Tag: George Dunea
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Enrico Caruso, the greatest tenor of all time
Enrico Caruso (1873–1921) possessed a voice so remarkable for its power, range, and emotional expressiveness that its distinctive timbre was instantly recognizable. His versatility is illustrated by an incident in Philadelphia when the baritone about to sing the “Coat Song” in La Boheme suddenly lost his voice. Caruso stepped in and sang the aria with…
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Marie de’ Medici, the multiparous queen
The Louvre Museum in Paris displays the cycle of twenty-four large-scale paintings by Peter Paul Rubens of scenes from the life of Marie de’ Medici, one of the most influential and controversial figures in French royal history. Originally commissioned by Marie for her Luxembourg palace, the cycle is now displayed in the Louvre’s Galerie Medicis.…
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Of bears, danger, and medical wonders
Bears are formidable animals, unbeatable in strength and resilience, some weighing over a thousand pounds. Some grizzly and polar bears reach massive sizes and with their muscular build, sharp claws, and powerful jaws can kill their prey swiftly and efficiently. Although bears are powerful and robust, they are subject to various medical conditions. They can…
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Johannes Brahms: His life and health
The musical world remembers Johannes Brahms as one of the leading composers of the Romantic era. His musical output included four symphonies, concertos, a Requiem, folk songs, Lieder, chamber music, and choral works. Born in 1833 in Hamburg, he lived with his family under poor circumstances, began music lessons as a child, and played the…
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Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)
In the spring of 1860, a seventeen-year-old student Norwegian student at the prestigious Leipzig Conservatory developed a severe case of pleurisy. He ultimately survived a disease which killed most patients in the pre-antibiotic era, but its consequences were permanent and devastating. A destroyed left lung combined with a visible thoracic spine deformity and permanent respiratory…
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Tchaikovsky: His medical life and his death
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) composed wonderful symphonies, operas, and ballets, but suffered greatly during his life from an array of medical and psychological issues. His letters and diaries reveal a lifelong struggle with emotional problems that modern medicine would likely classify as depressive or bipolar disorder. He went through frequent periods of melancholy, social withdrawal,…
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The liver in culture and literature
The liver is the largest internal organ in the body. Dark and heavy with blood, it was often viewed as the seat of the soul, the source of passion, a tool to predict the future, or a symbol of suffering and resilience. In Greek mythology, Prometheus is bound to a rock for stealing fire from…
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Pigeons and doves
The deeper you get into pigeons, the more complicated they get. Are pigeons the same as doves? What are squab and what are quail? Which may you eat, which may you feed, and which may you shoot? It seems to depend on where you live. If pigeons spread disease, why are so many allowed in…