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
-
Movers and Shakers of Music World
Hallelujah! Orchestrating a Financial Portfolio December 10th, 2016We all know that George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was one of the all-time great composers. But did you know that he was also a big-time impresario who took exceedingly high risks and was not afraid to put his own money -
Composers and their Poets: Schumann I December 9th, 2016 Robert Schumann as a Song Composer In the generation following Schubert, his new model for lieder writing influences many composers. Robert Schumann (1810-1856) took his models to heart and in doing so, produced some of the best music of the -
Alberto Ginastera December 8th, 2016 “The condensed voices of a whole country” In 2016 we celebrate the 100th birthday of Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983), considered one of the most important classical composers of the Americas! Continuously at odds with the repressive military dictatorship of his native -
Unsung Concertos
Nikolaus Kraft: Cello Concerto No. 1 (1815) December 7th, 2016Antonín Kraft was one of the earliest cello superstars! A close personal friend of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven he became a founding member of the Schuppanzigh Quartet and helped to establish the tradition of modern string quartet playing. Considered one -
Mysteries of the Sustain Pedal December 6th, 2016 “The more I play, the more I am convinced the pedal is the soul of the pianoforte!” Arthur Rubinstein “….abusing the pedal is only a means of covering up a lack of technique, and that making a lot of noise -
Minors of the Majors
Edvard Grieg: 25 Norwegian Folk Songs and Dances, Op. 17 December 5th, 2016“Minors of the Majors” invites you to discover compositions by the great classical composers that for one reason or another have not reached the musical mainstream. Please enjoy, and keep listening! -
The Devil Takes a Wife December 4th, 2016 In Ottorino Respighi’s 1923 comic opera Belfagor, the eponymous devil comes to a small village in Italy. This was Respighi’s fifth attempt at opera and we see him still struggling to get the correct coordination between the music and the -
Musical Giants of the 20th Century: The Art of Lieder (Female Interpreters) December 4th, 2016 When we talk about giants among the female Lieder interpreters of the 20th century, we really must start with the great Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich (1858-1935). Sembrich performed for Liszt, and after studying in Vienna and Milan, secured long-term contracts