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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Nikolai Medtner: Sonata Reminiscenza, Op. 38, No. 1 April 27th, 2016 The Russian composer and pianist Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951) was utterly despised by the Russian community in Paris. Considered an old fart and hopelessly out of touch with modern times, he was even facetiously called the “Russian Brahms.” Much of this -
Dances of Memory April 26th, 2016 In 1933, to celebrate both the 80th anniversary of the Budapest Philharmonic Society and his memories of life in a remote town, Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) wrote the Dances of Galánta. The town of Galánta is located about 50 km to -
Minors of the Majors
Edward Elgar: Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 84 April 25th, 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! -
Théodore Dubois: Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor April 24th, 2016 Institutions for secular education in musical performance, composition as well as academic and research fields are known under a variety of names. Originating in 16th-century Renaissance Italy, the term “conservatorio” designated a type of orphanage frequently attached to a hospital. -
Did Mozart Suffer From Any Neurobehavioural Disorder? April 24th, 2016 Once hailed as Time magazine’s top ten cultural figures of the millennium, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) should perhaps also be known as one of the most foul-mouthed classical musicians of all time. Although the musical genius has passed away for -
An Unfinished Mozart Opera April 23rd, 2016 In 1780, in order to join the new opera company set up by Emperor Joseph II, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart started writing a new German opera on the then-popular theme of rescue of enslaved Europeans from Muslim pirates. Mozart wrote about -
How You Should Feel in the Key of E major April 22nd, 2016 In our earlier series on C major and minor, G major and minor, and D major and minor, and A major and minor, we listed Ernst Pauer’s suggestions from 1876 of pieces that fit the particular affect he assigned for -
Playing it Safe? April 21st, 2016 Dmitri Shostakovich (1905-1975) had a hard and troubled career within the political machine that was the Soviet Union. At times the model composer and at others, the reviled modernist, he moved between the extremes of popularity and marginalization. His 11th