Composers Archive

Conductor Carlos Kleiber was the man I have most admired as a musician who lived during my time. As such, I do not include composers such as Franz Schubert, Mozart and others. Kleiber was even …

Robert Schumann wrote his Fantasy pieces Op. 73 originally for clarinet and piano. However, the first edition of Schumann’s Fantasy Pieces Op. 73 published in July 1849 contained not only a clarinet part but also …

Beethoven composed piano sonatas all through his life, which ended in 1827. The last three sonatas by Beethoven form a group that seems to be a continuum. My personal favorite is the middle one, the …

Franz Schubert’s second of two completed piano trios, D. 929, dates from 1827 and was played at the first and only public concert of Schubert’s compositions during his lifetime. Schubert spent the majority of his …

Johannes Brahms’ mother died in February 1865, a loss that caused him much grief and may well have inspired the Requiem in her memory. Also, Brahms’ lingering feelings over Robert Schumann’s death in July 1856 …