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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Violin Masterworks Inspired by Joseph Szigeti September 10th, 2023 The Hungarian violinist Joseph Szigeti (1892-1973) carried the nickname “The Scholarly Virtuoso.” That nickname is hardly surprising as Szigeti authored a number of books. Among them, we find a pedagogical treatise addressing technical challenges and innovations in twentieth-century repertoire, and -
Six of the Best Romantic Era Piano Sonatas by Women Composers September 9th, 2023 The Romantic Era: it was a time of drama, high emotion, and relentless social upheaval. And over the course of the nineteenth century, more women than ever before were allowed to find their creative voices. Today we’re looking at six -
The Child Prodigies of Classical Music
From Mendelssohn to Korngold September 9th, 2023This is the concluding episode in the series featuring music written by child prodigies. Felix Mendelssohn Before Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) reached the tender age of sixteen, he already had more than 150 surviving compositions to his name. Mendelssohn did not -
Michelangelo’s “David”
Unveiled in Florence on 8 September September 8th, 2023Created between 1501 and 1504, Michelangelo’s “David” is perhaps the most famous statue in Florence, if not in the world. When it was finished, “no other artwork, modern or ancient, Greek or Latin, is equal to it in any respect, -
Baby’s Day Out
John Alden Carpenter’s Adventures in a Perambulator September 8th, 2023John Alden Carpenter (1876–1951), although forgotten now, was one of the leading American composers of the early 20th century. Both his songs and his orchestral music were performed widely, and, at the height of his fame, he was the only -
Emma Bardac: The Scandalous Story of Debussy’s Second Wife September 7th, 2023 Her affair with Debussy resulted in a scandal that split the Parisian music world apart – and almost led to the death of Debussy’s first wife. Today we’re looking at the life of Emma Bardac-Debussy: singer, legendary conversationalist, wife, mother, -
When Art Meets Art September 6th, 2023 It is quite a natural process for different artistic worlds to meet, and over the centuries this has happened so many times that we often ignore it, although it has taken very different shapes and forms. In fact, many artists -
Charles Ives’ Calcium Light Night September 5th, 2023 Charles Ives’ wonderfully named Calcium Light Night started its life as a piece for piccolo, clarinet, cornet, trombone, bass drum, and four pianists on two pianos. It depicts traditional fraternity parades on the campus of Yale University, which Ives attended