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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When Mahler Found Ives August 20th, 2023 This has to be one of the most tantalising ‘What Ifs’ in musical history. In 1911, at the end of his tenure with the New York Philharmonic and only months before his death, Gustav Mahler visited the office of Tams -
Musicians and Artists: Fuchs and Frankenthaler August 20th, 2023 Kenneth Fuchs: Cloud Slant American artist Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011) started appearing in American art galleries in the 1950s and continued her career for the next 60 years. Her field was abstract expressionism and her developments over her career changed modern -
13 Facts You Didn’t Know About Tchaikovsky’s Mysterious Benefactress, Nadezhda von Meck August 19th, 2023 In 1877, Tchaikovsky received a letter that would change his life forever. It was from a wealthy woman named Nadezhda von Meck, who described herself as a “fervent admirer.” She commissioned some chamber music from him, and eventually, she began -
The Child Prodigies of Classical Music
From Hummel to Beethoven August 19th, 2023In historical studies of music, compositions by children have generally not been held in high regard. The one exception, of course, is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “commonly regarded as the child composer par excellence.” While the focus has so far been -
Antonio Salieri (1750-1825)
Rise to Fame August 18th, 2023Antonio Salieri, born on 18 August 1750 in the town of Legnago just south of Verona, was described as “the greatest musical diplomat, as he carefully cultivated friendships with people who could help him to build a career.” The first -
Summoning the Sound of Flight
Tõnu Kõrvits’ Tiibade hääl (The Sound of Wings) August 18th, 2023Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits (b. 1969) used the inspiring and tragic story of the flyer Amelia Earhart (1897–1937) as the basis for his 2022 work Tiibade hääl (The Sound of Wings). Setting the text of Estonian poet Doria Kareva, Kõrvits -
Let’s Talk About Haydn August 17th, 2023 Every listener and amateur of music has a composer that he feels like he should know better; because he or she is widely known and perhaps even quite influential, because this composer is the starting point of many others, or -
On This Day
16 August: Gershwin’s Cuban Overture Was Premiered August 16th, 2023Escaping his hectic work schedule in 1932, George Gershwin visited Havana, the capital city of Cuba. At that time, Cuba was a highly popular tropical retreat for wealthy Americans, “as well as a convenient place to consume liquor during the