Mozart’s Piano Trio KV 564
In October 1788, Mozart wrote the Piano Trio in G major K564. It is a sign of the times that it was first published in England, not in Vienna. And it is a sign of …
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra by Antonin Dvorak
Antonin Dvořák was always skeptical of the cello as a suitable instrument for a concerto. He loved the instrument’s middle range, but wasn’t fond of the high register or the “mumbling” lowest notes. Also, he …
Beethoven’s Sonata for Piano and Violin Opus 12, #3
The E-flat major Sonata, op. 12, no. 3 by Beethoven is a grand, virtuoso work, whose opening shows just the kind of expansive gestures that set Beethoven’s themes apart from those of his Classic period …
On First Listening to the Vienna Philharmonic
For many of us, memorable events tend to remain in our memory for a long time. Such was the case in 1950 when my father went with me to my first concert by the Vienna …
Debussy’s “Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faune”
It is often said that the era of modern music began with a single work in 1894: Claude Debussy’s Prélude à L’Après-Midi D’Un Faune for orchestra. Based on Mallarmé’s poem, Debussy considered the Prélude to be evocative …