Playlists

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The Mermaid in Classical Music
One of my all-time feel-good movies is the animated musical fantasy film “The Little Mermaid.” Originally released in 1989 by Walt Disney Pictures, the movie takes us to the kingdom of Atlantica. Princess Ariel, a 16-year-old mermaid, is unhappy with
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“World Pianist Day”
10 Forgotten Piano Sonatas
It seems like we have a “World Day” for everything these days. From hugging a teddy bear to LGBT Center Awareness Day, the entire spectrum of social causes and cultural cheerleading is filling up our daily calendar. I was very
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Classical Music for Funerals: Thirty Pieces for Piano, Voice, Orchestra, and More
Classical music can be the perfect choice of genre for funeral music. Its association with beauty, dignity, and tradition – along with its ability to comfort or evoke feelings of nostalgia – makes it appealing to many. But there’s so
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The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker
10 Composers with Real Jobs
Very few people are actually born to become composers, and composers frequently struggle financially in society. In fact, the starving artist was a popular trope in the late 18th and 19th centuries. It was suggested that artists lived in poverty
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Mythical Creatures: The Minotaur
The illicit child of Pasiphaë, wife of King Minos of Crete, and a snow-white bull intended for sacrifice to Poseidon, the Minotaur, half-man half-bull, actually had the given name of Asterius (star). He was ungovernable, so Minos created a labyrinth
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Saxophone in Classical Music
Twenty Pieces Spotlighting Its Astonishing Range
The saxophone is a relatively young instrument in the world of classical music. (It was originally invented in 1846.) But its unique sound and versatility have captured the hearts of composers and audiences alike. Today we’re spotlighting twenty essential pieces
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10 Greatest Musical Hoaxes and Pranks
A musical hoax is sometimes described as a musical forgery or mystification. It basically refers to a work of music composed by an individual and intentionally misattributed to someone else. Most frequently, such music hoaxes are attributed to historical figures
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10 Fun and Exciting Clarinet Sonatas From the 20th Century
The 20th century really fell in love with the clarinet. I always get goosebumps listening to the opening of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, with the clarinet sounding the delicious penetrating low trill followed by that long glissando. The technical demands
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