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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Peter Warlock: In League with the Devil May 1st, 2016 Witches, Warlocks, and Wizards are said to possess magical powers and are able to command supernatural forces. They have played an active part in human history and the imagination since ancient times. At various times in history, witchcraft and wizardry -
The Pits—Orchestra Pits That is! April 30th, 2016 A good part of a musician’s career is spent in a pit, an orchestra pit that is—for opera, ballet and musical theater productions. The pit—an open space beneath and in front of the stage—varies in shape and size and can -
How You Should Feel in the Key of E minor April 29th, 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 -
The Water Spirits April 28th, 2016 The Oceanids are the water spirits, children of Oceanus, the Titan whose river encircles the world, and Tethys, his sister/wife who oversaw the rivers of the world. Oceanus and Tethys had 3,000 daughters and 3,000 sons. In Greek mythology, however, -
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.