As a mythological character, Hercules is one who has always captured our attention. Famed for his strength and for his adventures around the known world, he’s caught the attention of writers and musicians for centuries. The stories and feats of
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Forgotten Pianists: Gina Bachauer July 17th, 2017 Greek pianist Gina Bachauer (1913-1976) started her studies at the Athens Conservatory before attending the Ecole Normale de Musique to study with Alfred Cortot. In Paris, she was also able to study with Rachmaninov. Her professional debut was made at -
Tango Passion I
Astor Piazzolla and Dedé Wolff July 16th, 2017Odetta Maria Wolff, affectionately known as Dedé, first laid eyes on Astor Piazzolla at a tea party in September 1940. She was not impressed at all, and found him “a rather ugly boy, round faced, who paid more attention to -
The Landscape of The Provence
Inspiration to Writers, Artists And Musicians July 15th, 2017On a recent trip through the Provence in France, through fields of lavender, sunflowers, vineyards and olive trees, I was reminded of the importance of landscapes, and that of the Provence in particular, as inspiration for many artists, including Frédéric -
Music Lab at Wilton’s Music Hall July 14th, 2017 The Hong Kong Music Series is part of a wider series of events marking the twentieth anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China. The Hong Kong Special Administrative -
Pierre Henry (1927-2017)
“The Father of Modern Music” July 13th, 2017A substantial number of classical music lovers have probably never heard the term “musique concrète.” It was coined by the French experimental musician and composer Pierre Schaeffer in 1948, and describes electroacoustic music that uses natural sounds—not electronically generated tones—as -
Listening to the Past without A Record Player July 12th, 2017 Before the advent of the phonograph in 1877, it wasn’t possible for people to play sound that had been recorded. The phonograph (a portmanteau word created from two Greek roots: (phone, “sound” or “voice” and graphē, “writing”) was preceded by -
A special relationship
Thoughts on teachers and pupils July 11th, 2017Music is the only field of study that requires regular and extended one-to-one interaction between student and teacher. The student-teacher relationship is a very special one, based on mutual trust and respect. Young students are often hungry for knowledge and -
Astor Piazzolla July 10th, 2017 Tango Revolution Without the shadow of a doubt, Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) is the single most important figure in the history of the tango! While Carlos Gardel and Ángel Villoldo are credited with creating the “tango canción”—a subgenre that realistically reflected