During the early decades of the 20th century, the development of industry in the northern states of the United States, with the consequent need for labour, attracted many people who sought an opportunity for a better life. From Europe, especially, but also from the southern states, where African Americans were discriminated against in an unfair and yet legal situation.

In Joseph Haydn's immense production, the songs occupy a small place, he wrote about fifty; that means that there are twice as many symphonies as there are songs. They were, moreover, late works: the first ones are from 1781 when the composer was forty-nine. Prince Nikolaus Esterházy was likely not interested in the new genre that came from the north because otherwise [...]

To coincide with Saint George's day, I'm posting on Tuesday this week. We need a rose for the Liederabend, don't we? This year, our musical rose arrives from Russia.

While translating the Catalan post, I'm not sure that this expression is usually used in English: “things (concerts, singers, movies…) are not just as they used to be”. We use it to joke, express irony, or complain. For example, why do so many current films last more than 200 minutes, when Hitchcock or Lubitsch created masterpieces within 90 minutes?

Here's to Schubert! This would be the headline, after the programme of the 32nd Schubertíada was presented a few hours ago. Here's to Schubert and his sense of friendship! Thanks to this, we are here, two hundred years later, celebrating his music.