Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker is one of today’s most recognizable – and influential – Christmas works. The ballet has an interesting history, though – one that began four years before its premiere. Background How Sleeping Beauty’s Success Led to The Nutcracker In 1888, Ivan Vsevolozhsky (Director of the Imperial Theaters, an opera and ballet theater in St. […]
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It’s hard to believe that October is almost over! So this week I thought it would be fun to listen to some classical music directly inspired by this final autumn month. Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847) In the summer of 1831, Mendelssohn Hensel began composing a piano cycle named Das Jahr (which means “The Year”). This 13-piece work […]
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Last week we talked about the development of the string quartet, a Classical era genre of music that involves two violins, a viola, and a cello. (Click here for that post.) Since “Father of the String Quartet” Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) established the quartet as a legit ensemble, many composers have continued to develop the genre. […]
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Some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful music was born out of religion. From church chant to contemporary hymns, music is one of the best ways to worship, as it is one of the purest forms of communication. The Cherubic Hymn (also known as Cherubikon, or “song of the angels” in Greek) is one such piece of music […]
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How do you make a film score memorable? Aside from catchy themes and exciting rhythms, composer John Williams has turned to classical roots for his Star Wars scores, making them some of the most well-known film scores to date. In honor of Star Wars Day today, let’s take a look at some Star Wars music […]
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It’s almost December! I hope you are all enjoying this season of love, family, and twinkling lights. 🙂 I personally love the cold weather – especially the snow and the music! And because Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” is a winter classic, that got me thinking. Has he written any other music inspired by winter? The answer is yes! So in […]
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The violin is a string instrument widely used since its development in 16th century Italy. From that point on, composers have written incredible music for this instrument in solo and group form. Let’s explore some of that music in today’s post. Bach Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor In 1720, Johann Sebasian Bach composed […]
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