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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Living the Modern Life: John Alden Carpenter’s Ballet Skyscrapers September 20th, 2023 In 1926, the Metropolitan Opera staged the world premiere of the American composer John Alden Carpenter’s 1924 ballet Skyscrapers. This was in February, at the height of the season and it was a triple-bill evening: Gianni Schicchi with Giuseppe De -
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20 September: Jean Sibelius Died September 20th, 2023During the final decade of his life, Jean Sibelius achieved great popularity in English-speaking countries while central Europe and France remained essentially uninterested. Sibelius’ music polarized along ideological lines, and his supporters considered him the “last true successor to Beethoven -
What Is Musique Concrète? September 19th, 2023 What exactly is musique concrète and what has it done to the musical world? For starters, it would have not existed if it were not for two important influences; visual arts and philosophy — the Dadaists’ approach to making art -
Grieg Piano Concerto: What are the Best Recordings? September 18th, 2023 From its unforgettable opening timpani solo to its extravagant ending that showcases the full glory of the symphony orchestra, to all of the dazzling solo piano writing in between, the Grieg piano concerto is an indispensable part of the classical -
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18 September: Anna Netrebko Was Born September 18th, 2023When Anna Netrebko first appeared on the stage of the world’s most famous opera houses during the 2002 and 2003 season, she was called “the biggest sensation to hit the opera world in years.” Described as one of opera’s hottest -
Music Presenters: When They Make Overwhelming Requests of Musicians September 17th, 2023 Some presenters will make overwhelming requests of musicians. A fancy top-notch gallery in New York recently held an opening of a new exhibit with live music. A gallery curator in another city had loved it enough to want to replicate -
Who Were the Brussels Seven? September 17th, 2023 Seven students of Paul Gilson created their music collective Les Synthétistes (The Synthetists) on the occasion of their teacher’s 60th birthday in September 1925. They wanted to create a distinctive modern Brussels sound that was different from the late-Romantic sound -
The Great Composers’ Final Works September 16th, 2023 A jaw-dropping collection of technically dazzling fugues, stopped mid-measure, annotated by a poignant note from a grieving son. Two delicate mazurkas that the composer was too sick to play and never heard performed. A cantata for the freemasons. A standard