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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Pogorelich in Hong Kong December 17th, 2014 Let me put it bluntly. I am not fond of musicians who play without taking risks, who either delivers a composition so precisely that a computer could have done the same or blatantly regurgitates a teacher or mentor’s interpretation or -
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Irving Berlin and Ellin Mackay December 16th, 2014We all know the sad story of Friedrich Wieck taking Robert Schumann to court in order to prevent the “old alcoholic and womanizer” from marrying his daughter Clara. The heated court battle raged for almost a year, but once Schumann -
The Miracle of Christmas: Irving Berlin December 15th, 2014 Many famous public figures have written books. Presidents, starlets, sports stars and others who are not generally known for their literary talents have entertained us with publications detailing their personal lives. Of course, very few have actually written a single -
The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge December 14th, 2014 The Light From Heaven ‘Tis the season for new choral music recordings for Christmas, and, newly arrived is Lux de caelo, The Light From Heaven, from the Choir of Clare College Cambridge, directed by Graham Ross. -
Cannibal Bach December 13th, 2014 Johann Sebastian Bach was a ferocious musical cannibal! He habitually borrowed from himself and others in order to adapt a composition to a particular performing venue or occasion. In 1729 he was appointed director of the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig. -
Music, the Reason of my Existence – Frank Peter Zimmermann December 11th, 2014 I often think that doing interview has a therapeutic effect on me; meeting great and kind artists remind me of the goodness in life. Talking to the German violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann was one of those moments. Zimmermann is gentle, -
The Holiday Sound – The Classics December 11th, 2014 It’s getting chillier, the morning air is brisk, there might even be snow, and with that, our thoughts turn toward the holidays. But we find that the thing that helps us with that holiday feeling is the sound of the -
Listening to Bach with New Ears December 9th, 2014 The art of the transcription has been with us for centuries, coming into play whenever someone tried to play a work written for one instrument on another. We were listening, the other day, to a recording of J.S. Bach transcribed