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Tan Dun’s Martial Arts Trilogy Concertos
Combining the ancient tradition of Chinese martial arts philosophy and visual arts, world-renowned artist and UNESCO Global Goodwill Ambassador Tan Dun composed award-winning orchestral scores for three films by critically acclaimed directors. The Martial Arts Trilogy celebrates three heroes and
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Composers With Synesthesia: How They See the World
Synesthesia is a fascinating neurological phenomenon in which the stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in another, unrelated pathway. People with synesthesia are known as synesthetes. Synesthetes might perceive sensory information, such as colors, tastes,
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A Concerto With Cobla
Marc Timón’s Concerto for Piano and Cobla No. 1
When we think of concertos, except in very special cases, we think of an individual instrument (violin, flute, piano) and orchestra. In the case of Catalan composer Marc Timón, he’s replaced the orchestra with a cobla. The cobla is a
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Music of Royalty
Russian Princesses
In imitation of the French model, salon culture developed in Russia in the second half of the 19th century in St Petersburg. French became the language of choice, as a substantial number of French noblemen and noblewomen had fled from
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Music for Unseen Movies
José Antonio Bottiroli’s 5 Microfilms
Argentinian composer José Antonio Bottiroli (1920–1990) started his career with works influenced by folk music of his country before going more international and following a more Romantic style. His piano music frequently has an improvisational character while his orchestral works
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Unique Concertos IV
Works by Rautavaara, Hindemith, Higdon, Turbin, and Lord
Let’s continue to explore more concertos for unique instruments. Einojuhani Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus “Concerto for Birds and Orchestra,” Op. 61 Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016) has been called “one of the most colourful and diverse figures in Finnish music. He is an
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Alicia de Larrocha the Composer
Alicia de Larrocha is universally recognized as one of the finest pianists of the 20th Century. Her extraordinary musical abilities emerged at a seriously young age, and she demanded piano lessons at the age of 3. Progressing rapidly, she was
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The Flute as Magician
Walter Piston’s The Incredible Flutist Suite
In 1938, American composer Walter Piston (1894–1976) wrote his only ballet, The Incredible Flutist. The Boston Pops under Arthur Fieldler commissioned it and premiered it on 30 May 1938. At the premiere, Hans Wiener and His Dancers, with Orchestra, performed
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