hank Archive

The rustling and shimmering of the piano part which opens Richard Strauss’ song “Ständchen” is one of those startling inventions by this composer that simply hooks the listener from the first note! The song tells …

Some years ago, while I was living at the California coast, I enjoyed my role as a radio host for classical music. In one case, I was the host for a show at radio host …

The year 1784 was an amazing one for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as far as the composition of keyboard concertos is concerned. In a notebook that he began keeping that year and would maintain for the …

Beethoven’s Third Symphony is regarded as a turning point in musical history, and it marks the beginning of his career’s second period. Beethoven’s ideas for the “Eroica” began during his tumultuous “Heiligenstadt Testament” period, but …

Edward Elgar’s Violin Concerto in B Minor Op. 61 premiered on in 1910, marking one of the pinnacles of his career. The first performance was given by Fritz Kreisler, with Elgar conducting the London Symphony …