Unbidden and unannounced, he showed up at Haydn’s house, knocked on the door, and introduced himself with these words: “I am Salomon of London and have come to fetch you. Tomorrow we will arrange an accord.” […]
In 1712, George Friedrich Handel (his Anglicized name) left Germany and settled permanently in London. His departure was motivated by that most common reason to emigrate: economic opportunity. […]
Given the fear and loathing the name “Arnold Schoenberg” continues to inspire 66 years after his death you’d think he was some sort of Nosferatu-like monster who shot puppies for sport and refused to recycle. […]
You want to talk about breaking a father’s heart? On his deathbed, Johann Joachim Quantz’ blacksmith father begged his 10 year-old son to follow him in the family trade. It didn’t happen, as J.J.’s extraordinary promise as a musician was already apparent. […]
He wrote a symphony (No. 13) that acknowledged the Holocaust at a time when official Soviet doctrine did not. He wrote an opera that almost got him killed; at other times he kissed the collective (and hairy?) derrieres of the Politburo whenever it was necessary, toed the party line, and publicly said what he was told to say… […]
John Knowles Paine (January 9, 1839 – April 25, 1906) was the first American-born composer to achieve fame for large-scale orchestral music. […]
More than anyone else, it was Mily Balakirev who postulated and promulgated precisely what Russian nationalist music should be. […]
Wednesday, December 19, 1962 was significant for something that didn’t happen – Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13 […]
Beethoven was not an easy student. In fact, rarely was Beethoven’s inability to deal respectfully with authority more apparent than in his lessons with Haydn. […]
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