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What Should We Be Looking for in Chopin Competition?
A Promising Pianist or a Chopinist?
This is a never-ending question that always sparks heated debate, which sometimes even the jury can’t come to an agreement. It was also why Fou Ts’ong protested against awarding the first prize to Stanislav Bunin by not signing the verdict
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On This Day
14 December: Schubert’s Symphony No. 6 Was Premiered
During his short but highly productive career Franz Schubert worked on a total of thirteen symphonies. Three symphonic projects were abandoned in fragments, and three more left incomplete. The Symphony No. 7 in E major was fully sketched and fully
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Bach’s Greatest Chorale Hits
“Music Is an Agreeable Harmony for the Honour of God”
The term “chorale” can be somewhat confusing. That’s not surprising, as the meaning is slightly different in German and in English usage. Let’s not get into the technical differences but simply say that a “chorale” is the congregational hymn of
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On This Day
13 December: Franz von Lenbach Was Born
Franz von Lenbach (1836-1904) was one of the most accomplished portrait artists in German art of the 19th century. As one of the leading exponents of 19th century realism in Germany, he was the best-known and highest-paid portrait painter of
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Legacies
Death has been on our minds, collectively and individually, more than usual during this time of COVID. A number of famous people have died during the pandemic, though not necessarily as a direct result of it but merely due to
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On This Day
12 December: Ravel’s La Valse Was Premiered
Composed between 1919 and 1921, La Valse by Maurice Ravel premiered on 12th December 1920 in Paris. On that occasion, Camille Chevillard conducted the Lamoureux Orchestra of Paris in a performance of the orchestral version. Ravel and Alfredo Casella had
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On This Day
10 December: Dvořák’s String Serenade Was Premiered
On 10 December 1875, Antonín Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings in E major premiered at Prague’s Žofín Palace. The work was immediately recognized for its emotional appeal and overriding sunny disposition. A review of the premiere, published on 16 December, states,
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The Genius Boys
Mozart, Linley and Lamotte
Musical tourism to Italy was in full swing by the middle of the 18th century. Italian cities and courts welcomed streams of musicians in search of performing opportunities, official appointments or commissions, and steady jobs. And that included the three
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