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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Artists at the Opera & Ballet: Pablo Picasso June 5th, 2016 When you look at everything that the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was involved with, you have to cover most of the fine arts and then add a good slog of literature. He was a painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and -
A New Idea with New Music June 4th, 2016 In the early 20th century, ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev changed the way he put on ballets: he would now commission original scores. Not only that, but for one of his first ballet productions, it would be based on a new -
How You Should Feel in the Key of C Sharp Major / D flat major June 3rd, 2016 In our earlier series on C major and minor, G major and minor, and D major and minor, and A major and minor, E major and minor, B major and minor, and F sharp major and minor, we listed Ernst -
A Date with “Schlamperl”
Max Reger and Elsa von Bercken June 2nd, 2016Love, it is said, knows no boundaries! Too bad somebody forgot to tell the Catholic and Protestant Churches! You see, the German composer Max Reger was Catholic and the light of his eyes, Elsa von Bercken, was not only divorced -
Richard Galliano June 1st, 2016 Pioneering past and future Accordion legend Richard Galliano is appearing with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong in June. We take a moment to talk about his creation of new styles, and respect for the past. -
Max Reger May 31st, 2016 “Giant in the Shadows” 100 years ago, Max Reger (1873-1916), one of the giants of music in Germany passed away prematurely at age 43. He was an exact contemporary of Rachmaninoff, one year younger than Scriabin, and one year older -
Minors of the Majors
Richard Wagner: Piano Sonata in A Major, Op. 4 May 30th, 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! -
E.T.A. Hoffmann on Steroids!
Edgar Allan Poe in Music May 29th, 2016Reading American literature during my student days in Europe was a rather thankless and boring task. I simply had no connection to the naïve optimism of the American frontier mentality or the preachy virtues of the Puritan legacy. For me,