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𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐘: 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 The Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 by 𝐋𝐮𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐠 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 occupies an exceptional place not only in the history of music, but…

THE LAST DAYS OF FRYDERYK CHOPIN THE SLOW END AT PLACE VENDOME, WHO ACCOMPANIED HIM, AND HOW HE DIED ON 17 OCTOBER 1849 The final months of 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 were not marked by a…

𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄-𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐑𝐄-𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐍 — 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐄𝐋, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑, 𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐌 Few figures in nineteenth-century French culture united so many apparently contradictory identities as 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝. She…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟎 — 𝐀 𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃 When 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 became 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝’s lover…

𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐘: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐆𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60, by 𝐋𝐮𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐠 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧, occupies one of the most singular places among his nine symphonies.…

𝐏𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐎𝐓 — 𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐄𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄 Few personalities of the nineteenth century allow us to trace the cultural history of Romantic Europe as fully as 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐭 (𝟏𝟖𝟐𝟏–𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟎). Her…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟗 — 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐎𝐓 Among the many women who entered 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤…

𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐎𝐙 — 𝟐𝟎 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒, 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄 Michel Corboz was never one of those conductors who built a public image around theatrical gestures or celebrity.…

𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐊𝐎𝐕𝐒𝐊𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓-𝐒𝐀𝐄̈𝐍𝐒: 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏, 𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐒 The relationship between Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Camille Saint-Saëns was one of the most fascinating personal encounters between two major European composers of the…

𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍’𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐔𝐒 Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna on the afternoon of 26 March 1827, in his apartment in the Schwarzspanierhaus, after a long period of…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐑’𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 Frédéric Chopin died in his apartment on Place Vendôme in Paris on 17 October 1849, at the age of thirty-nine. That same morning, the French sculptor…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟕 — 𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐘𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐇 𝐆𝐑𝐙𝐘𝐌𝐀Ł𝐀 Among the many people who entered…

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐃𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐊𝐀 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 Maria Wodzińska occupies a singular place in the biography of Frédéric Chopin. She was not merely one of the women associated with the composer’s emotional life:…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟔 — 𝐌𝐎𝐉𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐄𝐃𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐃𝐙𝐈Ń𝐒𝐊𝐀 Among all the women who entered 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧’s…

𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄 — 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓, 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 Auguste-Joseph Franchomme (1808–1884) was one of the most distinguished French cellists of the nineteenth century and, above all, one of Frédéric Chopin’s closest musical friends…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐖 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟏𝟎–𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟎 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 “𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄” 𝐊𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐉𝐀 𝐆Ł𝐀𝐃𝐊𝐎𝐖𝐒𝐊𝐀 In 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟏𝟖𝟐𝟗, when 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 was…

𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐓𝐙𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐍 — 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑’𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐔𝐌 Nathalie Stutzmann is one of the most unusual figures in contemporary classical music. Long before becoming an internationally celebrated conductor, she was already…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐖 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟏𝟎–𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟎 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐉𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐈𝐀Ł𝐎𝐁Ł𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐈, 𝐉𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒𝐙𝐘Ń𝐒𝐊𝐈, 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐀, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐘𝐓𝐔𝐒…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐖 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟏𝟎–𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟎 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 The first people…