Mozart’s final public appearance performing on piano was as the soloist in the premiere of his Piano Concerto #27 in early 1791 (he passed in December 1791). It’s today’s Midday Masterpiece.
Also, for Women's History Month CapRadio highlights a different woman in music each weekday. Today's classical spotlight is on Hildegard von Bingen (c. 1098-1179).Not only is Hildegard the earliest female composer, she is one of the first identified composers, PERIOD. She was a medieval nun who also wrote books on theology, botany, and medicine, and in hundreds of letters gave counsel to everyone from peasants to kings.
Her music was virtually unknown until around the 800th anniversary of her death in 1979 when an English ensemble performed her music. Soon after, the release of an album in 1983 became a surprise best-seller for people looking for affirmation and calm in a bustling modern world.
In the forty years since, interest in Hildegard's music and life has spawned hundreds of recordings, biographies, documentaries and more that highlight her accomplishments not only as a composer but a visionary, founder of monasteries, a leader who earned the respect of church and political leaders and, some say, a prophet. Branches of the Roman Catholic Church have recognized her as a saint for centuries.
A more thorough look at her life as a composer, visionary and saint can be found in
this article. Listen for the music of Hildegard von Bingen throughout the day.
