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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Playing with Glass September 20th, 2015 We are familiar with instruments made of wood and metal, but there are also some instruments made from the far more fragile material of glass. Some instruments were more showpieces of a glass-maker’s art, but instruments such as glass trumpets, -
Where Did the Name Come From? Musical Names and Nicknames I September 20th, 2015 Moonlight, Eroica, Jupiter, Unfinished, Clock, Four Seasons, New World— have you wondered how certain pieces of music got their names so ubiquitous you can probably guess the works and identify the composers? Classical music can be divided into those that -
Oscar Wilde in Music: The Ballad of Reading Gaol September 19th, 2015 Oscar Wilde, master of the killing bon mot and martyr of Victorian sexuality, isn’t often thought of in terms of music. His stories and plays have a constant following; The Importance of Being Ernest is once again on the London -
Music and Art: Hogarth September 19th, 2015 The London of William Hogarth’s time was one of raucous politicizing, upwardly aspiring young women, and young men ready to be tempted by the delights of the world. Well, rather like today. In his 8-painting series, A Rake’s Progress, painted -
Order and chaos – Copland’s Clarinet Concerto September 18th, 2015 I’m going to face up to a harsh reality here. The clarinet repertoire is small. Admittedly, it’s not as meagre as certain other instruments’ (which I will not list here for fear of opening up innumerable cans of worms), but -
Music for Children: US September 17th, 2015 Another piece for children that, like Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, served as an introduction to the instruments of the orchestra was George Kleinsinger’s memorable Tubby the Tuba. Tubby gets tired of always only being the support for -
Southbank Sinfonia in Hong Kong September 16th, 2015 The Southbank Sinfonia (SbS) may be an unfamiliar name to Hong Kong, but in Britain it is a much sought after orchestra that every fresh graduate of music wants to be part of. Founded by British conductor Simon Over, the -
Brahms versus Pop September 15th, 2015 A number of music critics have called Frank Sinatra the “greatest singer of the 20th century.” The only child of an Italian immigrant couple, Sinatra entered show business at a very early age. And by the time he reached his