As a mythological character, Hercules is one who has always captured our attention. Famed for his strength and for his adventures around the known world, he’s caught the attention of writers and musicians for centuries. The stories and feats of
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The Royal Instrument through the Ages – from Antiquity to the Renaissance Era December 14th, 2011 On my recent European lecture tour, I was fortunate to hear several concerts in magnificent Baroque churches on Baroque organs, including one in the church of the former Cistercian monastery of St. Urban, Switzerland and one in the St. Francis -
Tuberculosis, Tinnitus and other Tribulations
Bedřich Smetana and Kateřina Kolářová December 14th, 2011By the summer of 1874, Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884) was fighting an apparently minor throat infection that resulted in a blockage to his ears. By September, however, he had lost all hearing in his right ear, and by October he was -
Overture to Injury Prevention December 13th, 2011 It was one thing to be accepted at age 22 to study with the great cellist and pedagogue Janos Starker at Indiana University. Adhering to his regimen of three lessons a week, each lesson on different repertory was another! Although -
In Touch with Simone Lamsma December 12th, 2011 Edward Elgar Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op.82 On the day of interview, Simone has just finished her rehearsal with the HKPO. Despite her long day, her eyes rolled with excitement whenever she talks about music. Behind her blue eyes, -
The Voices of Angels December 9th, 2011 During the Baroque period (1600-1750), male sopranos composed about 70 percent of all opera singers. Crowned as the singing sensations of the 18th century, these men moved audiences with the shrill clarity of their high-pitched voices, and the lung power -
The Sound of Silence November 30th, 2011 ‘Dead air’ to a radio presenter is like the name of ‘Lord Voldemort’ to ‘Harry Potter’… must not be named, nor heard. This moment of speechlessness creates an anxiety between the presenter and the listener as if the earth has -
“A Match made in Heaven”
Faustina Bordoni and Johann Adolph Hasse November 30th, 2011After merely two years in London, Faustina Bordoni departed for Venice. Exhausted from her petty quarrels with Francesca Cuzzoni, and tired of a feuding and bickering general public and musical establishment — which of course included Handel’s futile attempts at -
Gilad Hochman November 30th, 2011 Born in 1982, Israeli composer Gilad Hochman was already defined as “one of Israel’s most prominent composers” by the Deutschland Magazine and as “a rising star in the classical music world” by France 24. His search after expression and originality