Rather predictably, the deciphering of the human genome has done little to provide conclusive answers to questions regarding musical talent and ability. Although we have learned that certain genes control unique sites in the brain, which in turn determine levels

Arcangelo CorelliSonata a 3 in G Minor, Op. 1, No. 10 Trying to reconstruct the love life of a discreetly homosexual composer in the 17th century presents a variety of formidable challenges. For one, the public record was not overly

‘Help! We need a piece to show off our instrument!’ This was perhaps something like the conversation between the Érard company and Maurice Ravel when, in 1904, the Pleyel harp company commissioned Claude Debussy to write a piece for their

We all know that the first successful manned landing on the moon occurred on 20 July 1969, when Apollo 11 delivered Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the surface of Earth’s lone satellite. The first robotic moon landing happened a

“You have changed my life, you are the sunshine of my thirty years, a reason for living and for working.” This is how Francis Poulenc openly inscribed the score to his Concert champêtre, a work that is dedicated to the

Poulenc’s musical style, thematic materials and even tonal structures build from established musical practices, which are transformed into something unique. The American composer and essayist Ned Rorem concocted an amusing little recipe to explain the Poulenc sound. “Take Chopin’s dominant

Most of us associate the pipe organ with liturgical, that is, religious use. But did you know that the instrument was originally associated with gladiatorial combat during the time of the Romans? Gladiatorial games usually began with an elaborate procession

Watch Mater Dolorosa: Les Talens Lyriques at the Festival D’Ambronay The text of the Roman Catholic hymn Stabat Mater dolorosa (The grieving Mother stood), which originated in the 13th century and is variously attributed to Pope Innocent III, St. Bonaventure,