The Paris Conservatoire opened its doors in 1795, and it was open to students of both sexes. However, theoretical classes like harmony, counterpoint, and fugue, and composition remained exclusively in the domain of men. A scholar writes, “Young women still
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175 years ago, Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) died in a state of mental derangement due to neurosyphilis. His disease was confirmed by autopsy, and many commentators have “speculated that the composer’s brain disease may have had an influence on his ability
The violin is one of the most perfect instruments! It is the soprano member of the family of string instruments and has extraordinary musical versatility. The beauty and emotional appeal of the instrument are close to the human voice, and
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) composed some of the most memorable and famous melodies on this planet. He had an incredible gift for writing gorgeous melodies that “perhaps so strongly and clearly imply the harmony that it almost does not need
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) must be one of my all-time favorite composers. But I am a little shy to tell you that I only know a very small part of his music. When I checked a musical dictionary I found
If a concerto for two soloists is called a double concerto, then it follows that a concerto for three soloists is called a triple concerto. When I started researching for this blog I discovered something interesting about the triple concerto.
There is an old saying that “two heads are better than one” when it comes to reasoning and perceptual decision-making. That might well be true, but are two soloists in classical music better than one? This seems a tricky question
I’ve just seen the funniest cartoon ever! It is based on a kind of parlor game, where you are to imagine being stranded on a desert island with only a single album available for your listening pleasure. In this cartoon,