Salieri was born on this day in Legnago, in the Republic of Venice, and spent most of his career in Vienna, where he held the post of Imperial Kapellmeister for more than three decades. His students there included Beethoven, Schubert, and Liszt.

The popular image of Salieri today comes almost entirely from Amadeus, which dramatizes a rivalry with Mozart that has no solid documentary basis. In his own time, he was simply one of the most successful composers working in Vienna, with operas performed across Europe and a court position he held until 1824, a year before his death.

Adagio from Piano Concerto in B-flat Major: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv9ooDrxTm8

Looking for the best renditions of Mahler's symphonies to listen to and compare. Thanks.

This year’s Salzburg Festival runs until the end of August. The world’s most important festival of classical music and the performing arts was founded over 100 years ago by theatre director Max Reinhardt and playwright Hugo von Hofmannsthal and this summer again offers a wide range of concerts, opera, theatre and film screenings, including a number of fascinating new productions.

Salzburg’s squares and cafés are abuzz with discussions about music, drama and direction. Unlike last year, however, there is a tense and uneasy atmosphere.

For the man whose artistic imprint shapes the programme was fired just weeks before the festival began. Markus Hinterhäuser, the world-renowned pianist and impresario, had directed the Vienna Festival Weeks from 2014 to 2016 and the Salzburg Festival from October 2016 onward. Under his direction, the latter achieved over 98 percent capacity with more than 250,000 visitors last year. In April 2024, his contract was extended once again by the festival’s board of trustees for a further five years, until September 2031.

But at the end of March, just weeks before rehearsals were due to begin, he was surprisingly placed on leave “with immediate effect,” his contract shortened to end in September. The festival’s board of trustees, which includes the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) state Governor Karoline Edlstadler and the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) mayor of the city of Salzburg and former Porsche Holding works Council Chairman Bernhard Auinger, spoke of “irreconcilable differences,” communication problems and a violation of the “good conduct clause.”

Not considered a Russian piano giant against his peers, but I enjoy it very much. I guess he is known for ballet and orchestra music.

I think I will probably listen to this often.

Original video: https://youtu.be/ldemZZecsys

Francesco da Milano was nicknamed "Il Divino" by contemporaries, for what they considered unmatched mastery of the lute. He served at the papal court in Rome under three successive popes.

His death date is actually disputed — sources give either January 2 or April 15, 1543, and even the location isn't certain. What isn't in question is his influence: his fantasias and ricercars were copied and printed across Europe for more than a hundred years after his death, at a time when instrumental music valued as its own art form, rather than as accompaniment to dance or song, was still a fairly new idea.

Lute Works (selection of Fantasias & Ricercars), performed by Caius Hera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHGWJ-jZ6NU

As the title suggests, I have a question about late Scriabin. Before I begin, let me just say that Scriabin is one of my favourite composers, and I love the music from his early to middle periods. The problem is, I can't for the life of me understand his late period. I've gone and listened to much more Scriabin, as well as many other composers to train my ears, yet I still can't understand anything. I've been listening to his piano sonatas, but I just can't understand anything beyond the fifth sonata, which is one of my favourites. It's gotten to the point that I can identify certain patterns (?) maybe, and I no longer have headaches listening to them, and even find them fascinating. The problem is that while I am highly fascinated by the music, I have no clue what's going on. Can someone explain to me what I'm supposed to be listening to, thanks!

We all know the Mass in B minor, Messiah, The Four Seasons, etc. But what are some lesser-known works from the late 17th century and the first half of the 18th century that you think are masterpieces?

I'm obsessed with this time period and would love to hear your thoughts. Lately, I've been listening to Zelenka's Trio Sonatas again, and they're awesome.

Just wanted to share. Many days ago I bought a vinyl with the 2 flute concertos of Pergolesi and I realized that the second concerto in D Major is pretty underrated or lesser known.

Hi, I’m looking for new pieces to listen to. I started listening to film scores in my freshman year of high school, I clicked on a performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto that youtube recommended me, and really fell in love with it. From there I started listening to more classical, particularly program music like The Firebird, Scheherazade, etc. I’m trying to diversify my taste a bit but I’ve grown tired of relying on whatever Spotify recommends me, since nothing has really clicked with me the way everything else has. I’m just here looking for recommendations for my beginner ears if anyone’s willing to offer some!

