For as long as composers have been writing music, they’ve been inspired by the mystery, mood, and mythology of the night. We’ve gathered ten pieces of classical music about the night that explore themes associated with the hours after dark,
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Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
A Piano Album November 18th, 2023Just in case we need reminding, the “Dean of American Composers,” Aaron Copland was born on 14 November 1900. In his teens, Stravinsky studied theory and composition with Rubin Goldmark, who was considered one of New York’s most eminent composition -
Richard Strauss
“Morgen!” – “Tomorrow” November 17th, 2023The four songs of Richard Strauss’ Op. 27 are among the most admired and most frequently performed vocal works. They include “Ruhe, meine Seele!” to a poem by Karl Henckell, “Cäcilie” to a poem by Heinrich Hart, and “Heimliche Aufforderung” -
Sibling Ventriloquism
Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn November 17th, 2023In 1826/27, Felix Mendelssohn published a collection of songs as his Opus 8, followed by a further collection in 1830, his Op. 9. Yet hidden in these collections are actually 6 Lieder composed by his sister Fanny Mendelssohn, published under -
When You Fall in Love With Music
An Interview With Pianist and Conductor Yuxin Dai November 16th, 2023Yuxin Dai developed a love and passion for music at 5 when she began taking piano lessons. Currently, she is not only a skilled pianist but also an accomplished conductor, serving as an Assistant Conductor for the Northwestern University Symphony -
An Uncharacteristic Concerto
Ibert’s Cello Concerto November 16th, 2023French composer Jacques Ibert wrote his Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra in 1925 and so much of it reflects the kind of composer Ibert had made himself into. Where we expect concertos to be fairly heavy forms with plenty -
On This Day
15 November: Jorge Bolet Was Born November 15th, 2023The Cuban-born virtuoso Jorge Bolet (1914-1990) was one of the leading advocates of Romantic pianism. From his days as a child prodigy there never was a doubt about his phenomenal talent, as his technique ranked with that of any living -
Frédéric Chopin and George Sand: The Real Story Behind Their Relationship November 15th, 2023 It’s one of the most romanticized love affairs in music history: dashing cross-dressing woman novelist George Sand becomes obsessed with, and then seduces, the sickly consumptive pianist-composer Frédéric Chopin. But how much of this story is real, and how much -
Instruments Required and Not Required
The Harmonica at War November 14th, 2023We were looking at knitting books on Archive.org and found an interesting one from the WWI era. After descriptions and patterns for vests and balaclavas and scarves and all sorts of things to keep Our Boys warm and toasty at