide, to this day. -
Ring Bells! Sing Songs!: The Musical IV December 19th, 2017 The 1960s saw the continuing evolution of the musical. More and more it took looks at contemporary society, either in the wild world of Wall Street, as in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, or at today’s youth, -
At the Center of the Musical Universe
Franz Joseph Haydn December 18th, 2017Franz Joseph Haydn is recognized today as the central figure in the creation and establishment of the Viennese Classical Style. Famous around the mid-1760s, by the 1780s he had become the most celebrated composer of his time. And from the -
Silly Symphonies, Loony Tunes, and Merrie Melodies
Classical Music in Animation III December 17th, 2017It’s a testimony to the public knowledge of classical music when we look at a couple of Bugs Bunny classics as part of the Merrie Melodies series. One of the first cartoons where Bugs takes on the classics is Long-Haired -
Agree to disagree December 17th, 2017 On reading concert reviews What do you do when you read a concert review that you disagree with? Do you bristle with ripe indignation because the reviewer did not concur with your view of the concert and then fire off -
Christmas at the Opera I December 16th, 2017 The story of Christmas has had a powerful hold on the imagination of writers around the world for centuries. Literary greats ranging from Charles Dickens to Kurt Vonnegut have referenced a variety of Christmas rituals, but the central drama of -
Destination Madrid December 15th, 2017 Madrid, the heart of Spain, is a city of both historical architecture and the latest of the modern. The classical sound in the city includes the guitar and the orchestra. At the center, the city visitor will find the Royal