“Music is the most romantic of all the arts for its sole subject is the infinite” Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776-1822), better known by his pen name E. T. A. Hoffmann, was possibly the most original and influential fiction writer

“The Musical Quack” 300 years ago, on 5 June 1722, Johann Kuhnau (1660-1722) the immediate predecessor of Johann Sebastian Bach as Kantor at the Thomasschule in Leipzig, passed away after suffering from extended periods of illness. Kuhnau was not only

“The Pressure Which Liszt Has Put On My Personality Is Insufferable” In his lifetime the composer and teacher Joachim Raff (1822-1882) was greatly celebrated and admired. His music was valued, with some reservations, by Mendelssohn, Liszt, von Bülow, and Clara

“Music is the Language of God” Celebrating his 75th birthday in 1906, the legendary violinist Joseph Joachim declared that Germany had four great violin concertos. Among the four—of course including the superb singular efforts in this genre by Beethoven, Mendelssohn

German cellist Alban Gerhardt has played as a soloist with nearly every major orchestra out there. Rising to fame after his win at several competitions and his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic and Semyon Bychkov in 1991, he shows no

“Bückeburg Bach” An early 20th century dictionary entry on Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732-1795) considered him “an industrious composer whose work reflects no discredit on the family name.” Carrying and doing justice to the Bach family name was no easy

The German composer Ludwig van Beethoven was probably the first truly bad boy of music. He showed utter distain for discipline and authority and brusquely dismissed the conventions of aristocratic society. The formal court etiquette was particularly irksome to him,

“I once believed that I possessed creative talent” Clara Schumann née Wieck, (1819-1896) was born in Leipzig, daughter of Marianne and Friedrich Wieck. Friedrich established a successful music business, and Marianne was a gifted musician appearing as a piano and