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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In the Clutches of Madness
Don Carlo Gesualdo and Eleonora d’Este March 14th, 2012Carlo Gesualdo GESUALDO: Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday (1611) The brutal slaughter of Maria d’Avalos and her lover Don Fabrizio Carafa at the hands of Don Carlo Gesualdo was not exclusively motivated by jealousy. In fact, Italian noblemen during the -
Opéra ci, Opéra là March 11th, 2012 I read two interesting articles recently. One was about the Metropolitan Opera, whose spokesman proudly informed Times Magazine that the average age of subscribers is much younger now, “dropping from 66.4 in 2005 to 64.8 in 2011” – which, let’s -
Music and Arts in Medieval Spain March 9th, 2012 Sephardic Romances: Traditional Jewish Music from Spain – Avrix mi galanica (Let Me in, My Love) Ya viene el cativo (Now Comes the Prisoner) With the invasion of the Moors in the 8th century, medieval Spain saw a blossoming of -
The makings of Insanity
Carlo Gesualdo and Donna Maria d’Avalos February 29th, 2012Carlo Gesualdo Madrigals, Book 6 (1611) The third act of William Shakespeare’s tragic play “Othello” contains the ominous words “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on”. As we -
Janos Starker : Igniting a Spark February 28th, 2012 When we think about the wonders of the world, we think in terms of natural marvels or edifices. Typically, we don’t think in these terms when we describe creative artists but Janos Starker, qualifies. Virtuoso cellist, master pedagogue, articulate advocate -
In touch with Tan Dun : From Beijing to Bartók February 27th, 2012 From Beijing to Bartók: a Talk with Tan Dun at the 2012 Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival Tan Dun flew to Hong Kong last month to oversee rehearsals for the local premiere of Ghost Opera, the chamber work considered -
Nature, Nurture and Playing Music to Cows February 24th, 2012 Do cows understand music? Can animals appreciate the beauty of music? The term “playing music to a cow” (对牛弹琴) is an old Chinese proverb that came about when a man called Gong Mingyi played music to his cow, only to -
A Bird of a different feather!
Richard Strauss and Pauline Maria de Ahna February 14th, 2012After sampling the sexual exploitations by some members of the Viennese Strauss family, it might be time to restore our faith in humanity—especially with Valentine’s Day around the corner—by taking a look at a different Strauss, namely Richard from Munich.