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Tchaikovsky composed six “numbered” symphonies, seven if you count Manfred, and eight if you count the unfinished symphony, which was supposed to be Tchaikovsky’s sixth numbered symphony. In 1889, four years before ..
Tchaikovsky composed this symphony in 1875, completing it in just a few months. Despite the pain that came with composing this masterpiece, he did not mention it much in letters to his friends, other than mentioning that ..
Today, I would like to share with you the Manfred Symphony by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. If you had asked me a month ago how many symphonies Tchaikovsky composed, I would have answered with a straight face: six! Number Six was his final ..
I am taking my entire family to see Turandot, an opera composed by Giacomo Puccini, today. This is my first time seeing this magnificent opera. I have heard arias from this opera many times, and I remember how I was captivated ..
Today, I would like to share with you a wonderful short, light piece, “Introduction to Rondo,” by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). Saint-Saëns originally intended this piece to be the conclusion ..
Today I’d like to share with you a composer and concerto that are completely new to me: Giovanni Bottesini’s Double Bass Concerto No. 2 in B minor. Bottesini (1821-1889) was born in Northern Italy. He studied violin ..
I’d like to share with you a terrific interview with Hungarian conductor Ivan Fischer. He shows different sides of Beethoven. I love how he provides little, unique insights into the composer. He explains how, before Beethoven, ..
At the beginning of each year, I sit down and reflect on the year that closed, looking for lessons to be learned and opportunities for improvement. I plan out what I personally want to achieve and set goals for IMA. One thing ..
This prelude was originally composed for flute by Bach. Alexander Siloti transcribed it to piano. I’ll share both flute and piano versions with you.
This is a continuation of my series of articles about Alexander Siloti. (I have to warn you, this note is full of trite realizations.) It took me a while to realize that some people are great at creating and some are terrific ..