Articles

4406 Posts
archive-post-image
Mother and Daughter Composers: 4 Remarkable Pairs from Music History
Father/son duos loom large in the history of classical music: Johann Sebastian Bach and his multiple composer sons – Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti – Leopold and Wolfgang Mozart – Johann Strauss I and Johann Strauss II. But were there ever
Read more
archive-post-image
6 Violin-Like Instruments From Around the World
The violin is one of the most recognisable instruments in the world – but it is far from the only instrument of its kind. Across cultures and centuries, musicians have developed bowed string instruments that share the violin’s basic logic:
Read more
archive-post-image
Grieg Playing Grieg (Died on September 4, 1907)
What His Recordings Tell Us
With the advent of new recording techniques, an ancient dream came true for Edvard Grieg. When he visited Paris in 1903, he also made several recordings at the Paris branch of the Gramophone and Typewriter Company. We have little idea
Read more
archive-post-image
Seven of the Most Expensive Pianos Ever Made
What makes a piano worth millions? The answer, it turns out, varies wildly. The most expensive pianos in the world include instruments commissioned for billionaires, built for charity, and used to compose some of the most beloved songs ever written.
Read more
archive-post-image
What Does Contemporary Classical Music Mean Today?
Since the passing of the twentieth century, Western classical music has continued to evolve through a wide range of movements and aesthetics, much like the world of visual arts. Impressionism, Modernism, Futurism, Expressionism, Experimentalism, Postmodernism and Minimalism all shaped the
Read more
archive-post-image
The Looming Light: Haydn’s The Creation
A Confluence of Traditions When Joseph Haydn attended the monumental Handel Festival at Westminster Abbey toward the end of May 1791, he encountered something far grander than mere musical entertainment. He witnessed an entire nation unified by a collective historical
Read more
archive-post-image
Gautier Capuçon (Born on September 3, 1981)
The Cellist Composers Can’t Resist
The virtuoso French cellist Gautier Capuçon, born on 3 September 1981 in Chambéry, France, has captivated audiences worldwide with his electrifying and engaging performances. A graduate of the Paris Conservatoire with first prizes in cello and chamber music, Capuçon has
Read more
archive-post-image
Mozart’s Women Students, Part 2: Trattner, Jacquin, and Auernhammer
Mozart had many students over the course of his career – but some of his most gifted pupils were women. He wrote music for them, dedicated sonatas to them, and even relied on them financially during the years he was
Read more