Music Education
Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert: did the four Viennese school composers know each other? By Manohar Parnerkar The Classical period in Western art music represents the age of Haydn, Mozart, partly of Beethoven, and peripherally of Schubert. Falling between the post-Baroque and the pre-Romantic periods, it roughly dates from 1750
Music Education
What would opera singers be without their stretchy, malleable tempos? More specifically, where would they be without the unwritten rules – “performance practice”, they’re often called – about when you simply must take some extra time? Opera is no place for heartless clockwork; but when it comes to mastering operatic skills,
Music Education
The celebrated Russian guitarist and composer Nikita Arnoldovich Koshkin (born 1956) needs no introduction to any serious modern classical guitarist. In a prolific performing and compositional career that shows no signs of abating, Koshkin has threaded a unique sonic voice into the history of the instrument, and his works continue
Music Education
DEVELOP A PLAN FOR DRILLING THE TRICKY BITS IN YOUR MUSIC One of the skills you should take with you as you leave post-secondary education is a solid method of learning your own music. While you still have support from regular coaches and teachers, get specific about the steps you
Music Education
Music was always part of Henri Matisse’s (1869-1954) life. He played the violin on a daily basis, reflecting the rigorous structure and precise technique which corresponded to his artistic methods. It also provided him with an escape and source of inspiration. Some of the early paintings of his room
Music Education
Cafés with a beautiful ambiance are an important part of my existence as a student. Not because it serves good coffee (partly) but because it has a visual appeal to it. A perfectly proportionate coffee cup in my hand gives me immense satisfaction. And I know there are many like
Music Education
Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Contemporary young composers of classical music are frequently taken to task for placing marketability and profit orientation above artistic integrity and compositional skill. In reality, however, placing the emphasis on the profitability of a given composition is not really a 21st century phenomenon
Music Education
Composer John Pitts explains the creative process behind the Indian raag compositions for piano solo in his new book “How to Play Indian Sitar Raags on a Piano” So, please indulge me with this imaginary scenario: 1) A sitar player in India who also happens to love European classical music.
Music Education
This philharmonic orchestra comprises 31 DJs playing records and zero musical instruments. In honour of Japan’s annual “Record Day”, which celebrates the moment LPs were first released in 1948, audio brand Technics assembled a rather eccentric orchestra, made up entirely of DJs with turntables. The orchestra, which calls itself
Music Education
Singers have a better handle than most when it comes to mastering foreign languages. Rolled R’s, umlauts, they do it all. For singers whose mother tongue is English, there are a few common traps that come up when they’re asked to sing in any of the other common
Music Education
Chopin’s ideas have been used in pop music for decades! When classical music aficionados are surveyed on the most popular romantic composer, the name Frédéric Chopin invariably rises to the top. This is hardly surprising as Chopin’s music, ranging from wistful Waltzes and sensual Nocturnes to fiery Etudes
Music Education
Harlekin’s aria is one of the more thoughtful, organic uses of the “song within the song” device in opera. In Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, Harlekin is part of Zerbinetta’s comedy troupe; when he and his fellow players are thrown into a serious case of stage improv, he