Born on September 25, 1906 in St. Petersburg (renamed Petrograd in 1914; renamed Leningrad in 1924), Dmitri Shostakovich lived in an era of vast and … Read more
Before plunging headlong into the composers themselves, let’s pause and take a brief look at what microtonal music is. For the best part of over … Read more
The following pieces are very much my personal choice of music from this great composer. There are many other astonishing pieces that Beethoven composed that … Read more
There’s an old adage that goes something like history is written by the victors. In the case of Western Cultural history, all too often women’s … Read more
The violin has become such a familiar instrument to us these days that it is perhaps difficult to imagine the humble origins from which it … Read more
Much like his rival, he was born in a family of dance musicians, as his father Louis and his elder brother Leon were well-versed in … Read more
Composer Manuel de Falla is known for weaving elements of Spanish folk music into his ballets, operas, orchestral and chamber works. He was particularly influenced … Read more
The possibility of synthesized sound is not a new one. Synths have been around since the mid-1960s, with inventors like Robert Moog, who created one … Read more
Folk music, depending on culture and global location, can broadly be described as traditional music. It’s often passed down through the generations orally as opposed … Read more
You just need to hear a violin tremolo in the key of A major accompanied by a horn (and maybe the staccato wind chords) to … Read more
When you hear the word ‘symphony’, you immediately think of something solemn and majestic such as Mozart’s Jupiter symphony, Beethoven’s Eroica (a current earworm of … Read more
If you’re a Stanley Kubrick fan, you may already have experienced that tremendous link between space and music. The opening scene of the film is … Read more
Aaron Copland composed music known for its “American” sound during a time when music in the United States was still heavily influenced by the European … Read more
Known for his contributions to both public education and church music, Lowell Mason’s early music training was in singing and structure of hymns. By the … Read more
It is not uncommon to find that film producers either choose to not commission a new score, preferring instead to use existing classical music. Other … Read more