You know how it goes – you’re placed on the sliding gurney, the restrainer is put on top so you don’t wiggle, and you slide into the noisy tunnel. It’s a bit loud to fall asleep, and they want to

The double bass is often thought of as the foundation of the orchestra: deep, resonant, and usually playing a supportive role. In music as in architecture, foundations rarely find themselves in the spotlight. But over the centuries, a handful of

There are times when you just want sound to remove other sounds – most often when you’re in the dentist’s chair, and that high-pitched sound for cleaning your teeth is going to start. It sets your teeth on edge, but

In music, the term potpourri refers to a composition constructed from a succession of pre-existing melodies, often drawn from operas, popular songs, or well-known dances. Like its culinary namesake, a fragrant mixture of diverse elements, the musical potpourri brings together

For generations, classical music composers have poured the emotional fallouts from their romantic lives into their music, creating some of the most emotional works in the repertoire. Today, we’re looking at seven of the saddest classical music pieces inspired by

When it comes to classical music generally and violin concertos specifically, some pieces take their time to grab your attention. Others, however, seize you instantly. Today, we’re looking at examples of the latter: works that offer something especially fresh or

Climate change is the defining crisis of the 21st century. It has reshaped how we understand the world around us and our place within it. While the sciences describe the mechanisms of warming and the economics examine mitigation strategies, the

When we think of classical composers, we often think of stiff middle-aged men wearing white wigs. But a surprising number of masterpieces were actually written by teenagers. Whether fueled by youthful sincerity, driving ambition, the desire to show off their