The solo violin has long been acknowledged as the perfect instrument to express emotions like love, longing, heartbreak, rapture, and romance. The Romantic era lasted from the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century and produced numerous works that
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Orchestral Music in a New Tuning November 24th, 2016 Norwegian composer Eivind Groven (1901-1977) came from the province of Telemark and his love for the province drove his artistic sensibilities. He was a self-taught composer, was a performer on the willow flute, and was a legendary fiddler. He collected -
Unsung Concertos
Moritz Moszkowski (1854-1925): Piano Concerto Op. 3 November 23rd, 2016Critical mass is a concept used in nuclear physics, group dynamics, politics, public opinion, medicine, and technology. Differences between disciplines none withstanding, it “identifies the minimum amount (of something) required to start or maintain a venture.” In business, for example, -
Gesture in Piano Playing, Part 1 November 22nd, 2016 In the dimmed lights of the concert hall the pianist crouches, cat-like, over the piano. His hands swoop across the keyboard in a blur of movement, he sways maniacally from side to side before throwing back his head and raising -
Minors of the Majors
Manuel de Falla: Allegro de Concierto November 21st, 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 Boston Symphony at Tanglewood from the Manager’s Perspective: Mark Volpe Interview November 20th, 2016 In 1936, the Boston Symphony’s first program in the Berkshires took place under an enormous tent, with Maestro Serge Koussevitzky at the helm. Fifteen thousand people heard the venerable ensemble in the gorgeous setting but far from ideal venue. Koussevitzky’s -
Musical Giants of the 20th Century: Opera Voices November 20th, 2016 Richard Tucker: First of the great American tenors For several generations of patrons of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, one tenor represented the absolute gold standard: Richard Tucker. It helped that he had immigrant Jewish background (he was born -
Muses and Musings
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Rondo for the Baroness Waldstädten November 19th, 2016Full of optimism, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart arrived in Vienna in 1781 ready to make his mark on the Viennese musical scene. By sheer coincidence he was introduced to the Baroness Martha Elisabeth von Waldstädten. She was thirty-seven at that time -
Composers and Their Poets: Schubert VI November 18th, 2016 Franz Grillparzer, Ignaz Castelli, and Eduard von Bauernfeld were all friends of Schubert and appear in the 1868 ‘Schubertiade’ drawing done by Moritz von Schwind, where they are standing behind the women on the right side of the picture.