“His father keeps a shop”: Behind Edward Elgar’s struggle for respectability
It was a music shop at 10 High Street in Worcester: “Elgar Bros. Pianoforte & Music Warehouse.” It was in this shop that young Edward … Read more
Maureen Holland
The Trial of Shostakovich: What was really at stake at the premiere of his Fifth Symphony
Born on September 25, 1906 in St. Petersburg (renamed Petrograd in 1914; renamed Leningrad in 1924), Dmitri Shostakovich lived in an era of vast and … Read more
Famous Musical Siblings: 5 Tales of Blood, Success, and Disappointment
Johannes and Friedrich Brahms Johannes was the golden child. Two years older than Friedrich, he was quickly marked for greatness by his piano teachers. Wanting … Read more
31 Things to Know about Franz Schubert
1) Franz Schubert was born January 31, 1797 and died 31 years later. 2) He was the only one of the great Viennese composers actually … Read more
The Brewer’s Daughter: How Giuseppe Verdi’s first love ended in tragedy
In The Man Verdi, Frank Walker describes Giuseppe Verdi‘s birthplace as “the merest hamlet”. Born in Le Roncole on October 10, 1813, Giuseppe Verdi was … Read more
The Legacy of Jacques Offenbach (1819–1880)
According to Richard Traubner in Operetta: A Theatrical History, Isaac Juda Eberst took the name Offenbach from a German city. He gave the name Jakob to … Read more
Brahms’ Lullaby: How a relentless perfectionist composed one of the world’s most soothing melodies
In 1897, a few months from death, Johannes Brahms could be found in front of his stove surrounded by pages of personal correspondence and sheet … Read more
The Mozart Effect: What can babies really hear in the womb?
Psychologist Frances Rauscher had no idea her 1993 research study featuring 36 college students would spawn a craze termed (and copyrighted) “The Mozart Effect.” According … Read more
Dunvant Male Choir: Voices from the Land of Song
The first Eisteddfod, according to BBC Wales, was held in 1176 at a castle in Cardigan. Lord Rhys awarded a chair to the best poet … Read more
Soweto Gospel Choir: Voices of Heaven
The Soweto Gospel Choir recorded their first album in December of 2002, after a successful Australian tour. “Voices of Heaven” would reach No. 1 on … Read more
Christmas Choirs: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Traveling through the American West in the 1850s was not done for pleasure. The land was vast, the conditions were harsh, and the chances of … Read more
Concerts for the Deaf: Introducing the Emoti-Chair
In 2009, a small Toronto club hosted an event featuring several relatively unknown bands ranging from hip hop to punk. But the show didn’t make news … Read more
Shower Divas: The Acoustics Behind Everyone’s Personal Concert Hall
Most of us will never make it onstage at the Met. Some of us can’t even brave the karaoke spotlight. But no one should shy away … Read more
Have you ever had a skin orgasm to Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2? You’re not alone.
It’s Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor for me. But for psychologist Psyche Loui, it’s Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2. “It,” of course, being the … Read more
God’s Tenor: Remembering the Voice of Jon Vickers
It was, without question, a colossal voice. Whether that meant burly and gruff or raw and intense would depend on the listener. For critic John Ardoin, … Read more