In 1918, between his Flute Concerto and his third symphony, Carl Nielsen wrote one of his few tone poems: Pan og Syrinx (Pan and Syrinx). The nymph Syrinx, known for her chastity, and vowing, as a follower of the huntress
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Variations on Variations
Elgar’s Enigma Variations and Pictured Within: Birthday Variations for M.C.B. March 9th, 2024The English conductor Martyn Brabbins decided that, after 120 years, Elgar’s Enigma Variations needed an update. As his own 60th birthday was coming in 2019, Brabbins commissioned, with the help of the BBC, ‘a new set of Enigma Variations’. Elgar -
Chopin by Liszt
The Polish Song Transcriptions March 3rd, 2024Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) had a wonderous gift for combining melody with an adventurous harmonic sense. Paired with an intuitive understanding of formal design and a brilliant piano technique, Chopin composed some of the most beloved compositions in Classical music. And -
Mozart and the “Frog Tax”
“Ich möchte wohl der Kaiser sein” KV 539 February 29th, 2024When the Austrian Emperor Joseph II declared war on Turkey in 1788, a new tax mechanism was put into place to fund the war machinery. Citizens had to prepare an official tax declaration and hand the paperwork to the relevant -
The Morning After the Night Before
Delius’ Paris: The Song of a Great City February 27th, 2024In 1901, when critics heard the Eberfeld and Berlin premieres of Paris: The Song of a Great City by Frederick Delius (1862–1934), they agreed that it wasn’t a portrait of the city as much as ‘the morning after a night -
Louis Spohr and Dorette Scheidler
Magic for Violin and Harp February 18th, 2024We all have the image of the suffering and tormented artist in our minds. Constantly in money troubles and frequently neglecting personal hygiene, such artistic geniuses are all alone in a shallow world that does not understand nor appreciate them. -
Zdeněk Fibich’s Erotic Diary: Moods, Impressions and Reminiscences February 14th, 2024 A Musical Journey of Passion and Obsession Valentine’s Day is here, and love is once again in the air. While I hope that I will get lots of chocolates and flowers this year, I am also intrigued by how love, -
Developing From Stereotype to Reality
Joaquín Turina’s Mujeres españolas I, II and Mujeres de Sevilla February 9th, 2024Spanish composer Joaquín Turina (1882–1949) invoked the magic of the women of Spain in three sets of piano music, his Mujeres españolas, Series 1, Op. 17, of 1916; Mujeres españolas, Series 2, Op. 73, in 1932; and finally, Mujeres de -
Celebrating Spring
Raff’s Symphony No. 8 in A Major, Op. 205, “Frühlingsklänge” (Sounds of Spring) February 6th, 2024Swiss composer Joachim Raff (1822–1882) is barely known today, and if you do remember him, it’s most probably in relation to Liszt. While Liszt was in Weimar, Raff was his assistant for a while and was responsible for the orchestration