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Ten Excerpts from Robert Schumann’s Love Letters to Clara
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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  • Musicals and Opera: Long-lost Siblings? Musicals and Opera: Long-lost Siblings?
    The statures of musicals and operas seem worlds apart – opera’s for the snobs, musicals are for the masses, right? This is, thankfully, becoming more and more of a hackneyed stereotype, untrue of the current situation. Opera companies are trying
  • Representation of the Supernatural in Music Representation of the Supernatural in Music
    From the very beginnings of human memory, witches, ghouls, ghosts and goblins have played a highly significant role in the formation and continuance of stories that have attempted an explanation of natural phenomena and inexplicable cultural conventions.
  • Visions of Arcadia in Music, Art and Literature II Visions of Arcadia in Music, Art and Literature II
    In my last article, ‘Visions of Arcadia in Music, Art and Literature I’, I focused on the Arcadian theme in the classical period. Today I will concentrate on its continuation in the 19th century — with the music of Jacques
  • In touch with Michael Thomas Foumai In touch with Michael Thomas Foumai
    Hailed as “the city’s most innovative music experience” by the Financial Times, the Intimacy of Creativity, founded by Chinese-American composer Bright Sheng, begins its fourth cycle this April, to bring together internationally acclaimed performers and composers for creative dialogue and
  • Music for the Ides of March Music for the Ides of March
    Kobayashi Issa beautifully captured the change of season and the idea of rejuvenation and renewal in his spring haiku: Spring breeze— the pine on the ridge whispers it
  • The Mozart of the Future? The Mozart of the Future?
    Doing research on many composers (well, actually, anything) often starts with a quick Google search, which inevitably leads to a quick scan of Wikipedia. Oh come on, don’t pretend you don’t do it… Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A ‘prolific and influential
  • In touch with Veritas Vos In touch with Veritas Vos
    We sat quietly in a dark room, silent except for the slight hum from the air-conditioners. “Let’s listen,” we were instructed.