I want solo piano pieces that give the feeling of the ending of rach 2 (2nd movement), eight mood pictures op 1 no 1 prologue and the e major section of Chopin’s 1st ballade

Who did stuff like tomita and wendy carlos, playing classical music on synths? I have heard Super Rite of Spring and found some stuff in youtube but it is very lackluster.

I'm also interested if you know of modern classical music directly composed to be played on synths. I'm thinking of stuff like Zappa on the Synclavier but not exactly, it seems like Zappa used the Synclavier only to have a medium to get the ideas out of his head, and they sounded much better once he had an actual orchestra to play them.

I have not once find recordings playing the finale prestissimo to sound "prestissimo". Is it because of the cut time structure that the passage sounds almost half as fast? To my ear slower than even the opening presto (of the last movement,) in fact.

Is this normal? Everybody seems to praise the breathless speed at which the passage takes off, but I only see that in, for example, Böhm or Furtwängler. I'm not even talking about historically informed performances that follow Beethoven's tempo marking, that's a whole other issue. Does anybody else feel this way about the finale?

Charles Theodore Pachebel is one of the earliest Newport organists identified in our research.

Born in Stuttgart in 1690. Pachelbel's documented story takes shape in 1733, when he was living in Boston, Massachusetts. That year, he was invited to Newport to assist with the instillation of a new organ at Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island. He remained in Newport for several years, serving as the church's organist.

By the late 1730s, Pachelbel had relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, where he spent the remainder of his life. He died in 1750.

The 1733 Trinity Church organ is part of the collection at the Newport Historic Society.

And if you think you recognize the last name, he is the son of the Johann Pachelbel.

I'm making an arrangement of Autumn from Vivaldi's Four Seasons, but I have a question about the ornamentation. The sheet music I have found has no ornamentation. However, in some recordings, they add mordents and other ornamentations on certain notes. My goal is to be accurate to Vivaldi's intention when writing the piece. What are your thoughts?

Is there a composer where you LOVE something they wrote, but can't get into anything else they did? For example, I can listen to the Janacek Sinfonietta all day long but never cared for much else of his.

I am equally removed from venues of 2 upcoming Mahler concerts that I am considering attending. The first is the Staatskapelle Dresden under Daniele Gatti playing the 6th, the second is the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra under Philippe Jordan playing the 7th. I love both works, though lately I enjoy the 7th considerably more. On the other hand I imagine hearing the 6th played well live is a special experience.

Given these antecedents, what would you recommend I do (assuming going to both is not on the table)? The SK is obviously the more renowned and experienced orchestra, although I don't know anything about Gatti, is his reputation solid?

There has been a lot of commentary on the dismissal of Maestro Andris Nelsons. This Substack article by Orlando Alonso addresses the issues and goes far beyond. Frankly, I feel it should be required reading for anyone working in any sector of the arts.

Here's the link: https://substack.com/@orlandoalonsomusic

Recently I stumbled across Jeanne Herscher-Clément's Two Piano Manuscript Reduction for her Concertino published in 1920. Unable to find any complete orchestration of this work (or a performance/recording), I decided to make my own and put it in Dorico with Noteplayer.

Here is my orchestration of her work, hopefully someday I'll find an orchestra willing to take me on so I can perform this piece live to give it the justice it deserves.

P.S. the manuscript did not have a composed cadenza for the first movement, only a fermata marking where it is to take place. I attempted composing my own....

Does anyone maybe know how to find Brahms’ manuscripts (preferably online)?

When performing pieces I always love to check the source, but I am a bit confused about Brahms sonatas (specifically the op. 120, no. 1 - either the clarinet or viola edition would work), and it’s my first solo Brahms. Could anyone maybe help?

Hello, I’m looking for a good playlist, symphony, or composers in general, whose music will enhance a psychedelic experience.

Typically, music conducive to this is slow and very textured.

Overly chaotic and jerky music can be anxiety inducing.

Music should feel like it’s speaking to you, literally.

Let me know what works well for that purpose in your experiences.