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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Orchestral Foibles A-Z June 28th, 2014 A is for audition. Get used to it. You’ll have to. And accompaniment. That’s what you are—not the soloist! B is for Body odor. None appreciated— even the most expensive perfume. Onstage it’s a no-no. C is for Cough drops. -
Psychoanalysis of a Dysfunctional Family
Richard Strauss: Elektra June 26th, 2014Richard Strauss: Elektra In Greek mythology, Elektra is widely considered the most psychologically advanced Greek tragedy. The Greek dramatist Sophocles constructed a play that centers on the heroine’s obsession to avenge her father’s murder. Elektra lives in hope that her -
In touch with Paul Lewis June 25th, 2014 Paul Lewis, protege of the renowned pianist Alfred Brendel, has in some ways followed in his master’s footsteps, making a name for himself performing all 32 of the Beethoven piano sonatas while on tour in the United States and Europe -
The Exceptional Hybrid: Luigi Borgato June 24th, 2014 The history of musical instruments is full of ingenious ideas that for one reason or another did not enter the commercial mainstream. Take for example the pedal piano, a keyboard instrument featuring an additional pedalboard played with the feet. The -
Going down for 15 Years: Henry Cowell June 23rd, 2014 Henry Cowell: Pulse The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation State Prison in San Quentin has numerously featured in fiction, literature, motion pictures, concerts, music videos and more recently, video games. It is the oldest prison in the state of -
The Kronberg Academy June 22nd, 2014 Perhaps the most exclusive of all our institutions interviewed so far, the Kronberg Academy is based in Germany, in the small town of Kronberg in Taunus. The size of the town reflects the size of the student body, devoted solely -
Masterclass in the morning
Menahem Pressler at Wigmore Hall June 21st, 2014As I stand waiting for the doors to open to the auditorium at Wigmore Hall, I take a moment to glance around the entrance. One of the first things I see, among images of Gerald Finley and Julian Bliss, and -
Divine Intervention!
Christoph Willibald Gluck and Maria Anna Bergin June 19th, 2014Christoph Willibald Gluck: Ezio, “Va, ma tremo” He was 36, an internationally acclaimed but impoverished composer of opera. She was 18, daughter of a wealthy merchant and banker, and a member of the circle of ladies in waiting who surrounded