Georg Joseph Vogler (1749–1814) stands as one of music history’s most fascinating travelers—a composer whose career can only be described as a perpetual "Lebensreise," or journey through life. Abbé Vogler’s restless spirit led him across Europe and even into North Africa, making him a true pioneer of musical exploration. Constantly on the move, Vogler absorbed a vast array of cultural influences, which he brilliantly wove into his innovative keyboard works. His ambitious projects, such as Polymelos and Pièces de Clavecin, showcase his pioneering spirit, combining European traditions with exotic melodies from China and Africa, laying early groundwork for ethnomusicology. Through Vogler's music, we are invited on a sonic adventure that spans continents, offering a glimpse into the vibrant intersection of cultural curiosity and artistic experimentation during one of music’s most transformative eras.

An abridged version of my prize-winning paper: During the period 1740–1830, the classical art of rhetoric was still largely connected to music. Eighteenth-century theorists emphasized crucial links between rhetoric and the musical arts. Each mode of expression informed the other, with common goals of expressing, communicating, and persuading. Rhetoric guided musical composers and performers alike, who sought to capture the hearts and minds of listeners through artistic expression. However, such principles arguably deserve more attention in modern musical education and performances of this repertory. This essay outlines some basic principles behind a rhetorical approach to eighteenth-century music for modern musical performers in the historically informed performance field.

An introductory article about the salon during the Biedermeier age, which accompanied my recent album release. This album immerses listeners in the intimate musical world of the Biedermeier period (1815-1848), a flourishing era of domestic artistry in Central Europe, celebrating values of creativity, domesticity, and middle-class accessibility. Performed by musicians from Das Neue Mannheimer Orchester Kamermusici using historical instruments, including an original German square pianoforte built around 1823 by Johann Gottlieb Irmler, the album features notable chamber works such as Johann Nepomuk Hummel's vibrant flute sonata in D major, Felix Mendelssohn’s sophisticated Sonata for Clarinet and Piano composed at age 15, and Franz Schubert’s adventurous "Trockne Blumen" variations from "Die Schöne Müllerin." Robert Schumann’s emotive "Fantasiestücke, Op. 73" further epitomizes Romantic ideals through expressive dialogues between piano and clarinet, capturing the essence of the salon environment where art and music intimately flourished.

Beethoven’s Violin Concerto is revered today as a cornerstone of classical music, renowned for its monumental scale, emotional depth, and sublime beauty. Yet, intriguingly, Beethoven himself adapted this masterpiece into a lesser-known piano concerto version shortly after its première. Our exploration into this piano transcription reveals Beethoven's innovative genius, showcasing how the composer reimagined the intricate violin passages into compelling pianistic expressions. Despite initial skepticism from audiences and critics, both versions illustrate Beethoven’s profound connection to Romantic aesthetics, bridging the grandeur of orchestral texture with the intimate expressiveness of solo performance.

Our recent recording embraces this rarely performed piano adaptation, capturing the authentic spirit of Beethoven’s era through historically informed performance practices. Featuring period instruments and a dynamic approach to tempo and expression, this recording breathes new life into the piano version, inviting listeners to experience the familiar concerto in an entirely fresh, deeply Romantic light. Dive with us into the fascinating history, profound artistry, and expressive power behind Beethoven’s extraordinary transcription, and rediscover one of music history’s greatest treasures.

This recording presents Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonatas performed on a historical fortepiano constructed circa 1806 by John Broadwood & Sons. Canadian fortepianist Anders Muskens explores the interpretive nuances and expressive potential inherent to this English-style instrument, which has been meticulously restored to reflect its original acoustic characteristics. Recorded subsequent to the fortepiano’s inaugural performance at Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam in 2022, this album provides an academically informed perspective on Beethoven’s compositional intentions through historically accurate instrumentation.