The love story between Robert and Clara Schumann is often regarded as one of the most romantic in classical music history. Happily for historians, many of their love letters survive. They document their inner thoughts and emotions, as well as
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What’s “English” about Bach’s English Suites? July 29th, 2014 Throughout his long and industrious musical career, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) never strayed far away from home. Content to live and work in his native community, and possibly remembering that he was once thrown in jail for overstaying his leave -
Between Mahler and Gropius
Oskar Kokoschka and the Alma Doll July 28th, 2014When Gustav Mahler died in 1911, his widow Alma first sought comfort in the arms of her already-lover Walter Gropius. However, Alma still harbored resentment that Gropius had intentionally misaddressed an envelope and thus exposed their affair to Gustav. In -
Pimp my Schimmel July 27th, 2014 Apparently, it is rather common practice to take the most expensive cars straight from the factory to a tuning shop. These specialists outfits tweak engines to produce the raw horsepower of the space shuttle and attach all manner of exterior -
Famous Musical Siblings
Musical Dynasties Part II July 26th, 2014Talent certainly runs in the family. Celebrity brothers and sisters are everywhere. Take for example Casey and Ben Affleck, actors, Venus and Serena Williams, tennis players, or Alec and Evelyn Waugh, authors of Island in The Sun and Brideshead Revisited -
Dobrinya the Dragonslayer July 22nd, 2014 Alexander Grechaninov displayed prodigious musical talents at an early age. However, his father was a barely literate tradesman who expected his son to follow in his footsteps. Against the clear wishes of his father but with financial support from his -
‘It’s not that weird – honest!’
The How and Why of The Hermes Experiment July 21st, 2014‘So, I’ve got a rehearsal later.’ ‘What for?’ ‘Hermes.’ ‘What’s that?’ ‘The Hermes Experiment. It’s a quartet – harp, double bass, clarinet, and soprano.’ -
Saved by “Cleopatra”
Handel-Mattheson Duel July 20th, 2014Can you imagine a musical universe without performances of the Messiah, Samson, Jephta, the Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks? These highly popular compositions might never have existed in the first place, because George Frideric Handel got into -
Famous Musical Fathers and Sons
Musical Dynasties July 19th, 2014Paul and Yan Pascal Tortelier Sons frequently follow in their father’s footsteps. Sons of Maestros often end up waving batons like the Tortelier family. I was always a fan of Paul Tortelier the French cellist, conductor and composer. He played