The love story between Robert and Clara Schumann is often regarded as one of the most romantic in classical music history. Happily for historians, many of their love letters survive. They document their inner thoughts and emotions, as well as
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- Beethoven: Cello Sonata No. 5 in D major, Op. 102 No.2 November 18th, 2015 The year 1812 marked a turning point in Beethoven life. He consistently experienced poor health, emotional stress and lived in great financial anxiety. He spent considerable time at the spas in Teplitz, Karlsbad and Franzensbrunn, and in September he wrote
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Carmen Fantasy November 17th, 2015 Opera dominated the musical life of most European cities in the nineteenth century. People from all social classes could participate in the theatrical form by simply buying a ticket. In lavish settings, audiences marveled at singers and musicians combining text, -
Favorite Dvořák Chamber Music: Wind Serenade and Two Quintets November 16th, 2015 Well-known for his nine symphonies, Antonin Dvořák was one of the first composers to infuse his music with the folk idioms of his native land, enchanting us with Czech, Moravian and other Slavic melodies. He wrote an enormous number of -
Variations on a Subject in Poetry, Music and Art November 15th, 2015 In 1894, the French writer and poet Stéphane Mallarmé gave a lecture in Oxford and Cambridge, England, about the relationship between music and literature, in which he alluded to the origin of the artistic creation — the ‘trace’ — whether - “If music be the food of love, play on.”
Shakespeare and Music I: Romeo and Juliet November 15th, 2015William Shakespeare’s mastery of metaphor, lyricism, cadence and phrasing resonates with musicians. His poetic output has so much musicality it’s no wonder that the works of Shakespeare have inspired composers. His influence on music for the last five hundred years -
The Great Women Artists Who Shaped Music XV: Susan Wadsworth November 14th, 2015 How did a young woman who played the piano and violin become a “king/queen maker” of such distinguished artists as pianists Murray Perahia, Emanuel Ax, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Richard Goode, the Tokyo, St. Lawrence, and Borromeo Quartets, violinists Pinchas Zukerman, -
Page Turning; It’s Harder Than You Think… November 13th, 2015 I’m often asked to turn the pages for pianists at my local music society, but I tend to decline because the responsibility of page-turning is one which should not be taken lightly. An ability to read music well does not -
Impossible Instruments November 12th, 2015 Man’s creativity comes to the fore in music: new sounds, new rhythms, new combinations. But, are there times when imagination can outstrip reality? We’ve found a couple of impossible instruments that seem to meet that criterion.
