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 Marriage Fanatic
Eugen d’Albert October 23rd, 2014Fabled pianist Eugen d’Albert compared his wives to Beethoven symphonies. He once told a friend that he intended to marry until he got up to the ninth, with chorus! Unfortunately, he only lived long enough to manage the “Pastoral.” For -
The Italian Influence October 22nd, 2014 Italy has long been an influence on the development of music in Europe – perhaps it was due to the money inherent in its courts and the musical developments they supported, the promotion of art during the Renaissance, or just -
Repetition is life October 21st, 2014 One could argue that all creative process is improvisation: for that flash of creativity that generated the art, which distinguished whatever the artist was doing from merely replicating a past behaviour, was improvisation. Afterwards, the artist can do whatever he -
Centaur pianist Eugen d’Albert:
Half piano, half man October 19th, 2014His mother was British, his father French and his grandmother German! No wonder that Eugen d’Albert (1864-1932) had an identity crisis on his hands! However, the ten-year old quickly pledged his allegiance to Germany, and famously corrected his biography a -
OH The Things Audiences Say! October 18th, 2014 I would be wealthy if I had a quarter for every time someone said, “that’s bigger than you are!” Dragging my cello around on buses, thrusting it under turnstiles, hoisting it onto airplane seats, taking it into stores—always brings on -
Drink some champagne and call me in the morning! October 16th, 2014 On 7 May 1896, Johannes Brahms celebrated his 63rd birthday. Supposedly he opened the festivities by declaring, “If there is anyone here I have not yet offended, I apologize.” Always known for his crusty personality and rustic mannerisms, Brahms was -
The Lord of the Rings Symphony October 15th, 2014 Long before Howard Shore got his hands on writing the score for Peter’s Jackson’s monumental Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, Dutch composer Johan de Meij had taken up the call. His Symphony No. 1, “The Lord of the Rings,” -
And the winner is not Mozart
Salieri fights Mozart at Schönbrunn October 14th, 2014If you come to Vienna as a tourist, you’ll have to visit Schönbrunn Palace. It’s unlikely that you will see all 1,441 rooms—most of them lavishly decorated—but the complex will certainly give you a sense of the splendor and lifestyle