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
Latest article
Spotlight
-
Dvořák’s Legacy! December 28th, 2012 In 1884/85, a wealthy patron of classical music named Jeanette Thurber set out to establish a uniquely American school of classical music composition. To accomplish this ambitious undertaking, she founded in quick succession the National Conservatory of Music of America -
Do you know Ashkenazy? December 27th, 2012 Last month, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, led by chief conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, performed a six-concert tour in China. This included visiting Qingdao and Wuhan ‒ two cities where few big orchestras get to play, due to the financial constraints of -
Mummy, Panties and a Princess called Leah
Richard Wagner and Leah David December 26th, 2012In his most renowned psychoanalytic conjecture — appropriately dubbed the “Oedipus complex” — Sigmund Freud suggested that a child’s unconscious mind projects the desire to sexually possess the mother, and kill the father. Freud derived his theory from ancient Greek -
Mendelssohn Symphony no 4 “Italian” December 25th, 2012 Do you know the Land where the Lemon Trees blossom? Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90, “Italian” Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Sergiu Celibidache Music Score In 1786, the polymath genius Johann Wolfgang von Goethe embarked on a secret -
The Golden Age of Violinists December 25th, 2012 The turn of the 20th century was the golden age for violinists. Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein, Mischa Elman, Fritz Kreisler, David Oistrach and Yehudi Menuhin, considered the greatest violinists of all time, graced us with their presence. At least in -
Franz Danzi December 24th, 2012 Kiss of Life Sinfonia concertante in B flat major, Op. 41 Bassoon Concerto in G minor Wind Quintet in B flat major, Op. 56, No. 1 Between 1777 and 1778, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart spent a total of five months in -
Albert Schweitzer – Bach, Peace and Cats December 14th, 2012 “There are only two means of refuge from the miseries of life:Music and Cats!” For many of us mere mortals, it seems utterly unfair that some fortuitous individuals should inherit multiple talents and abilities. Take for example the polymath genius -
Schoenberg, Kokoschka and Schiele – Vienna’s revolutionaries December 13th, 2012 Fin-de Siècle Vienna’s ‘Second Generation’ Art and Music In his opus, ‘Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften’ (The Man without Qualities) the Austrian writer Robert Musil, considered by many the Marcel Proust of Fin-de-Siècle Vienna, stated that Austria’s intellectuals, artists and writers