Search Results for: liszt
J.B. Schalkenbach’s electric music
In the 1860s Johann Baptist Schalkenbach developed a music hall act in which he performed on an amalgamation of instruments, built around a reed harmonium, which he called the Piano-Orchestre Électro-Moteur. While playing, Schalkenbach would simultaneously create musical, noise, and … Continue reading
Filed under Curiosities
Library of Greek Musicology
In December 2011 the Laboratory of Greek Music at the Ionian University, Kerkyra (Corfu), launched the book series Ellinīkī Mousikologikī Vivliothīkī (Ελληνική Μουσικολογική Βιβλιοθήκη/Library of Greek Musicology) with a volume curated by Charīs Xanthoudakīs and Arīs Garoufalīs on the relationship … Continue reading
Filed under New series, Performance practice
The Hindenburg piano
The first piano ever to be carried on a passenger aircraft was created by the Julius Blüthner Pianofortefabrik for the ill-fated Hindenburg airship. The lightweight aluminum alloy grand piano weighed only 162 kg (356 lbs). The frame, rim, fallboard, and … Continue reading
Filed under Curiosities, Instruments
A New Year’s liturgical drama
Ludus Danielis (Beauvais, 13th century), one of the most discussed and performed liturgical dramas of the Middle Ages, is found in only one manuscript (GB-Lbl MS Egerton 2615) together with the New Year’s Office from Beauvais, indicating an association with … Continue reading
Filed under Dramatic arts, Middle Ages
Sophy and Mendelssohn
In 1833 Sophy Horsley, a well-heeled British teenager, wrote to her aunt “Mendelssohn took my album with him the night of our glee-party, but you have no idea how many names he has got me.” Over the following years Horsley … Continue reading
Filed under Curiosities, Romantic era, Visual art
2010 in review
Below is an automatically generated report from our buddies at WordPress; we enjoyed it, and decided to share it with you. The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level … Continue reading
Musicology and fiction
Throughout the nineteenth century, parallels between the forms and contents of individual compositions and a variety of poems and prose tales were discussed. Liszt, Strauss, and other composers cited literary classics in the titles of their works and even published … Continue reading
Filed under Curiosities, Literature, Reception, Romantic era
Hans Christian Andersen, music critic
As many people know, Hans Christian Andersen, whose children’s stories have proven to be his most widespread source of fame, was the most prominent Danish author of the nineteenth century. As fewer people know, he enjoyed a brief career as … Continue reading
Filed under Literature, Reception, Romantic era
Festschriften
Generally, Festschriften fall into three categories: memorial volumes, issued shortly after the death of the honoree, and often comprising personal tributes and reminiscences; commemorative volumes, published to honor some milestone in the deceased dedicatee’s life; and Festschriften proper, presented to … Continue reading
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Filed under Publication types, Romantic era
