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
Latest article
Spotlight
-
More Divine Duos—Musical Pairs February 7th, 2016 Music lovers adore their favorite divas. One high C and we are smitten. It is no surprise that sopranos have their share of musical sweethearts. Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century, was charmed -
Scriabin’s Color Symbolism in Music February 6th, 2016 In my last article I discussed Čiurlionis’ genius, single-handedly introducing Symbolism to his native Lithuania. Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) in contrast, lived and worked within well-established artistic traditions in Russia, in which the various avant-garde movements in music and art from - A concrete musical dream!
The Edison Cement Piano February 4th, 2016The contribution of Thomas Alva Edison to modern life is so enormous that it is difficult to appreciate! He registered a grand total of 1,093 patents, including numerous telegraph machines, the first voice recording and playback system, the phonograph and - Minors of the Majors
Frédéric Chopin: Variations on a Theme by Rossini, B. 9 February 1st, 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! -
Divine Duos—Musical Pairs January 31st, 2016 What could be more romantic—a Valentine’s Day feature of our favorite classical musicians who popped the question and who make great music together both on and off stage? One of the most spectacularly talented couples was cellist Jacqueline Du Pré - Roman de Fauvel: Straight from the Horse’s Mouth January 30th, 2016 The Roman de Fauvel is an early 14th-century satirical poem preserved in a beautifully decorated manuscript. Attributed to Gervais de Bus, a clerk at the French royal chancery, the narrative is divided into two books. It details the rise of
-
Chinese Musings January 29th, 2016 With Chinese New Year once again around the corner, let us take a quick look at the extended tradition of Western fascination with China in arts and in music. “Chinoiserie” is commonly characterized as the use of decorative Chinese motifs -
From the Piano of an Opium Eater January 28th, 2016 After Frédéric Chopin was seen by three physicians in Mallorca in 1838, he wrote, “…in the last three weeks, I was sick like a dog, three of the best known physicians of the whole island came to examine me… the
