When we hear Renaissance madrigals sung, we often hear these lovely, long-drawn out pieces of pure counterpoint and then forget why they were written. The Italian madrigal came out of what we might think of as the upper-class men’s clubs

One could argue that all creative process is improvisation: for that flash of creativity that generated the art, which distinguished whatever the artist was doing from merely replicating a past behaviour, was improvisation. Afterwards, the artist can do whatever he

I would be wealthy if I had a quarter for every time someone said, “that’s bigger than you are!” Dragging my cello around on buses, thrusting it under turnstiles, hoisting it onto airplane seats, taking it into stores—always brings on

In 1997, the Kronos Quartet took a step back in time with their Early Music (Lachrymae Antiquae) [Ancient Tears] album, mixing quartet performances of medieval and Renaissance music with that of 20th century composers.

In my previous article, I explained how improvisation is the basis for true creation. While creation implies the origin of something new, the process through which the improvisation leading to it develops is one of repetition. This seems paradoxical, but

Musicians are constantly on the hunt! We strive for the spark of deep intimacy and shared experiences with our audiences. So how about playing in a truly intimate setting—chamber music as it was intended—in a parlor? Harkening back to the

When we think of flutes, we think of the common concert flute – silver, about 67 cm (26 inches) long, pitched in the key of C. That’s just the start of the flute family, albeit the most familiar. If we

Ah, the Late Night Proms. The only time you can spend in the Albert Hall in summer and not be glared at for shuffling your feet or clapping spontaneously. Starting at 10.15pm, finishing at 11.45, you’d think that this nocturnal