From Sandra

Allusions to war in the Andante?

“...my first independent composition was a Sonata for piano and cello, dedicated of course to Verzhbilovich. I wrote it in the summer and wanted to show it to him in the autumn…

From Sandra

To B or not to B

In his book, Leokadiya Kashperova: Biography, ‘Memoirs’, and ‘Recollections of Anton Rubinstein’ , Graham Griffiths notes that Kashperova seemed to attach meaning to a sequence of 4 pitches (B-A-C-B), quoted from her…

From Sandra

On noticing “wrong” notes

The director of the St. Petersburg Music School, where Kashperova had taught, once warned the composer Balakirev not to include Kashperova in an upcoming concert because “she does not recognise any leadership and …..will…

From Sandra

When Alyssa and I started looking at Kashperova’s Sonata for piano and cello in G major, we had no idea what to expect.  It felt like a bit of a curious adventure….to explore a piece written by a…

After declaring last year that I would treat my birthdays a la Merrill Markoe's "It's My F---ing Birthday" heroine (see here if you missed it and are bothered by said missing), it seems I totally blew it on the…