With the possible exception of William Shakespeare, no other poet had such a profound influence on song as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). For Germany’s greatest poet, music was an essential part of life, and it brought solace and redemption.

Irony is frequently considered an intellectual literary device that should by its nature be unsuitable for music. Yet, as music and literature unite in the art song, irony becomes a matter of importance in music as well. And that’s especially

The Reina Sofia School of Music is located in the heart of Madrid, next to the Royal Palace and the Royal Opera House. Now almost 20 years old, it has established itself as a centre of excellence for aspiring professional

Although Franz Liszt and Heinrich Heine had a massive falling-out, the composer and pianist could still recognize the musical invitation to music in Heine’s unique poetic voice. In fact, Liszt would create two versions of “Ein Fichtenbaum steht einsam” (A

Music is seen largely as a private matter – the hours spent alone practicing, the emphasis on the personal interpretation, the solo spotlight. However, at the same time, music is a social activity: the number of composers and performers who

Heinrich Heine’s poem “Leise zieht durch mein Gemüht” (Softly flow through my soul) inspired 250 composers to fashion musical settings. This poem contains none of Heine’s famous irony or his love of paradoxes. Instead it is the purest lyrical rejoicing

Heinrich Heine’s famous “Lyrisches Intermezzo” contains sixty-six songs and a prologue. In that prologue we meet a dreamy poet called a knight: Once upon a time there was a melancholy knight,With haggard, snow-white cheeks;He staggered and stumbled and lumbered around,Obsessed

The legendary entertainer and illusionist Harry Houdini exasperated his audiences with sensational escapes and vanishing acts. One of his most notable vanishing acts featured the disappearance of a fully-grown elephant from the stage. Of course, people have always found imaginative