Playlists

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Richard Strauss’ Chamber Music: Youthful Brilliance
Richard Strauss, born on 11 June 1864, is one of the most influential composers of the late Romantic and early modernist eras. Although he is rightfully celebrated for his orchestral tone poems and operas, he also engaged with chamber music
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Robert Schumann’s Tiny Tunes
11 Playful Piano Miniatures to Tickle Your Fancy
Robert Schumann was a master of packaging big emotions into bite-sized pieces. His piano miniatures are short, vivid, and bursting with personality. Think of them as TikToks of the Romantic era, but with more heart and fewer dance trends. From
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Georges Bizet’s Hidden Gems
The Playful and Poetic World of His Piano Music
It’s not really common knowledge, but Georges Bizet was an absolutely brilliant pianist. He entered the class of Antoine-François Marmontel at the Paris Conservatoire at the age of nine, eventually winning Premiers Prix for piano, organ, fugue, and composition. In
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Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
A Legacy of Innovation and Vision
At the time of his death on 31 May 1809, Joseph Haydn was a cultural hero, venerated as the first of the three “Viennese Classics.” He started his career in the traditional patronage system of the late Austrian Baroque and
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Niccolò Paganini’s Devilish Genius
10 Tracks that Conjure his Violin Sorcery
In the 19th-century concert hall, Niccolò Paganini emerged like a figure plucked from a dark fairy tale. His tall, gaunt frame was cloaked in black, with his long jet-black hair trailing like a shadow. He moved with quiet intensity, and
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Ten of the Best Nocturnes by Women Composers
Nocturnes in classical music are known for their dreamy moods and quiet introspection. The most famous were written by canonical composers like John Field, Chopin, and Debussy. However, many women composers outside the traditional canon have also crafted stunning nocturnes,
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Richard Wagner’s Secret Keys
The Story of His Piano Music
When we think of Richard Wagner, born on 22 May 1813, we envision grand operas, mythic tales, and orchestral splendour. Works like The Ring Cycle, Tristan and Isolde, or Lohengrin thrived in the theatre, where he could blend music, drama,
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Oboe and Harp Mastery
Dedicated to Heinz and Ursula Holliger
Heinz Holliger, born on 21 May 1939, achieved worldwide fame as an oboist, performing and recording some of the earworm pieces from the Baroque and Classical periods. Yet, as he explained on the occasion of his 80th birthday, “composing has
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