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
Latest article
Spotlight
-
Carols Without Words
Leroy Anderson December 11th, 2023That wonderfully inventive composer and arranger Leroy Anderson (1908–1975) may be best known at Christmas time for his Sleigh Ride, with the neighing trumpet horses at the end. However, in 1950, he created a lovely arrangement for the Boston Pops -
5 Magnificent Arias
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio December 11th, 2023In 1734, Johann Sebastian Bach was at the top of his game. His compositional powers were simply out of this world, and he composed six musically and textually interrelated cantatas for the twelve days of Christmas. He called the collection -
December 10th: A Birthday of Two Composers and Organists!
César Franck and Olivier Messiaen December 10th, 2023Today was the birthday of César Franck (1822-1890) and Olivier Messiaen (1908- 1992). Born in different places and centuries, Franck and Messiaen did not share the same soundscapes in their compositions. Yet, these two composers shared a few things in -
Our Favorite Funny and Musical Animals December 10th, 2023 Who doesn’t love their pets and animals in general? Musicians do too of course. According to musicians, our pets are quite musical. Leave it to us to make musical jokes about them. In case you thought I’d exhausted all our -
Miracles, Virgins and Resurrection
New Testament in Music II December 10th, 2023Let us continue our exploration of classical music inspired by the New Testament. Roughly one third of the recorded teachings of Jesus are set as parables. These seemingly simple and memorable stories all convey messages that are central to Jesus’ -
On This Day
10 December: Konstantin Lifschitz Was Born December 10th, 2023Konstantin Lifschitz stunned the international music scene with his recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations in 1994. The recording received a Grammy nomination and was celebrated as the most convincing Bach interpretation since Glenn Gould. Critics praised his “joy and energy -
Life After Life
Missy Mazzoli’s Millennium Canticles December 9th, 2023American composer Missy Mazzoli (b. 1980) has been given the title of ‘Brooklyn’s post-millennial Mozart’ and in 2018, was one of the first two women commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera (the other composer commissioned was Jeanine Tesori). She attended the -
On This Day
9 December: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Was Born December 9th, 2023Olga Maria Elisabeth Frederike Schwarzkopf was born in Jarocin near Poznán, then Germany, now Poland, on 9 December 1915. She was to become the pre-eminent female lieder singer of the post-war decades and an operatic artist “in whom personal beauty,