One of the most famous sequences of Gregorian chant, Dies Irae – “Day of Wrath” – describes the Last Judgment of souls before God where the saved will go to heaven and the unsaved cast into eternal flames of suffering. This 13th-century plainchant melody has since been used by composers throughout time to symbolize death, […]
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When you think of outer space, you might be swept away by feelings of grandeur and longing. You might look up at the stars and feel small, wondering what exactly is out there for us to discover. You might even be swept away by the gorgeous colors and sensations of the unknown. And you wouldn’t […]
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Now that we are well into April, it is definitely officially springtime. Leaves are starting to sprout on the trees, the weather is slowly warming up; summer is just around the corner! Let’s celebrate the season by listening to some classical music inspired by spring. Spring, Op. 34 by Alexander Glazunov Glazunov (1865-1936) composed Spring, […]
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In the first half of the 20th century, Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) composed a collection of 26 character pieces known as A próle do bébé – “The Baby’s Family”. Published over the course of three books, each “series” has its own unique storyline. These virtuosic pieces are not meant for children to play, however; […]
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Happy April! Because we are well into spring, I wanted to share some of my favorite relaxing ambient music to help celebrate the new season. Each track takes the listener into a beautiful, flower-filled world full of color, imagery, and life. Relaxing Ambient Music Wildflowers This track is part of my album A Million Skies, […]
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On March 15, 2019, Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi released a new studio album: Seven Days Walking: Day One. This heartfelt album is the first in a huge musical project, where Einaudi plans on releasing a new album each month (the rest being Day Two, Day Three, etc. through Day Seven) over the next six months. […]
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I had the pleasure of attending a choir concert put on by the Oregon State University choral program last week. Because my sister sang in two of the choirs at this concert, I thought it would be fun to break down the program a little bit and discuss how the composers created some stunning imagery […]
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It’s almost spring! As the weather starts to warm up and the days get longer, it’s no wonder composers are inspired by this time of year. The new growth and vivid colors make for some beautiful imagery – and music. With that in mind, here is some of the most beautiful classical music inspired by […]
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Happy International Women’s Day! To celebrate, I want to share with you some of my favorite contemporary female composers. Check out these posts here for more awesome women composers! Contemporary Female Composers Jennifer Higdon My first introduction to Higdon was a listening assignment for my music theory class in college. The professor made us listen […]
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Whether it’s water, summertime, or cold weather, nature is a huge inspiration to artists of all kinds. In today’s post, let’s take a look at some classical music inspired by clouds. Nuages by Debussy This beautiful work uses harmonies, melodic motifs, and subtle changes in the music to create an image of clouds. Read my […]
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