The solo violin has long been acknowledged as the perfect instrument to express emotions like love, longing, heartbreak, rapture, and romance. The Romantic era lasted from the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century and produced numerous works that
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Memory Top Tips June 22nd, 2013 “I hope my reed makes it through the performance… It’s so hot in there, my tuning’s going to go out the window… This shirt’s so uncomfortable… And why, to top it all off, am I performing from memory?!” These can -
Felix Draeseke June 21st, 2013 The Curse of Promotion Felix Draeseke, Clarinet Sonata in B flat major, Op. 38 Felix Draeseke, Symphonia Tragica, Op. 40 Music is a fickle business! Having exceptional musical talents, composing a first work at age nine followed by an extensive -
Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes: When Art danced with Music June 14th, 2013 The current exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. “Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929: When Art Danced with Music” brings into focus one of the most productive eras in the arts, in which poetry, art, theater, -
The Importance of Listening June 13th, 2013 Can one cook an authentic Chinese meal without ever having had a taste of the cuisine? It would be safe to say that the above would prove extremely tricky. As with most other things in life, it is hard to -
Beethoven and his Op. 2 June 12th, 2013 Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata Op. 2, No. 1 Piano Sonatas Op. 2 No. 2 Piano Sonatas Op. 2, No. 3 Historians and scholars habitually divided Beethoven’s life and work into three periods, a concept that originated with Johann Aloys -
Beethoven’s Immortal Beloved June 11th, 2013 Beethoven’s love life is a mystery. He wrote a series of passionate letters — a total of 10 pages written in pencil — to a woman, his “Immortal Beloved.” These heartbreaking letters were found after Beethoven’s death. To this day -
Ménage à trois
Verdi and Teresa Stolz II June 10th, 2013Giuseppe Verdi: Messa da Requiem, “Agnus Dei” In psychology, empathic accuracy refers to how precisely a person can infer the thoughts and feelings of another person. Contrary to popular urban myth, women do not seem to possess superior empathic abilities -
Plants growing in the wrong climate:
Verdi and his String Quartet June 8th, 2013Originally, the term “Grand Opera” meant nothing more than a work that dealt with a serious subject and featured recitatives to separate musical numbers, rather than the dialogue used in opéra comique. By 1830, however, it had come to refer