The Beauty of Counterpoint
Often, the point of interest in the music isn’t the melody but what’s going on underneath. I recently attended a performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, bu... Continue Reading...
Interlude
How Inspiration Strikes
Composers tend to be a peculiar lot, particularly as it pertains to the best and most conducive circumstances in which they compose their best music. Of course,... Continue Reading...
Mapping the Musical Genome: The Bach Family
'Young Bach' as Konzertmeister in 1715 by J. E. Rentsch, the Elder.
Johann Sebastian Bach was part of an extensive Saxon-Thuringian family that produced an un... Continue Reading...
Music and Nature: Birds
For music and nature, birds are the natural – they sing! Or, rather, we hear their communication as singing. A friend in Hong Kong trains birds to sing, playing... Continue Reading...
Music and Nature: Bugs
Bugs and music – hmm, not as common as birds, but then when you start to think about it, they start to creep up on you. Probably the first piece of bug music yo... Continue Reading...
Music and Nature: Animals
Animals in music occur in everything from children’s pieces to great serious works. Their rhythm in the world is something that a composer can take up and devel... Continue Reading...
Classical Music for All
When you ask non-classical music lovers why they are not fond of classical music, the most common answers include “I am not intelligent enough to appreciate it”... Continue Reading...
Mapping the Musical Genome: The Waltzing Strauss Family
The extraordinary dynasty of dance music composers and musicians named Strauss originated in the Hungarian town of Buda. Around 1750, Grandfather Johann moved t... Continue Reading...