The Cathy List 8: Beethoven and his piano
‘Der Große Mogul’: ‘Big shot’, that’s what Haydn called Beethoven, not entirely as a compliment. Beethoven had conquered the musical scene in Vienna in the 1790s, thanks in large part to his jaw-dropping abilities as an improviser on the piano, as well as his bold new composing style. Listening to other people play his own […]
The Cathy List 7: Thinking Baroque
1600-1750: The Baroque era comprises 150 years of astonishing revolution in the world of music, with the birth of so many important forms (opera, sonata, concerto etc.), a whole new menagerie of exotic instruments and flamboyant music-making. Italy was the tinderbox for the early part of this revolution. The first track is by the […]
The Cathy List 6: Marvelling at Mozart
I gave a talk recently on Mozart’s final three symphonies, nos 39-41. They’re formidable works and belong to any classical listener’s library, so I thought they’d be great for this week’s Cathy list. The first piece isn’t by Mozart, as you’ve probably spotted. It’s a zesty piece by the composer Gustav Holst for string orchestra. […]
The Cathy List 5
Half an hour of classical listening a week, how does that sound as a new year’s resolution? I hope these Cathy Lists will help. Do follow them on the Spotify page for regular updates. I wanted to launch the list with something hectic and busy, to capture that sense of back-to-work bustle. And what better […]