-
Recommended by European Mozart Ways
Category Archives: Greensboro Symphony Classical Concerts
Smetana’s Deafness and “The Moldau”
There are several stories of great musicians who battled deafness yet continued to compose. Of course, Beethoven comes to mind. We all know his struggle to accept the impending loss of his hearing, and yet he continued to write miraculous … Continue reading
Elgar’s “Enigma” Variations
The Enigma Variations started as a way for Elgar to entertain his wife. One night in 1898, the composer was improvising melodies at the piano. Alice liked one of these and asked her husband to play it again. Not only … Continue reading
Lukas Geniušas, Virtuoso Talent at Age 21
It seems that many young virtuoso performers have one thing in common – they were born into a talented musical family. This was the case for Mozart as well as our own Dima Sitkovetsky. Lukas Geniušas, the soloist at this … Continue reading
Stravinsky’s “A Soldier’s Tale” Updated
Igor Stravinsky’s “A Soldier’s Tale” is one of music’s best-known pieces for chamber ensemble. Written a few years after “The Rite of Spring”, this work for seven musicians has been performed and recorded countless times, both in its original version … Continue reading
Yura Lee – Two Performances in Greensboro
Yura Lee is one of only a handful of musicians to have successfully made the transition from child prodigy to mature artist. Her story is remarkable. She was born in South Korea in 1985, began studying violin when she was … Continue reading
Paganini, How The Great Violinist Was Helped By A Rare Medical Condition
Paganini was one of the world’s great virtuoso violinists. But what is especially fascinating is that part of Paganini’s great success came as a result of a rare physical ailment. Niccolò Paganini was born in 1782 in Genoa, Italy. His … Continue reading
Dmitry Sitkovetsky’s Concert Week in Greensboro
Dima Sitkovetski is a world class musician who is continually on the move. When he’s not conducting in Greensboro, he may be rehearsing in New York, playing a recital in Paris, or staying at his home in London practicing for … Continue reading
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and its problematic first performance
When a piece of music is considered a masterpiece, it frequently receives numerous performances by well-rehearsed orchestras in the world’s finest concert halls. But what is often true is that these great works started their musical lives in less than … Continue reading
Posted in Classical Music and Performers, Greensboro Symphony Classical Concerts, Vienna's Musical History
Comments Off on Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and its problematic first performance
Beethoven’s Leonore and Fidelio Overtures
Beethoven wrote many overtures. Some were as stand-alone pieces, some were as incidental music, and several were for the various versions of his one opera. One overture for Leonore (later Fidelio) was not enough, and whenever he modified the opera, … Continue reading
Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony
Manfred is a dramatic poem written by Lord Byron in 1816-17. It tells the story of the supernatural Manfred who was tortured by guilt, defies redemption, and later commits suicide. Tchaikovsky knew the story and set it to music in … Continue reading
Back to the top.