Saturday, September 5, 2026
Looking Back With Yuja
An Every Two-Week Look-Back at Yuja's Early and Earlier Endeavors.
On 17 and 18 December 2014, Yuja performed Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major with the NHK Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Dutoit in Tokyo, Japan at the Suntory Hall. In "Looking Back With Yuja No. 196", first posted on 12 April 2023, we featured the 17 December performance of the concerto, and that post is repeated below.
Just A Musical Thought.
Simply the best pianist in the world today! …(IMHO)
Twenty-Two minutes for Ravel's piano concerto in G major.
Number One Hundred-Ninety-Six in a Yuja Wang Series.
This amazing piano concerto by Ravel is among those listed by Classicfm.com as the "Twenty Best Piano Concertos Of All Time." Ravel was traveling on a piano tour in the US in 1928 and was taken by the abundance of jazz he encountered during his visit. The jazz influence is abundant throughout his concerto. He remarked that "The most captivating part of jazz is its rich and diverting rhythm. ... Jazz is a very rich and vital source of inspiration for modern composers and I am astonished that so few Americans are influenced by it." Later, Ravel claimed the idea for the melody of the opening theme for his concerto came to him during a train ride from Oxford to London. He completed the work between 1929 and 1931, and it was premiered on 14 January 1932, in a well-received performance by the French pianist Marguerite Marie-Charlotte Long with the Orchestre Lamoureux, and Ravel conducting. We earlier covered another performance of the concerto by Yuja in June 2016 in Rome with No. 126 in this series, and this performance was a year and a half earlier in Tokyo.
Thanks to Peter Chen and the Yuja Wang Archives for preserving this and other videos of her performances and interviews. All pics are from screenshots from the video of the 2014 concert in Tokyo.
Ravel ~ Piano Concerto in G major, Yuja with the NHK Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Dutoit, Tokyo, Japan, Suntory Hall, 17 December 2014
May be an image of clarinet, violin and piano. May be an image of violin and clarinet. May be an image of clarinet and piano. May be an image of piano. May be an image of piano
Friday, September 4, 2026
An Italian: Tragedy Giuseppe Verdi and Margherita Barezzi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi was a painfully private individual. Details about his romantic encounters are sketchy, and for the most part rely on his own and somewhat inconsistent recollections later in life. We do know, however, that Verdi went to live in the house of the grocer and wine merchant Antonio Barezzi in 1831. Barezzi was the president of the Philharmonic Society in Busseto, and many of its performances and rehearsals were held in a large room in his house. He was also the proud father of three daughters. The eldest, Margherita was only five months younger than Verdi and said to be pretty, gentle and fond of music. Encouraged by her father, Margherita took voice and piano lessons from the young maestro Verdi, and soon the romantic sparks started to fly. For over a year, the young lovers managed to keep their relationship a secret, but all that four-hand piano practice eventually aroused the suspicions of Margherita’s parents. Margherita was, after all, approaching marriageable age and the presence of a penniless musician might easily have compromised her reputation. Although Mummy and Daddy did not fundamentally object to the relationship, a solution had to be found nevertheless.
And so it came to pass that Daddy Barezzi financed Verdi’s first year of study in the far-away city of Milan. Promising to pay back the parental scholarship and to marry his “Ghita” once he had secured a job, Verdi sets off in July 1832. Besides providing an exciting musical and artistic environment, the big city also held attractions of a different nature. Verdi lodged with Professor Giuseppe Seletti and his absolutely stunning daughter Dorina. Seletti would complain bitterly to Barezzi about Verdi’s behavior. “You must understand that being a good musician does not make him an honest man. I found him rude, proud, and acting like a scoundrel in my house. I cannot tell you how much damage he has done to my family, because it is too indecent to write about.”
