I love Christmas. Like, I really love Christmas. I love how there is an emphasis on spending time with family and being kind to others. I love the cold weather (even though it doesn’t really snow here in western Oregon 🙁 ) and hot chocolate and twinkling lights. But probably the thing I love most about Christmas […]
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Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn (also known as Joseph Haydn or Papa Haydn) is a staple of the Classical era. Throughout his lifetime (1732-1809), he was highly regarded as a composer; in fact, he is known as “Father of the Symphony” and “Father of the String Quartet” because he was instrumental (pun definitely intended) in shaping […]
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Background In 1808, the Russian Empire marched into Finland and overthrew its Swedish rule. By the end of 1809, Finland had become subject to Russian rule and remained so until 1917. I certainly wouldn’t be happy if the Russian Empire declared itself ruler over my country, so it’s no surprise that Finland wasn’t very happy […]
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“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” penned Shakespeare in the late 16th century. The famous love story Romeo and Juliet has been read time and time again, and many a composer has called upon the play’s tragic woes as inspiration for new music. From ballet to film to Broadway, musical interpretations of Romeo and […]
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Sometimes the term “classical music” elicits groans. Thoughts of long, boring concerts full of long, boring music tend to scare listeners away from the seemingly outdated instrumental medium. And then there’s the daunting (yet maybe stereotypical?) image of the concert hall: the formal orchestra and an auditorium full of the cultured and well-dressed who attend so they can listen to serious and […]
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