Music Story Briefs

This is a facsimile of the original, never-sent letter Beethoven wrote to his brothers, Carl and Johann, while the composer was living in Heiligenstad...

It is said that when Beethovens Ninth Symphony premiered in Vienna (on the 7th of May, 1824), the deaf maestro kept conducting even after the audience...

Many fans of classical music think that the second movement of Beethoven's 7th Symphony is one of the lovliest pieces of music ever written. Watch a p...

Leonard Bernstein's 100th birthday is August 24, 2018. In 1954, a young Leonard Bernstein makes his first television appearance as he explains (and il...

Cowboys of the "Old West" sang songs about their work (and the trouble they got into). This is an example.

Beethoven dedicated one of his most famous works - known today as the "Moonlight Sonata" - to Countess Giulietta (Julia) Guicciardi. His letters leav...

Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph on the 21st of November, 1877 - and - we can hear it. The clip is the first "listenable" piece...

Working for his patrons, the Esterhazy family, Haydn has a room at theirpalace in Eisenstadt(in theeastern partof Austria) and atEsterhaza(innorthwest...

Beethoven's surviving letters tell us more about his deafness. He appears to have first confided his "secret" to a person he could trust.

Considered one of the greatest piano composers who ever lived, Chopin liked to perform for small, private audiences.

Still popular in the 21st century, Giuseppe Verdi's music is admired by both popular and classical music lovers. Learn about him (and listen to some o...

Haydn hopes Beethoven will acknowledge he was once Haydn's pupil. Apparently never forgetting his teacher's well-intentioned criticisms, Beethoven do...