When you think of the waltz, you might start humming Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers or The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II. Waltz music has certainly gone through much development since its origins in the 1700s. But did you know that the original Classical era dance was considered scandalous? And that it wasn’t until […]
Read More
In 1827, Classical/Romantic composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828) wrote eight solo piano pieces called impromptus. An impromptu is a musical work, usually for a solo instrument, that embodies the spirit of improvisation. His impromptus were published in two sets of four: Op. 90 and Op. 142 (which wasn’t published until after he died). These eight impromptus […]
Read More
In October 1814, 17-year-old Franz Schubert (1797-1828) wrote a lied (an art song with text from a German poem). It might not seem remarkable at first glance, but this composition – called Gretchen am spinnrade – helped change the course of music. History One of the first pieces of Romantic-era program music (a piece of music that tells a story […]
Read More