Artists Archive

Composer Franz Schubert left us with Symphonies, chamber music, and more than 600 Lieder (songs) before he died at age 31. Schubert’s creative genius is demonstrated when he combined chamber music and song in his …

Samuel Barber initially composed this piece for string quartet. It is the middle movement of this work that is known to be the heart-breaker. The opening single note is joined by a collective sigh of …

I still recall my hearing two live performances of Mahler’s Third Symphony. One performance was in London; the second took place at the Aspen Music Festival. Both were unforgettable. Now, many years later, I frequently …

Despite its title, Lalo’s “Symphonie espagnole” is essentially a violin concerto, not a symphony. Musicologist Michael Clive calls the work “a fabulously abundant violin showcase — non-stop fun to hear, and if you happen to …

Tchaikovsky’s Symphony #6, The “Pathétique”, exhibits a moody darkness at almost every turn. The introduction is scored using the darkest of all orchestral colors, a bassoon in the low register accompanied by divided double basses. When …