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There is precious little in Vienna that does not invoke awe, but there is something about a monument that is built not just of opulence and grandeur, but an unparalleled musical legacy. The Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper in German) is among the oldest and most prestigious opera houses in
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A four-part series of reflections on the pleasures and paradoxes of learning to sing or play an instrument. For parents, musicians, and would-be musicians of all ages. The Ultimate Holistic Practice What is the meaning of “holistic”? The Oxford Dictionary gives two definitions, the first related to philosophy: “characterized by
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A four-part series of reflections on the pleasures and paradoxes of learning to sing or play an instrument. For parents, musicians, and would-be musicians of all ages. All the World’s a Stage Performing might be considered the ultimate goal of music study. To occupy the stage confidently and perform
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A four-part series of reflections on the pleasures and paradoxes of learning to sing or play an instrument. For parents, musicians, and would-be musicians of all ages. We have seen that learning to sing or play an instrument involves a lot of very worthwhile work. Understanding notation, controlling the physicality
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I have started looking at the story of Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts (SaPa) as a story in three parts, which I shall creatively refer to “normal”, the “new normal” and “what now?”. The last few years have taught us to be flexible and responsive more than anything else, and
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A four-part series of reflections on the pleasures and paradoxes of learning to sing or play an instrument. For parents, musicians, and would-be musicians of all ages. Why Bother? It is said to require ten thousand hours of practice to master an instrument. TEN THOUSAND HOURS? Are you kidding me?
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The first rehearsals were filled with enthusiasm, with expectation and with a bubbling energy to get started. The results (honestly) were rather bleak. Eight months of virtual hibernation had taken its toll, and since the essence of choir is indeed to be one in the collective – to start again to
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It was through my mother’s voice that I discovered Lata Mangeshkar’s. My mother would often sing or hum to herself as she went about her household chores. I, a toddler and then a boy, listened with pleasure. To me, these were my mother’s songs. She then told
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A report from Lisbon, Portugal on preparing to record a CD of recent music by Portuguese composers — and why it matters. Who is your favourite composer? Mozart? Bach? Schubert? Puccini? One of the pleasures of being a classical music lover is pondering such questions: listening, comparing, considering, and re-considering. Our
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1756 was a momentous year for 37-year old Leopold Mozart, fourth violinist at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Salzburg. His comprehensive Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing was published, and his son, christened Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus, was born. How momentous that birth would make the year,
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Some months ago, I wrote a tribute column to the great Bengali film-maker Satyajit Ray (whose birth centenary we celebrate this year) and his film music. But a more recent article in the Kolkata press (Telegraph India) reminded me of another aspect of that music that I didn’t touch
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Do you remember when we first met? It was an evening, end of October 2016. We had come down with The Bangalore Men to Calangute, to perform our Schubert-programme, and we were expecting you to be in the audience. We hadn’t really interacted or met, I had only heard