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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Four Surviving Pianos Played by the Great Composers July 23rd, 2023 Pianos may be bulky instruments, but their bulkiness belies their true delicacy. From keys to hammers to strings, a single piano consists of hundreds of intricate tiny parts, and honestly, it’s a miracle that any have survived over the centuries. -
A Portrait of the Young Glenn Gould July 22nd, 2023 Glenn Gould’s iconic stature as one of the great if not the greatest pianists has not diminished since he passed in 1982 shortly after his 50th birthday. Many of us know him for his recordings of Bach, especially the Goldberg -
The Lost Now Found
Peter Arnold Heise’s String Quartets July 22nd, 2023Peter Arnold Heise (1830–1879) was an active composer in mid–19th-century Denmark. A student of A.P. Berggren, who was also the teacher of Niels W. Gade (1817–1890), the leading Danish musician of the day, Heise started his composing career at age -
On This Day
21 July: Isaac Stern Was Born July 21st, 2023Isaac Stern’s tombstone simply reads, “Isaac Stern, Fiddler.” However, the violinist was much, much more than that. He was an educator who mentored generations of musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman, and his activism on behalf of classical music -
Musicians and Artists: Jake Heggie and 5 Sculptures July 21st, 2023 Jake Heggie: Statuesque American composer Jake Heggie (b. 1961) started the piano when he was seven and composing when he was 12. A commission from the San Francisco Opera led to the start of his successful opera career when he -
Golden Gate: The Humming Bridge July 20th, 2023 Here is our little quiz for today. What is possibly the largest wind instrument in the world? I am sure you can immediately think of a number of vast instruments, the Wagner tuba, the ophicleide, the Alphorn, or some enormous -
Jane Stirling: Why Did This Piano Student Pay for Chopin’s Funeral? July 19th, 2023 Jane Stirling – Frédéric Chopin’s student, patroness, caretaker, manager, and legacy-builder – has always lived in the shadows of her piano teacher. And yet she was an integral part of Chopin’s later life and one of the reasons why his -
On This Day
19 July: Webern’s Six Bagatelles for String Quartet Was Premiered July 19th, 2023The German town of Donaueschingen is picturesquely located in the Black Forest in the State of Baden-Württemberg. It stands near the two sources of the river Danube, and it started to host a festival for contemporary classical music in 1921.