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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On This Day
4 October: Dvořák’s Symphony No. 1 Was Premiered October 4th, 2023An extraordinary premiere took place in Brno, Moravia, on 4 October 1936. Czech conductor Milan Sachs raised his baton to début the 1st Symphony by Antonín Dvořák. A critic wrote, “although the writing was at times awkward, the orchestration is -
Mozart’s Final Muse: Glass Harmonica Virtuoso Marianne Kirchgessner October 4th, 2023 A blind woman steps on a Viennese stage and makes her way to a strange new instrument called the glass harmonica. The sounds it makes are whistle-like and otherworldly. (Eventually, rumors would circulate that playing it or even hearing it -
On This Day
3 October: Carl Nielsen Died October 3rd, 2023The great Nordic countries of Europe have produced two significant composers over the last 150 years. Both were born in 1865, but Denmark’s Carl Nielsen always stood in the shadow of Jean Sibelius. Sibelius came from an upper-middle-class upbringing, while -
Classical Music for Halloween
Fifty Spooky Pieces of Classical Music for October 31st October 2nd, 2023Get into the spirit of Halloween with these bone-chilling pieces of classical music! From hauntingly beautiful melodies to spine-tingling symphonies, this playlist is sure to transport you to a world of ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the -
Yamen Saadi October 1st, 2023 ‘Be in the music, and the rest will come by itself’ Last year, at just age 25, violinist Yamen Saadi was appointed Concertmaster of the Vienna State Opera and Vienna Philharmonic. Yamen holds this position alongside a busy schedule of -
The Young Romantic: Sibelius’ Florestan October 1st, 2023 Lying at home recovering from an illness, the young Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) took the opportunity to reassess his life. In early 1889, he’d played solo violin in Beethoven’s Romance in F with the Academic Orchestra. When he fell ill in -
The Music of Poetry
Chopin’s Polish Songs October 1st, 2023Frédéric Chopin was not only one of the greatest pianists the world had ever known, he also left us the finest body of music for his instrument. The so-called “poet of the piano” left us with nearly 250 fabulous works, -
On This Day
1 October: André Rieu Was Born October 1st, 2023André Rieu is one of today’s most successful classical performing artists. In fact, he is one of the most successful touring artists in the world, easily outselling most popular music acts. Rieu founded the Johann Strauss Orchestra, the largest private