Why Are Bassoons So Expensive?
All too frequently, the purchase of a musical instrument can be a costly one. This can be particularly true if one is aspiring to an … Read more
All too frequently, the purchase of a musical instrument can be a costly one. This can be particularly true if one is aspiring to an … Read more
Popularity can often determine the cost of a musical instrument. Take for example the humble electric guitar. Nearly everyone I’ve ever met has at one … Read more
Even if you have not come across the term minimalist about music, the chances are you have listened to minimalist music. Since Michael Nyman coined … Read more
If you ask almost anyone to name a classical composer, they are highly likely to name Mozart. In part, this is because his music has … Read more
This, perhaps, is not a topic for the faint-hearted. From the word, you may already have guessed what this means in terms of physical alteration, … Read more
If you take a look back through the hundreds of years of Western Musical history, you’ll quickly discover that many of the composers wrote music … Read more
Diminuendo and decrescendo are both common musical terms that have been in use for probably at least three hundred years. Keep in mind that the … Read more
Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the most influential and important composers whose life spanned the Classical and Romantic periods. His life began in Bonn, … Read more
In terms of chronology, the Romantic Era followed on directly from the Classical Era. It is important to realise before we make a closer examination … Read more
One of the outstanding differences between these key periods of Western Classical Music is the change in creative thinking. Baroque music as we can clearly … Read more
Before exploring the finer aspects of tonality and atonality, I am going to examine what these terms mean in music. Without delving too far into … Read more
One of the most popular pieces of Baroque music ever written has to be Antonio Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ (1718-1720). This collection of pieces is essentially … Read more
It is not uncommon when watching a performance, to wonder what exactly it is that the conductor of an orchestra does. Occasionally you might spot … Read more
From an unashamedly personal standpoint, I find the ‘Rite of Spring’ to be one of the most ground-breaking, revolutionary pieces of orchestral music ever written. … Read more
For many people, the use of the word medieval conjures up a time of extreme poverty, war and plague with little in the way of … Read more