History sometimes helps us rethink myths and better understand the true motives behind the creation of great music. A case in point is Beethoven's 12 Variations on “Se vuol ballare” from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, which was dedicated to Beethoven's one-time student Eleonore von Breuning, whom he once hoped to marry.

Franz Schubert (1797-1828), composer of the "Wanderer" Fantasy, may have been the most prolific musical prodigy the world has known. He died when he was only 31. It is a testament to the breakneck speed of his work that in such a short life, Schubert managed to compose over 1500 works, many of them masterpieces. The "Wanderer" Fantasy is among those.

Cellist Brannon Cho’s new video of Benjamin Britten’s Suite No. 1 for Solo Cello, filmed by Mike Grittani, is a modern reading of Benjamin Britten, underrated genius. In the pantheon of 20th century composers Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) hasn’t always received his due.

Programmed in the 2019 NEXUS Chamber Music series is a not-to-miss performance of Five Folksongs in Counterpoint for String Quartet by American composer Florence Price (1887-1953), whose work greatly deserves wider attention. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Florence Price rose to the highest echelon of American composers during the first half of the 20th century, a tremendous feat for an African-American woman of her time.

The Marlboro Music School and Festival represents the pinnacle of the study of great chamber music masterpieces. Having grown up in a chamber music household, I had known about Marlboro from an early age, but had never actually visited until last weekend.