March, 2015

46 Posts
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Instruments of the Orchestra IV: The Double Bass
At the bottom of the string section stands the mighty Double Bass. With a body 45.5 inches (115 cm) and overall length of 74.8 inches (189 cm) the double bass both towers above and supports from below the string section
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The Ukrainian Factor in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 (1875) Even at the best of times, the relationship between Russia and the Ukraine has been somewhat troubled. Although they share much of their early history, the Mongol
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Aldo Ciccolini (1925-2015)
Aldo Ciccolini (15 August 1925, Naples, Italy; 1 February 2015, Asnières-sur-Seine, France) brought the world of Satie out of obscurity and showed his quirky qualities to a new generation of listeners. Ciccolini, who was born in Italy but made his
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Performance Problems
“What Could be More Embarrassing?” Recently, Madonna fell backwards down a staircase tripping on her Matador cape during a live performance on the BRIT Awards. Beyoncé and Lady Gaga too have taken embarrassing tumbles while performing.
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Rock me Amadeus!
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the undisputed rock star of the 18th century! Incredibly gifted as a musician yet nevertheless prone to long periods of self-doubt and professional jealousy, he made a lot of money but spent it just as quickly.
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Astor Piazzolla: Escualo
Histoire du Tango: III. Nightclub 1960 From Astor Piazzolla: Escualo (2015) Released by Harmonia Mundi Piazzolla: Histoire du Tango: III. Nightclub 1960A musical ambassador. The name of Astor Piazzolla is synonymous with the word tango. A musical ambassador who carried
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A glimpse into the world of amateur pianism
In a recital space somewhere in central London a group of people are seated in a rough semi-circle around a Fazioli 212 grand piano. Some lounge in their seats in a pretence of relaxation, others crane forward eagerly for a
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Booing the Audience
It happened again! During a performance of the Staatskapelle Dresden at the 43rd Hong Kong Arts Festival, an audience member showed his appreciation by eagerly clapping his way through the final pianissimo chords of Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen. Other audience members
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