Klaus Döring's Classical Music/Klaus Döring's Klassische Musik

    by  Hermione Lai    February 10th, 2026 I will say this upfront, as a pianist who knows exactly how hard this instrument can bite.   Yuja Wang   is a miracle! She is both an inspiration and a delightful menace. She raises the bar so high, it feels almost unfair. Some pianists impress you. Some intimidate you. Some make you want to practice. Yuja Wang does something far more dangerous. She makes you believe, just for a second, that the piano might be capable of flight. Then she laughs, changes shoes, and proves it again. Yuja Wang To hear Yuja play is to witness total command without a trace of heaviness. Her fingers are so impossibly fast that your eyes can’t follow. And it’s all fearlessly clear and comes with ease as notes sparkle, dart, tease, explode, and vanish. Classical music has long suffered from performers who behave as if joy were somehow unprofessional. Yuja Wang is the antidote. She smiles at the keyboard. She dares. She risks. She thr...

 by Hermione Lai  April 27th, 2026 In all my years of playing the piano, there is only one composer whose music I consider terrifying. And that composer is   Alexander Scriabin . In his early sonatas, there are still gestures to hold on to, but as you move further along, all familiarity disappears. Alexander Scriabin Chords become alien, textures are all over the place, and the music doesn’t breathe in regular phrases. It’s almost like getting seriously lost. How can you communicate something that can’t be grasped? No Place to Hide The harmonic language expresses colours and metaphysical visions, not really something you can handle in the practice room. And I can’t even imagine having to memorise the music. I’ve heard it said that pianists need a kind of vulnerability to perform his music, as it is impossible to hide behind structure or tradition. I think it’s time I confront my demon. So, to commemorate Scriabin’s death on 27 April 1915, let’s have a quick guide to his ...

 by Hermione Lai   March 1st, 2026 Frédéric Chopin ! The name alone conjures a sense of profound intimacy. His works for piano take us into a world of almost otherworldly beauty, with melodies that become as engaging as the human voice. The music can be fragile, dance-like or fleeting, and infused with a sense of great nostalgia or melancholy. And then there is this emotional fragility, like emotions changing in mid-sentence. Chopin’s music feels so vulnerable, seemingly confiding in the listener. It’s emotion in its purest form. Rudolf Schuster:  Fryderyk Chopin in the salon of prince Antoni Radziwiłł Yet we all know that his music is famously challenging to play. In the hands of experts, it sounds effortless, floating through the air with a passion that’s always under control. But if you have been studying the piano, you know that the technical challenges of playing Chopin are substantial. For Chopin’s birthday on 1 March 1810, let’s do something special by presenting 1...

  by  Hermione Lai    February 17th, 2026 I am sure you know this famous line from William Shakespeare’s historical play   Richard III . During the Battle of Bosworth Field, the king desperately cries out, “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse.” It’s all about medieval warfare, and unable to flee the Tudor cavalry, he would be captured or killed very soon. No wonder he was desperate enough to hypothetically trade his crown and kingdom for a horse. There is no such desperation in 2026, when the Horse becomes the zodiac for the Chinese New Year, running from 17 February 2026 to 5 February 2027. Recent years of the Horse have included 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, and 1954. And the next Horse year will be celebrated in 2038. So, let’s have a look at the 7 th  animal in the cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs.   Galloping into Greatness According to Chinese astrology, Horses are confident, agreeable, and responsible, although they also tend to disli...

  by  Hermione Lai    January 19th, 2026 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart   is often introduced as a miracle. He was a divine child, and a celestial genius, like a marble statue with a powdered wig. But the moment you actually listen to his music, the statue starts to grin. Mozart’s music doesn’t stand politely in the corner, but it nudges you in the ribs, rolls its eyes, and occasionally trips over its own feet on purpose. What makes Mozart remarkable is not just that he was brilliant, but that he is very funny. And not accidentally funny, or funny because you know a lot of music, but genuinely and immediately funny in the way human beings recognise across centuries. As we celebrate Mozart’s 270 th  birthday on 27 January 2026, it becomes clear that his humour still works because it is rooted in human behaviour. Things like vanity, impatience, swagger, awkwardness, and the joy of seeing someone slightly overdo things.    The Oldest Joke in the Book Many M...