In classical music, the Romantic Era lasted from around 1810 to around 1910. That century gave us some of the most famous symphonies in the repertoire. Nineteenth-century composers like Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvořák, Schubert, Mahler, Rachmaninoff, and others elevated the symphony
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Unsung Concertos
Johann Matthias Sperger: Horn Concerto in E flat February 22nd, 2017Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the city of Vienna acted like a gigantic magnet for composers and musicians. Talented individuals from the surrounding areas and all parts of Europe streamed into the city hoping to make their mark in -
The Writings on the Score February 21st, 2017 As musicians our musical scores are very personal to us, and the markings and annotations we make on our scores can be deeply associated with memories – of significant teachers, special concerts and venues, colleagues and friends, and may even -
Forgotten Pianists: Josef Lhévinne February 20th, 2017 From his very first concerts at age 14, Josef Lhévinne (1874-1944) was recognized as a pianist with a brilliant future. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory from age 11 with Vasilly Safonov, who reformed the skills of the boy who -
The Power of a Hat February 19th, 2017 Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) started with a story about a lecherous magistrate and his desire for the miller’s virtuous wife (El corregidor y la molinera) and revised it into The Three-Cornered Hat (El sombrero de tres picos, 1917). As a -
Popularizing Music—Outstanding Classical Crossover Artists II February 19th, 2017 All types of music are enhanced by the artistry, dazzling technique and emotional intensity of virtuosos. Yo Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Itzhak Perlman, singers Renée Fleming, Kiri Te Kanawa and label-defying artists Audra MacDonald, Andrea Bocelli, and Bela Fleck have -
Czech Rivers or Classical Composers? February 18th, 2017 Brixi In Moravian folklore, the “Brixi” is not actually a river. Rather it describes a mythical creature that secretly rises from the Morava River during the summer solstice to take a long bath in the moonlight. According to local lore, -
Composers and their Poets: Schoenberg III February 17th, 2017 If Gurre-Lieder was a cantata and The Book of the Hanging Gardens a song cycle, then we must separate out one more large cycle for examination. It’s not song as we might recognize it from Schubert and Schumann, but rather -
Pictures from the East: Schumann’s Bilder aus Osten, Op. 66 February 16th, 2017 Bilder aus Osten (Pictures from the East), 6 Impromptus for piano 4-hands, written 1848, came at a time in Schumann’s life when he was bothered by a number of problems. He had recurring bouts of tinnitus when all he could