For all of Europe, and eventually the world, the events of the first World War were devastating as they unfolded. Over just four years the population saw unprecedented death and destruction. English composer Hubert Parry did not reach the armistice, as he died just a month before. But during those difficult years he composed his […]
Star-Crossed And Set To Music: Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo And Juliet’
Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet has been set to music dozens of times, with many operas and ballets, plus films and modernizations. Here is a look at some composers’ interpretations of the tale.
Watch Actors From The Nashville Shakespeare Festival Perform Music-Inspiring Texts
As National Poetry Month continues, 91Classical has teamed up with actors from Nashville Shakespeare Festival to celebrate the birth of William Shakespeare, which happened this week in 1564.
Shakespeare, Remixed: Six Different Musical Takes On One Text
Shakespeare’s poetry has inspired musicians of all varieties for centuries, but the moments the playwright himself called for music within a production have been particularly appealing to composers.
Where Everything Is Music: Classical Settings Of The Poetry Of Rumi
The 13th century Sufi mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī described the nature of his spiritual journey with long, expressive poems. This great scholar of the Qu’ran has become one of the most popular poets in the world in recent years, and the intense descriptions of feelings in these works have led to the creation of […]
The Leader Of Lieder: The Romantic Musical Settings Of Heinrich Heine
Beginning with the height of the minnesinger tradition in the 12th-14th centuries, Germany has had a long history of poetry set to music. By the nineteenth century, German literature had flourished, and pianos had become more readily available for household use. This led to a surge in the writing of song, bringing new life to […]
‘It Has A Song—’ A Playlist Inspired By Emily Dickinson
Perhaps the original queen of social distance techniques, Emily Dickinson was a prolific poet, especially during her own period of self-quarantine.
‘Musicians Wrestle Everywhere’: Music In The Poetry Of Emily Dickinson
Many poets have their work described as “musical.” But the work of Emily Dickinson took these associations to a whole new level. The lyrical nature of her poems has led to them being a popular subject for composers, but it all started with the hymns of her upbringing.
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