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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In touch with Desirée Rancatore April 29th, 2014 Italian soprano Desirée Rancatore is one of the most exciting singers of our time. A leading exponent of the Italian operatic tradition, she maintains a busy schedule at opera houses in her native country and in cities such as Paris, -
Marching with John Philip Sousa April 29th, 2014 Ah, there’s nothing like a march. It’s perfect for parades, for getting small children in order, or even for vacuuming the house – there’s a strong beat, hummable tunes, and they’re designed to get your attention and get you moving. -
Antonio Stradivari
Modern Violin Beats Stradivarius in a Blind Test April 28th, 2014The scholarly paper “Player preferences among new and old violins,” published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in January 2012, shook the foundations of one of the longest held beliefs in Classical music. In this study, judges -
Introduction to Music Therapy April 28th, 2014 The topic of music therapy is, to put it gently, mind boggling. When I began to undertake a couple of articles on music therapy, I thought… I didn’t know what to think, actually. Music therapy was always one of those -
Famous Father, Famous Son!
Franz and Richard Strauss April 27th, 2014Famous musical sons frequently have famous musical fathers. And Richard Strauss is no exception. In his day, his father Franz was recognized as an important artistic personality. Foremost, he became a celebrated horn virtuoso, by “breathing soul into the unthankful -
The Supernatural in Music
VII. The Wolf’s Glen: The Supernatural Opera April 27th, 2014What could be more ideal for showing the supernatural world than opera? The most famous supernatural scene in opera occurs in Weber’s Der Freischütz. The opera, known in English as ‘The Marksman,’ is about a poor woodsman, Max, who, in -
Barker on the Bass April 26th, 2014 Yannatos: Variations In our earlier talk with bassist Ed Barker, we focused solely on his return to China with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, 35 years after his first visit to China with the orchestra In 1979. Our conversation continued, discussing -
Glioblastoma Multiforme and George Gershwin
How the medical community got it deadly wrong! April 25th, 2014In 1937 George Gershwin was at the top of his game. His Rhapsody in Blue (1924), An American in Paris (1928) and his opera Porgy and Bess (1935) had established him as one of the most prolific and talented composers