On This Day

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On This Day
26 March: Ludwig van Beethoven Died
A biographer reports, “A violent thunderstorm struck Vienna in the afternoon of 26 March 1827. At 5:45 pm, a sudden flash of lightning was reported, and the dying man suddenly raised his head, stretched out his own right arm majestically—like
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On This Day
25 March: Béla Bartók Was Born
It is somewhat ironic that not a single Hungarian town in which Béla Bartók spent his youth is now within Hungarian boundaries. At the time of his birth on 25 March 1881, the town of Nagyszentmiklós was part of the
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On This Day
21 March: Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 130 Was Premiered
Completed in early 1826, Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 130 premiered on 21 March 1826 as part of the concluding subscription concert by the Schuppanzigh Quartet. The work immediately caused great puzzlement, as we read in a contemporary review, “The most
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20 March: Shenyang Was Born
Chinese-born bass-baritone Shenyang came to the world’s attention in 2007 when he won the “BBC Cardiff Singer of the World” competition. Ever since he has established himself as one of the finest voices of his generation. He has accumulated an
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On This Day
19 March: Isabelle Faust Was Born
Isabelle Faust was born in Esslingen, near Stuttgart, on 19 March 1972. When her father decided to take up the violin as a hobby, he took his five-year-old daughter along during his lessons. While her father only showed modest talents,
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On This Day
18 March: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 4 Was Premiered
On 18 March 1927, audiences in the city of Philadelphia, USA were in high anticipation as Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra had invited Sergei Rachmaninoff as the soloist for the premiere of the composer’s Fourth piano concerto in G
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On This Day
16 March: Roger Norrington Was Born
The historically informed performance movement has opened up the realm of interpretation by enriching the subjectivity of artistic expression with the objectivity of scholarly study. And while critics have suggested that such performances are not really historical but a performance
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On This Day
11 March: Jean-Guihen Queyras Was Born
The artistry of Jean-Guihen Queyras, born on 11 March 1967 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is characterized by insatiable curiosity, diversity and a firm focus on the music itself. A musician completely dedicated to his art, his humble approach and unpretentious
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