Blogs

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My Beethoven by Frank
OzymandiasPercy Bysshe Shelly I met a traveler from an antique land,Who said—-“Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert. … Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinked lip, and sneer
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In Memoriam: Leon Fleisher (1928-2020)
“The purpose of music is to communicate from the heart to the heart” He has been called “one of the most refined and transcendent musicians the United States has ever produced.” But Leon Fleisher (1928-2020), who died of cancer at
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A Grand Fermata
nounMusicnoun: fermata; plural noun: fermatas – a pause of unspecified length on a note or rest– a sign indicating a prolonged note or rest John Cage’s 4’33” may be the most infamous example of the use of silence in music
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The Newest of the New: The Hermes Experiment
When four music graduates of Cambridge get together, you never expect the expected. Singer and co-director Héloïse Werner, clarinetist Oliver Pashley, harpist Anne Denholm, and double-bassist Marianne Schofield got together after graduation to create The Hermes Experiment. Shortly after they
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On My Music Desk……
Couperin – Les Barricades Mystérieuses
No one really knows what Les Barricades Mystérieuses actually means. The title literally translates from the French as “the mysterious barricades” but it gives little clue. It could refer to masks – or masques, a form of courtly entertainment –
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How to Make a Recording From Home
The recent lockdown has seen a rise in videos from confinement, with musicians reaching out and putting things out to entertain, soothe, comfort and connect with their audiences during this period of isolation and uncertainty. Thinking of making your own
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Atmosphere
When Horse Races and Concerts Are Held in a Void of Silence
Horse races run on empty courses, Premier League football matches played in cavernous deserted stadia, tennis tournaments played “behind closed doors”, concerts performed into a void of silence. Without the roar of the crowd, the cheering and the applause, the
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Live From London – A Choral Festival Borne Out of the Pandemic
Following the success of their ‘Live From Home’ online performances and workshops, the VOCES8 foundation are launching a new online festival in response to the coronavirus pandemic: Live From London. The festival, featuring weekly concerts from 1 August to 3
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