Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor born in Parma in 1867. He became famous after conducting Verdi’s Aida from memory at age nineteen and later led major orchestras including La...
Read MoreRosita Renard was a remarkable Chilean pianist. She had a technical mastery of the piano, with an enormous dynamic range, rich tonal colors, deft articulation, and mastery of the pedal....
Read MoreThis post is a beautiful quartet by Fauré. Composed in 1885–86 and premiered in Paris in 1887, Fauré’s Second Piano Quartet reflects the broader late nineteenth-century effort to define a...
Read MoreCharles Munch was a French conductor renowned for his passionate, spontaneous style and for championing French orchestral music. Born in Alsace, he trained as a violinist before turning to conducting...
Read MoreThis has to be one of my favorite arias. It is also very difficult to sing. I am posting Irmgard Seefried singing "Ruhe sanft" as well as two other sopranos...
Read MoreSergiu Celibidache was a controversial figure in conducting. He was known for his eccentric and often painfully slow tempi, a cult-like following, and and abrasive, autocratic personality. While praised as...
Read MoreRudolf Kempe was one of the most respected German conductors of the mid‑twentieth century, admired for clarity, balance, and fidelity to the score. Born in Dresden, he began his career...
Read MoreHeather Harper was born in Belfast and was one of the great British voices of the postwar era. Although she spent much of her professional life in London, her career...
Read MoreAlessandro Ziliani was a famous Italian tenor during the 1930s and 1940s. At his peak, he had a very open sound, with no tension in the swallowing muscles. In 1932,...
Read MoreThis piece, the Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 is beautiful, and it is very difficult both for the pianist and the violinist. It was enthusiastically received at its...
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