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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From England to France via Spain: Debussy’s Images for Orchestra October 26th, 2016 After writing two sets of Images for piano, it seems that a third set was called for, but this time Debussy orchestrated it, and in doing so, broadened the timbre of his palate. The first Image, Gigues, originally had the -
Life Inside the Gilded Cage October 25th, 2016 An attitude still prevails today that classical musicians, and perhaps mostly especially pianists, exist in some kind of gilded cage or ivory tower, where, separated from the humdrum demands of everyday life, they hone their art and craft in glorious - Minors of the Majors
Darius Milhaud: Sonatina for clarinet and piano, Op. 100 October 24th, 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 whores—embraces—lust—my innocence saved!
Robert Schumann and Christiane Apitzsch October 23rd, 2016In the summer of 1830, the 20-year-old Robert Schumann abruptly ended his law studies at Heidelberg University and decided to become a musician. His mother arranged a musical apprenticeship with Friedrich Wieck in Leipzig, and the 11-year-old Clara Wieck writes -
Musical Giants of the 20th Century: Violists October 23rd, 2016 Sadly the viola has been unjustly maligned. The following five consummate violists have put the viola on the map as a solo instrument, and without them we wouldn’t have the outstanding world-renown players we hear today. -
The Poet for the Modern Age October 22nd, 2016 When the Nobel Prize for Literature was given out in 2016, music to everyone’s surprise, it went to a writer who was not only known all over the world but also was given to someone for whom almost everyone probably -
The Figaro Line and Cherubino October 22nd, 2016 In Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, we are introduced to the ever-enterprising Figaro. He solves Count Almaviva’s courting problem with Rosina by thwarting her guardian’s marriage intentions. Count Almaviva and Rosina appear again with Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, -
Composers and their Poets: Schubert II October 21st, 2016 After the simple joys and fatal ending of Die schöne Müllerin, the feeling of Winterreise comes as an interesting change. This time, Schubert set all 24 of the verses written by Wilhelm Müller. The cycle was first published in 1823
