Silent Night: From Poem to Christmas Carol
The Christmas carol Silent Night was first performed at a Christmas Eve service in 1818 in the village of Oberndorf, outside of Salzburg, Austria. The … Read more
Cynthia Collins
St. Louis Symphony: From Choral Ensemble to Orchestra
The St. Louis Symphony, the second oldest symphonic orchestra in the United States, will begin its 136th season, Sept. 18, 2015, at its home base … Read more
Happy Birthday to Mildred J. Hill, the Composer of ‘Happy Birthday’
The song, Happy Birthday to You, is sung thousands of times every day and millions of times each year. It is that simple ditty of … Read more
Pipe Organ History at Westminster Abbey
Pipe organs have been part of the majestic history of Westminster Abbey for hundreds of years. The current organ, made by the organ builders of … Read more
Bösendorfer: the Story of Vienna’s Imperial Piano
Bösendorfer is the name of a company in Vienna, Austria, that has been manufacturing pianos since the early 19th century. Each piano is carefully handcrafted … Read more
Medieval Tritone Superstitions Proved Popular in 19th-Century Music
Out of all the musical intervals, the one that has been steeped in ominous superstitions since the Middle Ages is the tritone. This augmented fourth … Read more
Saint-Saëns and his Danse Macabre for Halloween
Camille Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre, Op. 40, was composed in 1874 as an orchestral tone poem based on a French legend about Death appearing every Halloween … Read more
Sergei Prokofiev and his composition for children: Peter and the Wolf
The orchestral suite Peter and the Wolf was written in 1936 by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev to encourage young children to cultivate an interest in … Read more
How Brazilian Folk Music Influenced Classical Composer Heitor Villa-Lobos
The music of composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) reflects a combination of traditional European and native Brazilian influence. He was exposed to classical music at an … Read more
The role of jug bands in music history
Jug bands got their name from using instruments that were either homemade or household items such as a jug. They originated in the South in … Read more
Bizet’s Carmen: controversy over who wrote Habanera
One of the most popular and frequently performed operas is Carmen by Georges Bizet (1838-1875). That was not the case during the composer’s lifetime and … Read more
How the 1812 Overture Became Part of the Fourth of July Celebration
One of the most popular pieces of classical music for the Fourth of July fireworks is Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Its full name: 1812 Festival Overture, … Read more
How a Children’s Song Achieved Classical Music Success
Children’s songs and folk music are often handed down through an oral tradition. They seem to spring up without any specific composer yet survive numerous … Read more
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Morse Code
There is a connection between Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and the Morse code. Although approximately 30 years separated the creation of this particular symphony and the … Read more
Kazoo: An American Toy and Instrument
The familiar sound of pitched buzzing comes from a popular American toy and a musical instrument called a kazoo. Children and adults alike hum into … Read more