In 1808 Sébastien Erard registered a patent that fundamentally changed piano construction forever. As hammers had become more massive, they produced a much heavier touch for the performer. As such, the ability to repeat notes was severely impacted and the

During the first half of the 19th century, Gioachino Rossini was recognized as the greatest Italian composer of his time. No other composer enjoyed his prestige, popular acclaim and artistic influence in the world of opera. And as we all

“Minors of the Majors” invites you to discover compositions by the great classical composers that for one reason or another have not reached the musical mainstream. Please enjoy, and keep listening!

Today, we remember Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) as the most prominent composer of Italian opera in the first half of the 19th century. But, when he was a young man growing up in Bologna he was simply known as “La Grassa,”

Almost immediately after the premiere of Oberto in 1839, a contemporary critic considered the question of Verdi’s personal musical style. “Many salient features of this style are not Signor Verdi’s own,” he wrote. “The crescendo and the use — not

During his tenure in Magdeburg (1834-6) and Riga (1837-8), Richard Wagner rehearsed and conducted the opera La muette de Portici (The Mute Girl of Portici). Composed by Daniel François Esprit Auber to a libretto by Augustin Eugène Scribe — one