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
Niccolò Paganini II November 27th, 2017Niccolò Paganini had patiently confined his concert activities to Italy for almost 20 years before setting out to conquer various European capitals. Initially he appeared in Vienna and Franz Schubert excitedly reported, “We will never hear his like again!” He -
Give it a Rest
On leaving and returning to familiar repertoire November 26th, 2017I’ve recommenced work on Schubert’s penultimate piano sonata (D 959 in A), following a few months’ hiatus due to family health issues, during which I was unable to give the music my full and proper attention. This sonata has become -
“Sing heavenly Muse”
Elisabeth von Herzogenberg and Johannes Brahms November 25th, 2017Elisabeth von Stockhausen was born in Paris in 1847. Her father served as the Hanoverian ambassador, and had been a student of Chopin. In 1853 the family moved to Vienna, and Elisabeth took lessons from Julius Epstein, at that time -
A passion for the piano: Alistair McGowan November 24th, 2017 Acclaimed British impressionist, comic, actor, Satie fan and keen amateur pianist, Alistair McGowan shares his passion for the piano and reveals how he prepared for his debut recording. -
The Korngold Suite for Wittgenstein
A Klimt in Music November 23rd, 2017After the rousing success of his opera Die tote Stadt, Erich Wolfgang Korngold was at the height of his European fame. With a libretto by his father Julius—penned under the name of Paul Schott—the opera dominated theatrical stages and became -
The Life and Times of Falstaff November 22nd, 2017 You don’t often think of Edward Elgar and Richard Strauss in the same way, but they were connected through the idea of the symphonic poem. Strauss’ symphonic poems such as Till Eulenspiegel and Don Quixote are well known but Elgar’s -
Helen Keller: A Great Lover of Music November 21st, 2017 Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbria, Alabama, in the summer of 1880. Nineteen months later, she fell ill (likely with scarlet fever or meningitis) and became deaf and blind. As Helen grew up, she communicated in a rudimentary way with -
At the Center of the Musical Universe
Niccolò Paganini November 20th, 2017Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) almost single-handedly established a new brand of performing musician, the touring virtuoso. In a brilliant strategy of self-promotion, he even circulated the rumor that he had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his uncanny