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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Guanqun Yu February 1st, 2017 Mozart and the Met ‘My life is very simple,’ Guanqun Yu says. ‘I read the bible, and sometimes go to the cinema to see movies, and I like museums. It sounds like I’m a nerd!,’ she exclaims. ‘I have a -
Unsung Concertos
Reinhold Glière: Concerto in F Minor for Coloratura Soprano and Orchestra, Op. 82 February 1st, 2017In our series of unsung concertos, here comes a composition that is actually sung but the words are not articulated! As we all know, the human voice has long been considered the quintessential musical instrument. Capable of producing an intricate -
“Less is More” – Marginal Gain Learning January 31st, 2017 “Marginal Gain Learning” (MGL) is a training concept employed by the British cycling team which has reaped brilliant rewards, as their success in both the London and Rio Olympics has demonstrated. The concept was developed by the team’s coach Dave -
Forgotten Pianists: Vladimir Sofronitsky January 30th, 2017 Vladimir Sofronitsky (1901-1961) was a Russian pianist who made his name not playing the classical and romantic composers but in his performances of the works of Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915), his wife’s late father. Born in St. Petersburg, he studied at -
Musical Giants of the 20th Century: Harpist, Mandolin and Banjo January 29th, 2017 Three legendary 20th century harpists stand out. British harpist Sidonie Goossens’s remarkable career extended just short of seven decades. A member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from its founding in 1930 until 1980, she was known for her brilliant playing -
Year of the Fire Rooster 2017 January 28th, 2017 In the ancient system of Chinese astrology, the Lord Buddha summoned all the animals to wish him goodbye before he departed from Earth. Alas, only twelve animals came to bid him farewell. So he rewarded them by naming a year -
Music, Medicine and Happiness January 28th, 2017 Did you ever wonder why the Chinese character for Music (“樂”) shares the exact same character for happiness (“樂”), and why the Chinese character for medicine (“藥”) is simply the same character with the symbol for plants placed on top? -
Composers and Their Poets: Debussy II January 27th, 2017 In his delicately titled, Ariettes oubliées (Forgotten Little Songs), Claude Debussy (1862-1918) took the poetry of Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) and created a song cycle to match the stylistic subtleties of his poems. Debussy met the older poet via his mother-in-law.