Margherita Barezzi
Once Verdi returned to Busetto in 1833, he took Dorina with him. It is hard to tell how Margherita reacted — Daddy Barezzi would have been suitably embarrassed — but the local clergy was outraged. When Verdi applied for the job as the town’s “maestro di musica,” a rival candidate was quickly nominated, leading to an extended and heated town quarrel, which included street brawls, arrests and prosecutions. The matter was finally settled in 1835 — by then Dorina had gracefully exited stage right — and Verdi received the official town contract on 20 April 1836. Having finally secured a proper job, Verdi wasted no time and married Margherita on 4 May 1836 in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Busseto. After a lavish lunch, the couple departed for a short honeymoon to Milan, and subsequently returned to settle in the Palazzo Tedaldi. Margherita was not merely a highly attractive woman she also was a decisive advocate of her husband’s career. By September 1836 Margherita was expecting, and Virginia Maria Luigia — the middle names chosen in reference to her two grandmothers — was born on 26 March 1837. Although happy in his family life, Verdi was determined to make his name in Milan. Margherita wrote, “Never, absolutely never, would he [Verdi] settle in Busetto. Having dedicated himself to theatre music, he would succeed in that and not in music for the church.”
In 1838, Verdi publishes his first book of Sei Romanze (Six Romances), and his son Icilio Romano Carlo Antonio is born on 11 July. In August of that year, tragedy struck and little Virginia died of an unnamed childhood disease. Now more than ever, Verdi was determined to leave Busetto and he left for Milan with the manuscript score of Oberto in his back bag. Margherita and his young son soon followed. During rehearsals for Oberto, Icilio Romano unexpectedly fell ill and despite immediate medical intervention suddenly died on 22 October 1839. Verdi was devastated and soon lay ill himself for several weeks. Once he had recovered in May 1840, it was Margherita’s turn. According to medical opinion, she had contracted encephalitis and instead of getting better she was getting worse. Verdi sent for his father-in-law who barely managed to arrive hours before his daughter died aged 27. “From a dreadful disease, in the arms of her father, my beloved daughter, Margheretha, in the very flower of her youth. She was a faithful companion of the excellent young man, Giuseppe Verdi. I weep over this tragic loss.” And Giuseppe later recalled, “A third coffin goes out of my house. I was alone! Alone!”
Seven of the Most Expensive Pianos Ever Made
by Emily E. Hogstad September 4th, 2026
The most expensive pianos in the world include instruments commissioned for billionaires, built for charity, and used to compose some of the most beloved songs ever written. One hid secret documents in a classic film; another toured sites of American tragedy as a symbol of peace.
Today we’re looking at the stories behind seven of the most expensive pianos ever made, going from least expensive to most expensive.
$1.6 million – Steinway & Sons Sound of Harmony Piano
Steinway Sound of Harmony
In 2008, Steinway announced that it had built its most expensive piano to date.
It was commissioned for Chinese art curator Guo Qingxiang. Guo’s job is to buy, sell, and collect high-end artwork for the Dalian Wanda Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Beijing.
Guo began his career focused solely on Chinese art, but has since expanded into buying Western art.
One of the pieces Guo commissioned was a custom Steinway, featuring inlays consisting of forty different types of wood.
The lid features reproductions of art by Chinese painter Shi Qi.
$1.9 million – The Steinway & Sons (RED) Piano
Steinway & Sons Red Pops for Red Parlor Grand © Houston Piano
Most of the pianos on this list were custom-made for the luxury market, but this particular instrument was built for charity.
In 2006, musician Bono from the band U2 and Bobby Shriver of the Kennedy family teamed up to found an organisation called (RED).
The organisation encouraged companies to launch red products to symbolise both love and AIDS awareness.
In 2013, Sotheby’s hosted a charity auction spearheaded by designers Sir Jonathan Ive and Marc Newson, with proceeds benefiting AIDS research.
(RED): The Very Best of Design and Innovation
At the 2013 edition of the auction, Bono and Coldplay’s Chris Martin performed on a Steinway at the auction before it sold for nearly $2 million.
The proceeds went to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Africa.
$2.2 million – John Lennon’s Piano – Steinway Model Z
Imagine
John Lennon was one of the greatest songwriters of all time, so it’s no surprise that one of his pianos is on the list!
