Made for the stage: The incredible life and career of dancer and dramatic actress Ida Rubinstein … and her 20-year collaboration with French composer Florent Schmitt.

“A sphinx, an enigmatic being … nature steeped in demanding contradictions and seductive by that very fact … she seemed to come from another world — one where she would have been despotically sovereign.” — René Dumesnil, from a tribute article published in Le Monde, October 25, 1960 In every era, there are always a […]

In the cross-currents of history: An interview with musician and author Alberto Nones about the life and work of Italian composer Riccardo Zandonai.

Faithful readers of this blog know that its focus is nearly 100% on the life and music of French composer Florent Schmitt.  However, occasionally we “relax the routine” to present a different sort of musical topic. Back in 2013, one of those articles was an interview with the Italian pianist and author Alberto Nones about his newly published […]