In essence

1669 Posts
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Year of the Ox Around the World
Perhaps when we consider the Chinese zodiac and why the Year of the Rat (2020) and the Year of the Ox (2021) are in that order perhaps we can also see a greater symbolism. According to ancient Chinese myths, the
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Welcome to the Year of the Metal Ox
Gong Hei Fat Choy 2021
A good many people around the world are probably overjoyed that the Year of the Rat is quickly coming to an end. 2020 was a difficult year all around, but luckily we can look forward to the Year of the
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Anton Arensky (1861-1906)
“He will be soon forgotten”
In his Memoirs, Rimsky-Korsakov was decidedly unkind to his student Anton Arensky. He accused him of having been an alcoholic and gamblers, and that his death by consumption was the final and just result. “By the nature of his talents
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Franz Schubert and His Circle of Friends V
Raphael Georg Kiesewetter (1773–1850) studied philosophy at Olmütz and law in Vienna before he was employed in the chancellery of the imperial army. Subsequently, he became a valued official at the war office in Vienna. Kiesewetter was an accomplished musician
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Best Classical Songs for Carnival
Carnival is the jolliest and most colourful time of the year; in a word, it’s non-stop party time. Christians around the world celebrate Easter, and the period of about six weeks that prepares the faithful for Easter Sunday is called
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Franz Schubert and His Circle of Friends IV
The baritone singer and composer Johann Michael Vogl (1768–1840) was a key figure in Schubert’s success as a Lied composer. Vogl was engaged at the Vienna Court Opera, and he met Schubert for the first time in 1817. Renowned for
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Fairies and Butterflies in the Salon: Debussy’s Two Arabesques
Private gatherings at home, known as salons, started in the 17th century in France, where literary gatherings or intellectual groups would get together to exchange ideas. Often headed by a brilliant man or woman who could bring like-minded people together,
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Franz Schubert and His Circle of Friends III
Franz Schubert and his close-knit circle of artist and friends frequently gathered at the large apartment of Ignaz von Sonnleithner to hold their Schubertiades. These meeting had distinct intellectual, erotic and often political undercurrents. In the aftermath of the French
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