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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On This Day
19 June: Sergei Taneyev Died June 19th, 2023Shortly after Tchaikovsky joined the staff of the Moscow Conservatoire in September 1866, a young boy was admitted to study piano. He was only 9-years old, and after a brief interruption, he resumed his studies in composition with Tchaikovsky. That -
Music of Royalty
King Henry VIII June 18th, 2023In popular culture, King Henry VIII (1491–1547) is primarily remembered for his six wives and countless mistresses. His private life was summarized in a popular rhyme. King Henry VIII, To six wives he was wedded. One died, one survived, Two -
Putting Anger into Music
Zemlinsky’s The Mermaid June 18th, 2023Austrian composer and conductor Alexander von Zemlinsky (1871–1942) was in the middle of the innovations of the Second Viennese School, with Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951) as his pupil. However, despite their common location and close age, Zemlinsky was not the revolutionary -
On This Day
18 June: Peter Donohoe was Born June 18th, 2023Becoming joint winner of the Silver Medal at the 1982 International Tchaikovsky Competition, with no Gold Medal awarded that year, propelled Peter Donohoe to international stardom. Renowned as one of the foremost pianists of our time, his performances radiate mature -
Tchaikovsky’s Wife: Madwoman or Tragic Victim? June 17th, 2023 One of the most-maligned wives in classical music history is Antonina Miliukova. She married Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1877, and their union was a disaster from the beginning. She has often been portrayed as a madwoman intent on ruining her -
Johann Baptist Wendling June 17th, 2023 “Wendling is the foremost flute player of his time” 300 years ago, on 17 June 1723, the town of Rappoltsweiler, now Ribeauvillé, recorded the birth of Johann Baptist Wendling (1723-1797). His family originated from the Alsace region, and his father -
Abandoning All Hope and Finding Paradise
Thomas Adès’ Dante June 17th, 2023Most people who read Dante’s La Divina Commedia love the first part of the trilogy, like the second, and often abandon the whole enterprise when they get to Paradise. The evil is just more interesting, somehow. Dante’s object lessons in -
When Is the Right Time to Start Teaching Piano Technique?
Essential Piano Technique by Penelope Roskell June 16th, 2023Renowned British pianist and pedagogue Penelope Roskell believes that technique should be taught from the outset and her new series of books aimed at children turn learning technique into an enjoyable and stimulating series of exercises, games/quizzes, and imaginative original