In December 1970, shortly after the Beatles’ breakup, he bought an upright Steinway Model Z piano.
He went on to compose his early solo work, including the song “Imagine”, on this instrument.
John Lennon The making of Imagine 1971
After Lennon’s murder in 1980, the piano found its way to a private collector. When that collector decided to sell it in 2000, the instrument went to auction.
Pop star George Michael submitted the winning bid of £1.45 million, which, in 2000 dollars, was roughly $2.2 million.
Beginning in 2006, the instrument was displayed at various sites of American violence, such as the assassination of President Kennedy, the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building, and the mass shooting at Virginia Tech.
This evolved into the Imagine Piano Peace Project in 2007, and videos were filmed of performers playing “Imagine” on the piano at these sites. Those videos would then be used for fundraising.
The piano has since been on display at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, and at the Beatles pilgrimage site, Strawberry Field, outside of Liverpool.
$2.4 million – Steinway & Sons Fibonacci Piano
Fibonacci spiral
In 2013, when Steinway wanted to celebrate the construction of its 600,000th piano, the company turned to artisan furniture maker Frank Pollaro.
He responded with an instrument inspired by the Fibonacci sequence. A Fibonacci sequence is a sequence in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones.
Patterns and proportions dictated by Fibonacci sequences often occur in nature, such as in the spiral of an unfolding fern. Here, they appear as carvings on the piano.
The Fibonacci Piano was created out of six logs of Macassar ebony and took over six thousand hours to craft.
Pollaro said of the project, “Combining the universal languages of music and mathematics suddenly made perfect sense.”
$2.5 million – Steinway & Sons Pictures at an Exhibition
Pictures at an Exhibition
© steinway.com
Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” is a famous piano suite written in 1874. It was inspired by an exhibit of Viktor Hartmann’s works, the artist friend of Mussorgsky.
To make their “Pictures at an Exhibition” piano, Steinway & Sons took direct inspiration from the suite – and the art that had inspired it.
The Making of “Pictures at an Exhibition” Steinway Piano by Paul Wyse
Renowned artist Paul Wyse painted reproductions of Hartmann’s surviving works onto the white case of a Steinway. He also added portrayals of viewers strolling past and taking in the art.
The striking interior of the lid features a massive landscape of the Bogatyr Gates in Kyiv, the subject of the famous final movement of “Pictures at an Exhibition,” known as “The Great Gate of Kyiv.”
As of 2026, this piano has been listed for sale at $2.5 million.
$3 million – C. Bechstein Louis XV
Bechstein
In 2013, to celebrate its 160th anniversary, the C. Bechstein piano company designed a sumptuous piano model named the Louis XV.
It was a recreation of an instrument made for the court of Queen Victoria, which has since been lost.
This modern piano boasts a gilded case decorated with carvings and paintings inspired by the Rococo style of artist Antoine Watteau.
A team of highly skilled artisans banded together to create this extraordinary reproduction, and it took a full three years to design and craft.
C. Bechstein “Louis XV” grand piano: Dudana Mazmanishvili performs Barcarole by Chopin
However, the Bechstein Louis XV has not been without controversy. The piano’s keys, like the original inspiration, are made of ivory – a material banned for sale in many countries, due to its connections with poaching.
At the time of its construction, it was sent to China. Today it is in the Potsdam Palace in Germany.
$3.4 million – The piano from Casablanca
Casablanca
The classic 1942 film Casablanca takes place in a nightclub owned by Rick Blaine (played by Humphrey Bogart).
Rick’s Café Américain is teeming with refugees – as well as the government officials who are seeking to arrest or kill them.
Blaine has chosen the piano’s interior as a hiding place for important papers, called letters of transit, that will allow their carriers to move easily through war-torn Europe.
Blaine’s ex, Ilsa Lund (played by Ingrid Bergman), visits the cafe. She is wistful and still in love with him. She encourages the house pianist Sam to “Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.'” He agrees, reluctantly.
