Blogs

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Five of the Greatest Martha Argerich Performances
Martha Argerich is one of the greatest pianists of all time, period. Her career has spanned over seven decades and multiple continents. We listeners are lucky to enjoy many incredible performances on disc and on film. To get a sense
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Bach to the Boss
Mom’s Classical Victory Tracks
On Sunday, 11 May 2025, is Mother’s Day! Time to roll out the red carpet for the woman who can find your lost phone, whip up a gourmet meal from a can of beans, and still have the energy to
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Monuments of Sound
Classical Music’s Longest Piano Journeys
Buckle up for a musical marathon, as this blog will feature some of the longest piano pieces in the classical repertoire. There are probably many reasons why composers craft such monumental work. It might be for a mix of artistic,
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Stories in Music
Smetana “From My Life”
I’ve always loved music that tells a story, because it captures the human experience in all its raw beauty and complexity. Music can paint vivid pictures with melody and rhythm, with each note a thread in the tapestry of a
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The Phenomenon of Musical Repeatism, Part One
In an article for KQED, Jonathan Curiel coins the term “musical repeatism” to describe the phenomenon of wanting to listen to a piece of music over and over and over. In Spotify’s 2022 edition of Wrapped – the data-driven and
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Do Not Mistake Activity for Progress: A Lesson for Musicians
The phrase “Do not mistake activity for progress” serves as a powerful reminder that being busy is not the same as being effective. Nowhere is this more relevant than in the life of a musician, where countless hours are spent
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The Art of Interpretation
The art of interpretation is unique to Western classical music. An entire tradition has developed from this, and has prolonged the music of past composers for centuries, with novelty being brought performer after performer and interpretation after interpretation. Interpretation is
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Ode to Joy
Why Beethoven’s 9th Symphony Had Everyone Singing and Crying
It was May 7, 1824, and Vienna’s Kärntnertor Theater was about to witness history—or possibly a musical trainwreck. Beethoven, profoundly deaf, took the stage for the premiere of his Symphony No. 9 in D minor. The night would turn out
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