Beethoven vs Chopin: The Two Famous Composers
Beethoven vs Chopin There are many levels on which a comparison of these musical giants could be made. One might be an analysis of their … Read more
Dr Justin Wildridge
The Contribution of Antonio Vivaldi to Baroque Music
It is consistently a challenge to summarise the life of an individual in around a thousand words. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), was not only a phenomenally … Read more
The Virtuoso Pianists: Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Horowitz
One outstanding characteristic of the Romantic period was the rise of the virtuoso pianist-composer. Many features of the Romantic Era were somewhat extreme, particularly in … Read more
The Best of Mozart (7 Beautiful Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
In this day and age of top ten, best one hundred, and all-time greatest, it’s challenging to be asked to write an article on the … Read more
6 Beautiful Versions of Ave Maria
I expect you may have already come across the two main words of the title Ave Maria and know their meaning. However, to make sure … Read more
How Hard Is Für Elise Difficulty | By Ludwig Van Beethoven
I was certain that I knew this little piece of Beethoven’s quite well having played it, listened to it, and taught it for decades. Following … Read more
7 Best German Composers Of All Time
Best is quite a troublesome word to associate with almost anything, but here I have the dilemma of attributing it to German composers. In the … Read more
The Historical Development of Piano Manufacturing and Instrument Design
Before exploring the finer points of this title, let’s pause to remember where the piano originated from. Born on the 4th May 1655, Bartolomeo Cristofori … Read more
The Contributions of Women Pianists and Composers Throughout History
More often than not, women’s important contribution to music has been overlooked, neglected and ignored. There are probably more forgotten women composers than there are … Read more
5 Chopin Saddest Pieces You Must Listen To
Frederick Chopin has to be one of the most iconic composers of his age. In so many ways he embodies the Romantic image of a … Read more
The Influence of Latin American Rhythms on Piano Music
The influence of Latin-American culture on music has been quite profound. It has gently filtered its way into nearly every genre of music from classical … Read more
The Piano Music Of Lesser-known Composers
It’s often said that history is written by the victorious. In a cultural context, this is no different, especially the further one travels back in … Read more
The Impact of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring on Music and Dance
With the distance of one hundred and ten years between us now and the premiere of Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring, it can be … Read more
The Symbolism of the Piano in Literature and the Visual Arts
Whether overtly or obscurely, the piano has become an object of focus in literature and art for more than two centuries. It has been featured … Read more
The Unique Style and Compositions of Frédéric Chopin
Of the many composers I’ve discussed in these articles, Frédéric Chopin has to be one of the most adored and admired. Not only was he … Read more