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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The dangers of having a (critical) mind! January 28th, 2015 Aren’t you just sick and tired of lazy and unimaginative programming justified by the eternal excuse, “I am just giving my audience what they want to hear!” -
The Beauty of the English String Sound January 27th, 2015 We forget how much the English contributed to the beauty of orchestral music through their lush pastoral string writing. And the Bridge is Love, a new recording by the English Chamber Orchestra led by Julian Lloyd-Webber, brings all of this -
The Taste and Color of Music
Alexander Scriabin January 27th, 2015There is a fine line between genius and madness. Given the current zeal for psychoanalyzing dead composers, Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) would seem to be a perfect subject. He showed serious mental instability during the early stages of his life, and -
Commissioning Atrocities January 26th, 2015 The Kronos Quartet is famous for commissioning works that cover the widest possible range of musical and experimental genres. The founder David Harrington once explained, “I’ve always wanted the string quartet to be vital, and energetic, and alive, and cool, -
A Universe of Delight
Alexander Scriabin and Natalya Sekerina January 25th, 2015Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) was short of stature and stood just over five feet tall. For a period of time he joined the military, but was mercilessly ridiculed and bullied because he was “small, effeminate and weak.” Commentators have suggested, “Like -
A Key to the Brahms Sound
J. B. Streicher & Sohn No. 8105 January 24th, 2015Buying a piano for home use is a highly personal choice. It depends on a number of variables, including instrument style, brand, color and shape. Generally speaking, however, we look for instruments within a certain budget range, and one that -
A Fresh Perspective into Ensemble Playing January 22nd, 2015 The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao recently presented a nine-screen multi-channel video installation by the young Icelandic performance artist Ragnar Kjartansson, who is known for featuring music in his works. Bliss, his 12-hour work starring a live performance of a scene from -
Friends in Music January 20th, 2015 English composer Edward Elgar used to create musical puzzles and then challenge his wife to solve them. He would create little piano pieces depicting various friends and Alice Elgar had to figure out who he was depicting.