Schumann's Ghosts
Exactly 163 years ago, on the night of 17th February 1854, Robert Schumann wrote down a short, chorale-like melody for piano. Though this melody is based on a theme he had written previously and used in compositions as recently as 1853, Schumann believed he was not only hearing it for the first time when he wrote it down that night, but that the melody has been 'offered' to him by spirits. The same spirit voices he had heard in his head for some time by now - sometimes benevo
In Celebration of Dussek
Today we say happy birthday to Czech pianist and composer Jan Ladislav Dussek - born this day in 1760. For once I won't be complaining about a composer being neglected, because Dussek's reputation reminds intact. His sonatinas are often seen on student piano stands, and though not performed as often as they should be, the larger scale pieces (there are some 34 piano sonatas for a start...) do feature on recordings and on concert platforms. The young Dussek cut quite a dashing
Playing It The Prudent Way
Today we say happy birthday to one Émile Prudent, born this day in 1817. I’m ashamed to say (yet again!) that until today I hadn’t even heard of Prudent, let alone tackled any of his music, but one of the joys of my daily delve into the nineteenth-century is the discovery of ‘new’ composers. New, perhaps, but certainly not isolated. Prudent, for example, apparently made his Paris concert debut sharing a stage with none other than the pianistic giant Sigismond Thalberg. He wa
