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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On This Day
8 December: Bohuslav Martinů Was Born December 8th, 2023In the years preceding World War II, Bohuslav Martinů was a much-respected composer experimenting with jazz, folk, and avant-garde creations in Paris. Forced to flee to the United States in 1940, he soon became the living composer whose works were -
Opera in Translation December 8th, 2023 Among the crowning glories of German and Italian opera are The Magic Flute, Tristan and Isolde, La Traviata, Tosca, Norma, and Aida; English opera has Balfe’s “Bohemian Girl” which is barely ever performed, Britten’s “Peter Grimes” whose chief attributes are -
First Concert of the Philharmonic Society of New York
7 December 1842 December 7th, 2023A momentous occasion took place on 7 December 1842 in the Apollo Rooms on lower Broadway. On that day, 600 audience members witnessed the first concert of the Philharmonic Society of New York. Formed as a cooperative organization of about -
On This Day
7 December: Johannes Brahms’ Handel Variations Was Premiered December 7th, 2023When Johannes Brahms first met Richard Wagner in 1863 he played his Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24 for the prophet of the “Artwork of the Future.” The work sounds like an impressive catalogue of variation -
15 Pieces of Classical Music About War and Peace December 6th, 2023 It seems to be a sad, tragic fact of human existence that war will always be with us. Classical composers have served in, survived, and written about war and peace for generations. Today we’re looking at fifteen pieces of classical -
Dragonflies in Music December 5th, 2023 Dragonflies are the flying insects no one minds – they don’t bite, and we love to depict them in art, from rock paintings to the greatest representation in Art Nouveau jewelry and in Japanese Ukiyo-e art. They live on every -
On This Day
5 December: Krystian Zimerman Was Born December 5th, 2023Krystian Zimerman is one of the rare cult figures among pianists today. In fact, there are not enough superlatives to describe his pianism, or what he calls “the art of organising emotions in time.” Anything he touches reveals infinite expressive -
Cello Lament for The Sycamore Gap Tree December 4th, 2023 Preserving our natural world has become vital for many of us but we sometimes are at a loss as to how we as individuals can make an impact. Italian cellist and composer Riccardo Pes had a visceral reaction when the