Next week is Valentines Day, which means – of course – that there is no better way to celebrate love than by listening to classical music inspired by it. Please enjoy this playlist I have created of classical music inspired by love, and stay tuned for part 2! Kreisleriana (Op. 16) by Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Background […]
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Divenire means “to become”. And that’s exactly the story that this piece tells. This orchestral/piano work is the title track of Ludovico Einaudi‘s album Divenire, which he released in 2006: Einaudi’s Inspiration Einaudi says of Divenire on his website: “Divenire developed over a long period, beginning in 2002 when I was invited by the organisers of the festival […]
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I had the wonderful opportunity last Friday to watch local pianist Sunghee Kim perform a concert at Oregon State University’s free Friday lunch concert series. Kim presented three pieces: Bach’s Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, Sonata No. 23 in F minor by Beethoven, and Ballade No. 1 in G minor by Chopin. While I […]
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Echoes was created out of an improvisation. I remember sitting at the piano, letting my fingers dance. Sounds old and new filled my ears as I shut my eyes and let the music wander as it chose. A lush chord here juxtaposed with a sharp rhythm there, painting waves and light gliding across an eager, […]
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Does anyone else love listening to film scores? Because I love listening to film scores. Film music is a wonderful way to escape reality because of the (literal) stories that go along with the music. Today I want to share one of my favorite film scores: The Imitation Game (2014). The movie is loosely based on […]
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A funeral march is a musical work with a slow, stately pulse – typically in a minor key and in 4/4 time – imitating a funeral procession. While the specific origins of the funeral march are unknown, books of military music suggest that the earliest funeral marches were slow, simple beats kept on a large […]
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How many pieces of music do you know that incorporate the actual sound of the sun into the work? Amelia Chain’s composition “Solstice” uses real recordings of our sun in the work (both as the inspiration and as a musical element). Chain was inspired to create the piece after talking to her daughter about the […]
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Ludovico Einaudi. I’ve heard his name come up often over the last year or so, but for some reason I never listened to his music. That is until someone suggested I find something of his to play on the piano, and I was amazed. Einaudi creates his own unique, colorful world through his music, and […]
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cozy nights by the fire. family. happiness, peace, and redemption. the first snowfall. good food. smiles. worship to God. the excitement of Christmas Eve night. self reflection. opening presents. hot chocolate (bonus points for whipped cream). laughter til your side aches. matching pajamas and twinkling lights. decorating the Christmas tree. wrapping paper. home alone (the […]
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French Origins It’s winter, 1847. In a small French town, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure – wine commissioner and poet instead of church-goer – pens a poem for Christmas Mass, as requested by the local priest. Using the Bible as his guide, Cappeau imagined what it would be like to witness Jesus on the night of […]
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