Should Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto be performed on the erhu?
Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto is a masterpiece of lyricism with just the right amount of melancholy in the second movement. That’s expected of Tchaikovsky, as he … Read more
CLASSICAL
Watch centuries of classical music history in three minutes
An entertaining video takes you on a romp through the centuries-long history of classical music in a matter of minutes. Beginning with Hildegard von Bingen, … Read more
John Williams confirms he will score eighth Star Wars film
John Williams, Hollywood’s most decorated film composer, has relieved Star Wars fans by confirming that he will be scoring the soundtrack for the upcoming eighth … Read more
Dirty Dancing UK touring production using recorded backing tracks.
Many of us remember the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing as the ultimate feel-good summer romance, with a dorky female lead falling for her dance instructor … Read more
Another violinist stopped from travelling on plane with instrument
Norwegian Air is another airline to be accused by a musician of denying an instrument passage in the cabin. Ellen Fjærvoll Samdal reported that a … Read more
Remembering the first ever Proms concert
On 10 August 1895, the first in a series of promenade concerts was held at London’s Queen’s Hall. The goal was to offer classical music … Read more
Orchestra hoping for younger audiences by offering free concert tickets
There’s never an end to gloomy reports about classical music losing out to other genres and claims that young people are not engaged with it. … Read more
You may not recognise Marni Nixon, but you’ve surely heard her voice
Soprano Marni Nixon recently passed away at 86, following complications from breast cancer. Her name might not spark instant recognition as in the case of … Read more
Apple improves iTunes for classical music fans
We have noted before that Apple has been far from perfect in making its music offerings work for classical music fans. But a new development … Read more
A new way to learn the violin
A new method of teaching the violin is growing in popularity, and it doesn’t rely on traditional approaches or concentrate solely on classical music. The … Read more
Who are the musicians playing a Stradivarius?
Several world-class soloists play violins by Antonio Stradivari, but those instruments are not universally cherished as one might think. Christian Tetzlaff, for example, stopped playing … Read more
New Beethoven portrait covers 1 million square feet
Ludwig Van Beethoven’s portraits depict a man with an intense gaze,a strong jaw, furrowed brows and a mane of wavy hair. Those features lend themselves … Read more
HBO’s Bolshoi Babylon takes a look behind the scenes
You may remember that in January 2013, the artistic director of the Bolshoi Theater Sergei Filin suffered serious injuries after getting sulphuric acid thrown in … Read more
Have you ever seen this rare footage of Glenn Gould practicing?
Prepare to be mesmerized by this video of Glenn Gould practicing the Sinfonia part of The Partita no.2 by Johann Sebastian Bach. A lifelong admirer … Read more
Opera doesn’t just move you emotionally
Music moves you, that is a fact. And this doesn’t just happen to music lovers. Unlike other forms of art, music is able to stir … Read more