The songs, all in Spanish or Portuguese, are by composers from seven countries, and switch seamlessly between art song, folk music arrangements and numbers covered by pop singers.
The story begins in the early 19th century when concert pianists were cultural superstars. Liszt, for instance, packed out European concert halls in the same way that a modern day icon such as Taylor Swift sells out stadiums in minutes.
When four top film studio musicians formed the Hollywood String Quartet in the late 1930s, its name was presumed an oxymoron. Exalted string quartet devotees belittled film soundtracks, while studio heads had a reputation for shunning classical music longhairs.
The story of Van Cliburn is well known: the lanky Texan shocked the world by winning the inaugural Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow during the height of the Cold War, in effect beating the Russians at their own game by playing gold-medal-worthy Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky concerti.
These twenty-seven previously unheard works by Erik Satie, from playful cabaret songs to minimalist nocturnes, have been painstakingly pieced together from hundreds of small notebooks.
Rachel Podger's latest recording features Biber's challenging sonatas, showcasing her expressive freedom and technical brilliance, making it a worthy follow-up to her previous works.
It was refreshing to watch this film after now having sat through 30 years' worth of biopics of various musical figures. This movie removes pretty much all the baloney that most biopics think they need to include.
Sviatoslav Richter, despite disliking studio work, became the most recorded pianist of the 20th century, renowned for his dynamic interpretations across decades.
Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmins possesses a voice that conveys profound emotional depth, shifting from fragile and human to bold and otherworldly, captivating audiences since the late '80s.
No singer of the second half of the last century has cast a longer shadow on subsequent generations than Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, influencing even those who never studied with him.
We had no idea that it would have the success or the impact that it had internationally. In my defence I only can say I had the best of intentions. Then again, so did Dr Frankenstein.
Full disclosure, I'm a founding board member of Classical Up Close, which is Oregon Symphony musicians independent of the symphony (fiercely so) putting on free concerts around the community every Spring.
Andrew Lewinter brings a unique approach to contemporary music by incorporating elements from classical composers like Brahms and Bach, contrasting today's avant-garde norms.
Broadway shows, world-class art and concerts descend on L.A. this spring, highlighting diverse events from visual arts to classical music, encouraging attendees to explore the vibrant cultural scene.
While classical music is appropriate any time of year, its beauty always feels amplified in the spring, making it the perfect time for orchestral performances.