Category Archives: Anniversary

On this day in 1910 – the premiere of Mahler’s Symphony no.8

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by Ben Hogwood. Photo of Mahler by Moritz Nähr, courtesy of Wikipedia

On this day in 1910, the premiere of Mahler’s Symphony no.8 took place. Arcana has two personal pieces about this symphony by John Earls – the first about wondering when he might complete his Mahler symphony cycle, coming out of COVID-19 – and the second when he finally did, a memorable day in 2022

There are a good number of performances of the symphony online, but Arcana has selected this big hitting performance under the direction of Marc Albrecht, live from Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw:

Published post no.3,315 – Saturday 12 September 2026

On this day – remembering 9/11

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by Ben Hogwood

I wanted to post a short memorial to the awful events of 11 September 2001.

I was working for a New York-based company at the time, whose offices were in Manhattan, and will never forget the shock experienced on that day. As music can so often say what words don’t, here is a piece for reflection, as I think of all those colleagues affected:

On this day in 1856 – the death of Robert Schumann

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by Ben Hogwood. Picture by Johann Anton Völlner, Hamburg, courtesy of Wikipedia

On this day, 170 years ago, the composer Robert Schumann died in Bonn at the age of just 46.

For a while it was fashionable to criticise him on account of his musical quality, and especially orchestration – and indeed Mahler re-orchestrated all four of his numbered symphonies. Yet time has shown him to have much greater substance, with Schumann’s influence on composers such as György Kurtág revealed more explicitly in recent years. One piece the Hungarian composer treasures in particular is the late Märchenerzählungen (Fairy Tale Narrations) Op.132, for clarinet, viola and piano:

One of the composer’s greatest champions is cellist Steven Isserlis, who can be seen playing the glorious Adagio and Allegro in A flat major Op.70 with Connie Shih:

Published post no.2,962 – Wednesday 29 July 2026

On this day in 2016 – the death of Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara

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by Ben Hogwood. Picture by Laivakoira, courtesy of Wikipedia

On this day ten years ago, Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara died in Helsinki at the age of 87.

Rautavaara’s legacy is impressive, a natural beneficiary of the legacy of Jean Sibelius – whose eye he caught with the 1953 work A Requiem in Our Time, for brass and percussion – while also innovating in many traditional musical forms. These include the symphony – with his seventh, Angel of Light, especially popular on release by Ondine in 1997 – but also the concerto and in music for the stage and the chamber music hall.

Rautavaara’s musical language varied between stages of his career, as rather like Arvo Pärt he showed himself to be a versatile composer capable of flirting with the avant garde as much as writing with deceptive simplicity.

One of Rautavaara’s standout pieces is the Cantus Arcticus, published in 1972 with the subtitle Concerto for birds and orchestra. The birds in question are recorded whooper swans, whose calls are both the impetus for the melodic figures and the orchestral responses. You can listen to that, and the Angel of Light symphony, below:

Published post no.2,960 – Tuesday 27 July 2026

On this day in 1796 – the birth of Swedish composer Franz Berwald

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by Ben Hogwood. Picture of Berwald used courtesy of Wikipedia, unknown author

On this day in 1796, the Swedish composer Franz Berwald was born.

Berwald has gained something of a cult following for his four symphonies, which are rightly popular for their poise and elegance, complementary to those who like the music of Schubert and Mendelssohn. Such qualities extend to his chamber music, an output headed by the bright Grand Septet in B flat major:

To that can be added an early Piano Quintet no.1 in C minor, headed by an effervescent tune on the piano:

Berwald’s first published piece, his Quartet for piano and winds, is for the unusual combination of clarinet, horn, bassoon and piano – and as you might expect explores some very attractive instrumental colours:

Published post no.2,956 – Thursday 23 July 2026