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Exploring Classical Music by Century: A Selection of Five Works from Each Era
…Virtutum” is a play composed by Hildegard of Bingen that features a rich and diverse array of vocal and instrumental music. This work is considered a milestone in the history…
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Igor Stravinsky – Elegy for Solo Viola
Igor Stravinsky’s “Elegy for Solo Viola” is a 5-minute masterpiece played flawlessly by Miles Hoffman. This piece remains Stravinsky’s only contribution to viola literature. Although William Primrose proposed commissioning a…
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Smetana – Finale from The Bartered Bride
…girl named Marenka who is forced into an arranged marriage but eventually finds true love. The premiere of “Bartered Bride” marked a significant milestone in Smetana’s career as a composer….
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Bedřich Smetana
…unified artistic whole. His first opera, The Brandenburgers in Bohemia, was a milestone in Czech music. The opera’s scenario takes place during the medieval era when Prussian invaders were occupying…
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Maurice Ravel
…an array of sonorities from the piano. In 1908, Ravel’s orchestral work, Rhapsodie Espagnole, was received with resounding applause and critical accolades, marking a significant milestone in his career. His…
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Giacomo Puccini
…Opera The turning point in Puccini’s life came in 1876, when he and his brother walked nearly 20 miles to Pisa to watch a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, Aida….
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George Gershwin
…and An American in Paris, both reflecting Gershwin’s continued evolution as a composer. Porgy and Bess: A Milestone In 1935, Gershwin composed what many consider his most ambitious work, the…
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Ludwig van Beethoven
…his talent, granted him a modest annual salary of 150 florins. A Brush with Mozart: The Unconfirmed Meeting The year 1787 marked a significant milestone in Beethoven’s life. In an…
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Hector Berlioz
…marked by financial instability and intense emotional turmoil, compounded by his unrequited love for actress Harriet Smithson. In 1830, Berlioz achieved a major milestone by winning the Prix de Rome,…
