Chamber Music & Recitals

Who would assume today that after it's premiere in 1910 Ernst von Dohnnyi's dance pantomime spread like a wildfire over the stages of the world. The 'Wedding Waltz' from Der Schleier der Pierrette could regularly be heard on musical request programmes on...

Who was Marco Antonio Centorio? Given how little attention has been paid to his music in modern times, a surprising amount is known about him. Born around 1600 in the Piedmontese town of Vercelli, Centorio was blessed with a fine treble voice that...

Who was Lelio Colista (1629-1680)? Known by his early 20s as 'the Orpheus of Rome', he began his musical education as a choirboy before soon becoming a performer at the papal Barberini court. He then made his name as a lutenist and a theorbo virtuoso,...

Who is not familiar with the abundantly tuneful composer? is a quotation from the review of Sterkel's Piano Fantasy op. 45 in the German fashion magazine Journal des Luxus und der Mode dated August 1817. But today the name Franz Xaver Sterkel is little...

Who is Igor Frolov, and who are his friends? One of Frolov's best friends is violinist Piet Koornhof. Always on the lookout for unusual and appealing repertoire, Piet heard a recording of Frolov's "Piece in Blues Style," and began his search for more of...

Who actually wrote Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances? Brahms probably heard most of these tunes as a child growing up in Hamburg, played by the Gypsy orchestras that were famous for their "Hungarian" dance tunes. These passionate and high-spirited...

Whilst he is now considered by some to be the greatest of all guitarist/composers, it is curious to think that the music of the Paraguayan Agustin Pio Barrios Mangore fell into neglect for over three decades after his death. This.1. Caazapa - Aire...

While, unlike Mozart, Haydn never made a living as a keyboard soloist, he nevertheless came nearest to Mozart in the best known of his keyboard concertos, No. 11 in D major.1. Piano Concerto in F Major, Hob. XVI I:3 2. Piano Concerto in D Major, Hob. XVI...

While today it is easy to listen to almost any piece at any time and in almost any place, before the invention of the record it was quite complicated: you had to go to a concert or to the opera or you played yourself... In the emerging bourgeoisie,...

While this selection of little musical gemstones is probably best known for it's educational purposes in the keyboard world, this music can take on much more depth and poetry in the hands of a sympathetic interpreter such as the Belgian guitarist Jan...

While the unison of ancient and new may seem dichotomous, the rich sonic tapestry of sacred music has developed a continuity across the centuries. Common threads of musical reflection are rooted in the ancient, illuminating and informing the expressions...

While the piano is a western invention, it has come to occupy a special position in Chinese musical life. The earliest Chinese piano pieces date from the first half of the twentieth century; many remain popular in the concert hall today.1. 1. Going to...