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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Youthful Poetry
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21 February 6th, 2014Philadelphia OrchestraEugene OrmandyArthur Rubinstein The Polish-Russian War of 1830/31 was essentially an armed rebellion of a politically partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. Although the Polish resistance was able to achieve some minor victories, the Imperial Russian Army quickly crushed -
The Speed of Sound II February 5th, 2014 We were talking about tempo and how composers sought to transfer the sound in their ear to their performers’ brain. Starting in the Baroque, Italian words such as Allegro and Andante were used to show relative speed. But composers wanted -
Connecting the Past to the Future.
The Legacy of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach February 4th, 2014The commercial and defensive confederation of merchants and their market towns along the coast of Northern Europe — commonly known as the Hanseatic League — assured that the free city-state of Hamburg was completely under the control of commercial enterprises. -
Let’s Move It ! February 3rd, 2014 Having already outlined the benefits of the more developmental type of music education known as Dalcroze Eurhythmics in an earlier article, I wanted to discover more details about this approach. Chui Tan Lee, a dedicated violin teacher based in Hong -
Music and Religion:
Gratia plena: Full of Grace February 2nd, 2014Martin Luther famously praised Josquin de Prez (1450-1521) as “the master of notes. They have to do as he bids them; other composers have to do as the notes will.” During his service at several courts — notably the one -
Thomas Oliemans February 2nd, 2014 Interlude’s Artist of the Month is baritone Thomas Oliemans, who was recently in Hong Kong where we caught up with him and asked him a few questions about his life, the Schumann program he was presenting, and plans for the -
“Heredity can tend to run out of musical ideas”
Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Bach January 31st, 2014Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Bach (1759-1845) was the eldest son of Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach and the singer Lucia Elizabeth Munchhausen. Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst, not to be confused with his uncle Wilhelm Friedeman Bach, was the only grandson of Johann Sebastian -
Amateur Hour January 30th, 2014 The interaction between classical and pop music can often be an extended exercise in looking at old material in a new way. We don’t mind when Barry Manilow uses a bit of Frédéric Chopin’s Prelude in C Minor, Op. 28/2