Reviews
On this my third annual visit to Vienna in October 2019 I had occasion to visit two off-the-beaten track opera houses. In earlier years I have restricted visits to the world-renowned, glorious and majestic Staatsoper on the Ring within the heart of the city and the lesser and further removed
Know Your Composer
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) was the manliest man in a manly world of manly composers! Creator of theatrical and musical dramas lasting the better part of eternity, his works are perpetually in danger of drowning in gigantic puddles of testosterone. As such, it might come as a surprise to learn that
Music Education
If you’re a collector of opera scores, you likely have some system of organizing them for easy perusal. All those beautiful hardcover editions, charmingly tattered paperbacks, each with their unique set of dimensions and typography on the spine; there’s something comforting and cathartic about organizing them, and re-organizing
News
In 2020, Germany will celebrate the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, arguably her most famous citizen, with the whole world. The Chamber Music Society of Colombo in association with the Goethe-Institut, Colombo, will begin the year long celebration of the Meastro’s music with a concert on the 26th
Interviews
Editor’s note: The Vassar College Choirs Tour to India has been cancelled. This interview has been updated in accordance with this development. Founded in 1861, the Vassar College has been ranked amongst the top liberal arts colleges in the USA. Dr Christine Howlett and Dr Drew Minter are shaping
Reviews
The nascent Effem Ensemble made its debut at Calcutta on 8 December 2019. By virtue of Founder Sponsor Varun Thapar’s refreshing enthusiasm and Founder Director Fauzia Marikar’s methodical coordination, it premiered at a musical soiree at Mr. Thapar’s elegant residence where he graciously welcomed each invitee. Also
Interviews
What is it about French music that makes it truly French? ON Stage speaks to conductor and composer Laurent Petitgirard and pianist Jean-Philippe Collard ahead of their performances with the Symphony Orchestra of India to find out more. By Beverly Pereira French classical music was perhaps eclipsed by the music
Interviews
With a concert debut at the age of 11, at 79, Stephen Kovacevich, has gathered a legion of fans across the world. He is a cerebral musician, deeply thoughtful as a performer, remarkably articulate about the music he loves best, Beethoven and Schubert, particularly their late works, but never pedantic.
Music Education
“So how exactly do you become a conductor?” Ever since I first earned enough money from conducting to allow me to keep at least one nostril above water and to subsist on a diet not limited exclusively to the darker root vegetables, it is a question I have found myself
Music Education
Here are some of the sight reading techniques and tips that I have found to be most helpful for my students. IMPROVE YOUR SIGHT READING WITH PREPARATION AND PRACTICE SIGHT READ OFTEN The more music you read and play or sing, the better you will be at sight reading. Much
Know Your Composer
We associate ragtime music with performers and composers such as Scott Joplin, confined by their poverty and marginality to the US. What we may not realize is how international this turn of the 20th century-style was and how influential it was. In 1918, on his way back from the US,
Music Education
There is a long tradition of teaching quality classical piano in Canada. There are also a myriad of support systems to teach theory and written scores in a variety of contemporary styles. Then there’s jazz. Some teachers like it and some don’t. Others don’t feel knowledgeable enough
