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 mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená October 14th, 2013 The Nightingale from Czech With her father a mathematician and her mother a biologist, it would have been natural for Magdalena Kožená to become a scientist. Nevertheless, she chose to be a musician; piano was her first love, but she -
When the Symphony Embraces the Concerto
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 83 October 13th, 2013In 1881, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) wrote to his friend Elisabeth von Herzogenberg that he had finished “a tiny little piano concerto with a wisp of a scherzo.” At that time, Elisabeth could scarcely have known that Brahms had just completed -
Matthias Goerne October 12th, 2013 German baritone Matthias Goerne (b.1967) is one of the most celebrated singers of his generation. Since studying with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, he has become one of the world’s foremost song recitalists, and since his début as Papageno at -
Music and the Arts in 19th and 20th Century Russia II October 11th, 2013 In last month’s article I focused on the relationships between musicians, artists and writers in 19th century Russia, which foreshadowed the even more drastic changes of the beginning of the 20th century. Not only would the artists and painters, associated -
Vincenzo Galilei: Reshaping the Sonic Universe October 10th, 2013 Vincenzo Galilei: Duo tutti di fantasia We all know that Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) is commonly known as the “Father of modern observational astronomy,” the “Father of Modern Physics,” and the “Father of Modern Science.” But did you know that his -
Finding a way in:
Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie October 9th, 2013Who’s going to write it? How long’s it going to be? For how many people? These are just a few of the questions that are asked when a new work is commissioned. What, then, do you get when these constraints -
From Russia with a Cello
Britten, Shostakovich, Rostropovich October 8th, 2013In 1935, Benjamin Britten spoke rather despairingly of the musical scene in the 20th century. “The real musicians are so few & far between, aren’t they? Apart from Berg, Stravinsky, Schoenberg and Bridge one is a bit stumped for names, -
In touch with Simon Trpčeski:
The Macedonian Hero October 7th, 2013Simon and I met in our teens, before he became known to the world as ‘Trpčeski’. As a person, he is full of joy, warmth and sincerity; as a pianist, he is natural, charismatic and phenomenal. Wherever he appears, he