What does “home” mean? In English, the word usually refers to a private space—the place where someone lives. The German word Heimat works differently. It can describe a region, a country, or a shared cultural environment. This difference is not accidental. Linguists often point out that languages develop words for…
Read More
The piano concerto is one of the central genres of the 19th century. Around 1800, it still followed a clear model: the orchestra introduces the material, the soloist responds, and virtuosity plays a central role. Over the course of the century, this balance begins to change. Starting with Beethoven, the…
Read More
The relationship between gods and men is one of the oldest themes in human thought. Myths describe gods who rule the world, religion speaks of a single divine presence, and philosophy questions how humans relate to both. Music has found different ways to approach this idea. It can present the…
Read More
Awakening and decline are basic experiences of human life. Myths and religions speak about the beginning of the world, nature wakes up every year when spring returns, and every day begins with the change from night to morning. Moments like these have inspired composers for a long time. Music can…
Read More
Contrast is part of life. We experience difference constantly: tension and release, light and shadow, movement and stillness. Music works in the same way. Differences in tempo, dynamics, register, texture and orchestration define musical form. Fast and slow, loud and soft, major and minor, solo and tutti — these oppositions…
Read More
Early in 1977, Anne-Sophie Mutter played for Herbert von Karajan in a private audition. Much has been said and written about this encounter and the collaboration that followed. But this Weekly SpinOn centres on a principle that guided Karajan’s work with Anne-Sophie Mutter from the very beginning: repertoire choice was…
Read More
Mozart’s Many Faces brings together four works from different moments in Mozart’s life. The playlist moves chronologically from Salzburg to Vienna and from court music to opera and sacred music. Each track represents a different genre and a different working situation. Together, the pieces reveal not a single Mozart, but…
Read More
The Biedermeier period (about 1815–1848) developed in Central Europe, especially in the German-speaking regions, after years of war and political upheaval. With censorship and limited political participation, many people had little influence on public life. This led to a growing sense of insecurity and fatigue. Instead of confrontation, stability became…
Read More
Music can never be completely silent (John Cage’s 4′33″ politely excluded), but it can approach silence. This playlist looks at moments where sound is reduced and dynamics are restrained. Like a city after fresh snowfall, familiar surroundings remain, but their character shifts as everything becomes muted. What emerges is a…
Read More
Track 1: Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a – IIf. Dance of the Reed-Pipes – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Vienna Philharmonic · Herbert von Karajan This week’s playlist picks up directly from the previous one. In last week’s Weekly SpinOn, we looked at Karajan’s early Decca recordings and at projects from the early…
Read More
Here you can download the full curriculum vitae of Herbert von Karajan!