Sidebars

“An der schönen blauen Donau” is arguably one of the most popular pieces of music in the classical repertoire; a waltz composed in 1866 by the Austrian composer Johan Straus II and first performed in 1867 in Vienna. Curiously, the initial performance was not the overwhelming succes you might have thought it to be. A disappointed Strauss is reputed to have lamented: “The devil take the waltz, my only regret is for the coda, I wish that had been a

Today, June 6th, is a day of remembrance. Eighty years ago to the day, the Normandy landings signified the start of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation. No piece of music is more associated with this day than Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Most people will remember it as the main theme used in the 1962 movie The Longest Day: This association goes back much further in time though. I was surprised to learn that in fact it all started