It's all about the classical music composers and their works from the last 400 years and much more about music. Hier erfahren Sie alles über die klassischen Komponisten und ihre Meisterwerke der letzten vierhundert Jahre und vieles mehr über Klassische Musik.
The Austrian Carl Zeller was born on June 19, 1842 in St. Peter in der Au. He became a Viennese vocalist boy and later a jurist. Since 1873, Zeller was art consultant of the Austrian Department of Education. Music remained just as a hobby during that time.
Then suddenly, Carl Zeller started composing mall chorals, a comique opera and begun with operettas sometime in 1890. 1891, Zeller succeeded his "Der Vogelhaendler" ("The Birdseller"), followed by "Der Obersteiger" ("The Upper Foreman", in 1894). Those operettas became musical universal history because of enticing traditionalism.
In some compositions Zeller showed a terrible sentimental Austrian mawkishness. He passed away in Baden nearby Vienna on August 17, 1898.
Earlier this month, The Strad magazine got the leader of the London Symphony Orchestra to play six different violins in a blind test - one of them being a legendary Stradivarius model from 1709.
Listen to the test below and see if you can work out which violin is the Stradivarius - you might be surprised…
The other violins that you can hear are an 1850 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, a 1923 Giuseppe Fiorini, a modern Del Gesù copy, a Mirecourt French trade violin from around 1900 and an 1835 A.S.P. Bernardel.
The magic of the Stradivarius: the most beautiful violins in the world
Take a look at some of the best and most beautiful violins in the world, made by Antonio Stradivari and his family, with photos from the Ashmolean museum's latest exhibition
At Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall, we spent the day with Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, a pianist who can effortlessly despatch the trickiest of concertos. His amazingness has inspired us to think about, and crack the art of, the Rach.
Powering your way through Rachmaninov's third piano concerto, or belting out his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, is no mean feat. Of course, we know you're awesome and will be fully prepared when the orchestra starts tuning up, but here are a few tips just in case. (We had the amazing Jean-Efflam Bavouzet to help with some of these tips.)
1. Choose your piece
Choose from four piano concertos, and a set of Paganini variations. Nail your piece, and you'll be playing it all your life, so choose carefully. (And no, you can't have them all. You're not Earl Wilde.)
Literally. The best pianistic publicity photos always involve the pianist under the bonnet of one of their beloved machines. Here's our star, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, to model the look.
Is it a fortissimo coda, or is it a shampoo commercial? That's the kind of question you really need to think about. (The answer is both, by the way.)
4. Hands I
Rachmaninov's piano writing is famously full of big intervals – 10ths are not uncommon. The odd 11th too. (Eek.)
5. Hands II
Because it's important. The handily well-endowed Jean-Efflam Bavouzet explains more.
6. Hands III
Those Rachmaninov chords can be tough to reach. Here's an expert explanation (and solution).
7. Hands IV
Clearly we've been heavily implying that size matters. But you may be comforted to know there are many great Rachmaninov pianists who had more modest spans. (Click for a closer look.)
Even before the rehearsals begin, you've got to be laying down your lines. Do it and you're well on your way to amazing. Here's the proof:
9. Choose an amazing orchestra
If you're going to smash out a concerto, make sure you have some of the best strings, woodwind and brass behind you to egg you on. In the '80s, Ashkenazy had the LSO; in the noughties, Hough had the Dallas Symphony. Tonight at Classic FM Live, Jean-Efflam has the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra – and they're more than up for it.
Cannon-fire in slow motion is just about the biggest sound we can possibly imagine. If you thought Tchaikovsky's 1812 wasn't epic enough, then you're in for a gargantuan treat.
In its normal guise, this is a dainty, almost silly-sounding melody. Slowed down, it's the soundtrack to a chill-out room at a student party circa 1998.
Who would've thought Elgar would sound like the opening to a Godspeed You Black Emperor album? Not us. It was moody before, but this is properly dark, gripping stuff.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away just became a whole lot longer. If you can imagine the majesty of Williams' most famous theme without being slowed down, you need to hear this.
To celebrate World Poetry Day on Saturday 21 March, our presenters' choices range from John Keats to Wilfred Owen's World War 1 poetry. Alan Titchmarsh has even written one of his own...
From More Music Breakfast at 6am through to Classic FM Drive at 5pm, we play a mix of feel-good classics and upbeat favourites providing the perfect soundtrack to your day.
Others ok but nothing great