Before we jump into this blog post, let’s listen to the focus piece first. Because it is so beautiful. Background Maurice Ravel was a French composer who lived from 1875-1937. He is best known for composing in the style of French Impressionism (a musical movement focused on creating an atmosphere and describing moods and emotions in […]
Read More
Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, teacher, arranger, organist, philanthropist, and author Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was a virtuoso. He began playing the piano at a young age, and by the time he was eight years old he was already composing. And, as you can see, he spent his whole life studying, writing, and performing music. I’m not […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
Yes, that’s right. Beethoven and Star Wars. What do they have in common? This post will explore that very question, but I am not going to explain the correlation until you have a little bit of background, so stay with me. First, a brief history of Ludvig van Beethoven – pianist and composer extraordinaire. A […]
Read More
“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 […]
Read More
Learn about the life and music of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Read More
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 Thoughts of long, boring concerts full of long, boring music tend to scare listeners away from the seemingly outdated instrumental medium.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 […]
Read More