In November 2014, the piano used in this pivotal scene was sold by Bonhams in New York for $3.4 million as part of a sale of movie memorabilia.
The owner’s identity is unknown, but the price they paid is the highest ever for a piano at auction.
Conclusion
The most expensive pianos in the world are worth far more than their materials or craftsmanship alone. Each one has an unforgettable story.
Whether you’re a pianist, a music lover, or simply someone who appreciates an extraordinary object, these are pianos that reward a second look – or listen.
10 Must-Hear Classical Works by Gay Composers
by Emily E. Hogstad August 29th, 2026
We’ve written before about which composers were gay and how we know.
This list takes a different approach: ten must-hear works by gay composers, chosen for their greatness, emotional power, and, in many cases, their direct connection to the composers’ identities.
From Tchaikovsky‘s devastating final symphony to John Corigliano’s AIDS memorial, these are not just great works by gay composers; they’re great works, period.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 6
Tchaikovsky conducted the premiere of his Symphony No. 6 just nine days before he died in 1893.
He dedicated the work to his nephew Vladimir Davydov, whom surviving letters reveal Tchaikovsky had romantic feelings for.
The final movement – a slow, despairing Adagio lamentoso that ultimately fades into silence – breaks every convention of symphonic form.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The music, combined with how quickly he died, has led to speculation over the years. Some believe his death wasn’t due to cholera, but rather was a suicide triggered by shame over his homosexuality. Although there are still holdouts, most scholars today believe the cholera theory.
Regardless of his cause of death, the fact that he died nine days after its premiere makes its emotional nakedness impossible to shake.
Camille Saint-Saëns – Symphony No. 3
In 1875, Camille Saint-Saëns married a former pupil half his age. The couple had two sons, both of whom died in infancy in 1878.
After these devastating losses, he abandoned her. He began decamping to North Africa for extended periods, never explaining. Algeria was famous at the time for being a haven for men with same-sex attractions, and he would return there repeatedly.
Charles Reutlinger: Saint-Saëns, ca 1880 (Paris: Bibliothèque nationale)
His Symphony No. 3 was written a few years later, between 1885 and 1886. It stands as his most impressive achievement, with the organ taking a starring role that makes the work both unique and grandiose.
Reynaldo Hahn – Chansons grises
Reynaldo Hahn is best remembered today as the lover of Marcel Proust, whom he began dating in 1894.
But even after their romantic relationship fizzled out, their ensuing friendship endured as one of the most artistically vital of the Belle Époque.
Reynaldo Hahn (1906)
Born in Venezuela and raised in Paris, Hahn moved in the most glittering artistic circles of the era, equally at home in both salon and concert hall.
His Chansons grises, settings of poems by Paul Verlaine (himself a queer artist), are among the most exquisite French mélodies ever written – intimate, melancholy, and intricately crafted. They may be small in scale, but they’re emotionally enormous.
Karol Szymanowski – Symphony No. 3
Karol Szymanowski‘s homosexuality is well-documented in his diaries and correspondence, and his mature works are infused with a sensuality that feels drawn from life.
His Symphony No. 3, completed in 1916 and subtitled Song of the Night, sets a poem by the Persian mystic Rumi for tenor, chorus, and orchestra.
Karol Szymanowski
Polish conductor Piotr Deptuch describes it as “an ecstatic night-time love song in which eroticism and transcendence meld into an indissoluble whole.”
Francis Poulenc – Dialogues des Carmélites
Francis Poulenc was one of the first major composers to be openly gay. He was also Catholic, and lived with the tension between those two identities.
That tension is arguably a major animating force behind Dialogues des Carmélites, his 1957 opera about a group of Carmelite nuns who choose martyrdom rather than renounce their faith during the French Revolution.
The final scene, in which the nuns are led one by one to the guillotine while singing, is one of the most devastating conclusions in operatic history.
