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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Shostakovich/Schubert – Rothko/Schiele: Music and Art May 9th, 2014 A recent concert by the distinguished Emerson String Quartet (Eugene Drucker, violin; Philip Setzer, violin; Lawrence Dutton, viola; Paul Watkins, cello) at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. paired Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 15 in E-flat minor, Op. 144 -
Friday the 13th
Arnold Schoenberg and Triskaidekaphobia May 9th, 2014Just the mention of Arnold Schoenberg strikes fear in the hearts and ears of most listeners. But can you guess what struck the fear of god into Arnold Schoenberg? Somewhat ironically, the composer experienced a paralyzing fear of the number -
Walking With Art and an Orchestra May 8th, 2014 We’ve already looked at Modest Mussorgsky’s creation for piano, Pictures at an Exhibition. This best-known of Mussorgsky’s works had an afterlife as an orchestral work that has resulted in dozens of orchestrations. There are also arrangements for other performing forces -
In touch with Pablo Heras-Casado May 7th, 2014 An engaging interpreter of baroque and contemporary music as well as of the mainstream symphonic repertoire, Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado maintains a busy schedule in the concert hall, opera house and recording studio. He holds the position of Principal Conductor -
Expressive Virtuosity
Carl Maria von Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor, Op. 73 May 6th, 2014Carl Maria von Weber : Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 73, J. 114 The comparatively late addition of the clarinet family to our modern catalogue of musical instruments at the turn of the 18th-century immediately spawned countless -
Bringing Colour to Music May 5th, 2014 Mitrofan Petrovich Belaieff (1839-1904) was a music publisher in Imperial Russia but made his money in the wood industry. Despite inheriting his father’s business and being successful in it for some 30 years, his heart was really with music. He -
Come Holy Spirit!
Music for Pentecost May 4th, 201450 days after the Resurrection of Christ, the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles. The biblical narrative states, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they -
The Supernatural in Music
VIII. The Voice of Fear: Touched by the King of the Elves May 3rd, 2014In the Romantic era, as we’ve seen with in earlier articles (VI. Possessed by the Demon & VII. The Wolf’s Glen), there was a fascination with other worldly things – demons and sprites, ghosts and devils. Since this was part