In classical music, the Romantic Era lasted from around 1810 to around 1910. That century gave us some of the most famous symphonies in the repertoire. Nineteenth-century composers like Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvořák, Schubert, Mahler, Rachmaninoff, and others elevated the symphony
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The Explosion to End the World May 19th, 2016 One of the most prolific of modern composers, the American composer Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000) seems to figure rarely on the modern concert stage. He wrote some 70 symphonies, and his surviving works number over 500 pieces. -
Christian August Sinding (1856-1941)
The Forgotten Norwegian Composer May 18th, 2016Ambitious amateur pianists primarily remember the Norwegian composer Christian August Sinding (1856-1941) for his Frühlingsrauschen (Rustle of Spring) Op. 32, No. 3. However, during his lifetime he was not only considered the musical heir to his compatriot Edvard Grieg, but -
Sir Donald Francis Tovey
“All Art contains Conflict” May 17th, 2016Throughout the 20th century, Donald Francis Tovey (1875-1940) was probably one of the most widely read music critics in English-speaking countries. He launched his career as a pianist, composer, and writer of music in London, and was immediately identified as -
Minors of the Majors
George Gershwin: Lullaby for Strings May 16th, 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! -
Movers and Shakers of Music World
Domenico Barbaja – the first of the great opera impresarios May 15th, 2016Only the most hard-boiled opera lovers could name the leading impresarios of today: Peter Gelb of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Alexander Pereira of La Scala of Milan (formerly of Zurich Opera and the Salzburg Festival) and possibly Stéphane -
The Great Women Artists Who Shaped Music XIX: Winnaretta Singer, Princesse de Polignac May 15th, 2016 Without patrons of the arts many great masterworks of the 20th century would not be delighting us today. Exceptional benefactors shaped our culture by opening their homes and hearts, creating opportunities for composers and performers. -
Music, Art and Nature May 14th, 2016 Over the course of the last two centuries, there has been an interesting, changing relationship between music and the other arts, and concepts and depictions of nature. During the Classical period nature was represented as a backdrop in paintings for -
How You Should Feel in the Key of B minor May 13th, 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, we listed Ernst Pauer’s suggestions from 1876 of pieces that fit the particular