Francis Poulenc
It is a work about faith, fear, and the courage it takes to hold fast to your identity – written by a man who knew something about all three.
Samuel Barber – Adagio for Strings
Samuel Barber lived for forty years with fellow composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who wrote the libretti for two of his three operas. It was one of classical music’s great creative partnerships – and one of its great love stories.
Barber wrote his Adagio for Strings in 1936, when he was just twenty-six, and he and Menotti were staying together in Austria.
Conductor Arturo Toscanini asked to see the score of the work, then returned it without comment – which Barber perceived as a snub.
But Menotti followed up with Toscanini to clarify what the gesture had meant. As it happened, Toscanini had already memorised the score and scheduled a performance – he was returning the score as a favour.
It would become Barber’s breakthrough piece, securing a place in American culture; it is often performed at high-profile events commemorating national tragedies.
Aaron Copland – Appalachian Spring
Aaron Copland is often regarded as the great American composer: the man who defined what American classical music sounds like.
His music has often been used in conservative political campaigns, but the irony is that Copland was a gay Jewish man from Brooklyn who was involved with far-left groups during the 1930s and 1940s.
Aaron Copland, 1962
His ballet Appalachian Spring, written in 1944 for Martha Graham, is his most beloved work, and his most quintessentially American.
It depicts a young couple settling on the Pennsylvania frontier, and its central theme – a set of variations on the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts” – has become one of the most recognisable melodies in American music.
Benjamin Britten – Peter Grimes
Benjamin Britten and tenor Peter Pears were personal and professional partners for nearly forty years, and their relationship was one of the most creatively fertile in music history.
Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears
Pears endlessly inspired Britten. He wrote role after role for his distinctive tenor voice, and the two performed together constantly: an artistic partnership so all-encompassing that it becomes impossible to separate Britten’s music from their love story.
Peter Grimes, which premiered in 1945, was the work that announced Britten as a major operatic voice. It tells the story of a fisherman (played by Pears in the premiere) whose inability to conform to his community’s expectations leads to his destruction.
The parallels to Britten’s own experience as a gay man in mid-century England are not subtle – or accidental.
Leonard Bernstein – Symphony No. 2, The Age of Anxiety
Leonard Bernstein married actress Felicia Montealegre in 1951. Both went into the marriage with their eyes open about the fact that he preferred men.
Bernstein became one of the most charismatic and commanding figures in American musical life, working tirelessly as a conductor, composer, educator, and celebrity. He spent decades navigating the gap between his public image and his private self, fully understanding that no conservative orchestra boards would ever tolerate hiring an openly gay music director.
Leonard Bernstein
His Symphony No. 2, subtitled The Age of Anxiety, is based on W.H. Auden’s poem of the same name. The poem, itself written by a gay man, grapples with questions about modern alienation, isolation, and the search for connection – the same kinds of issues Bernstein himself had dealt with in his personal life.
The symphony is brilliant and ultimately restless, which feels appropriate; Bernstein never totally resolved the questions about identity that Auden raised.
John Corigliano – Symphony No. 1
John Corigliano composed his Symphony No. 1 in 1988 as a response to the AIDS crisis, dedicating it to friends he had lost – and was losing – to the epidemic.
By that point the death toll in the American gay community was catastrophic, and the silence from the government and mainstream culture was deafening.
John Corigliano
Its first movement is subtitled “Apologue: Of Rage and Remembrance.”
Corigliano’s Symphony No. 1 is one of the few major orchestral works to emerge directly from the AIDS crisis, and one of the most powerful. Its emotional immediacy makes it a must-hear work.
Conclusion
Gay composers have been present at every stage of classical music history, from the courts of Louis XIV to the concert halls of the 20th century.
Their sexuality shaped their music in ways both direct and oblique – sometimes as a source of anguish, sometimes as a quiet fact of life, and sometimes (as with Corigliano) as an explicit subject.
All of these works can stand on their own; no one needs to know their composers were gay to appreciate them.
But knowing more about their stories can help deepen our connection to composers and music alike.
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