Classical Music and Visual Arts For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of continually learning and exploring the world is the links that are often unearthed on that journey. Sometimes it’s by ...

The Influence of Reggae on UK Bands In the late 1970s, a UK band called The Police formed in London, England. In 1978, their album Outlandos d’Amour, which included huge hits like Roxanne and Can’t ...

Minimalism in Classical Composition Minimalism grew organically out of a reaction to the Western creative cultures that dominated the landscape of late 1950s America. Since then, its popularity and ...

The Role of Patronage in Baroque Era Music Unlike today, where composers can receive or pitch for commissions from individuals, companies, or foundations, the options for funding during the Baroque ...

The Role of Music in Film and Television If you’re ever in doubt about the strength of influence music has on a film, try watching a favorite scene from a movie without the score. Better still, watch ...

The Impact of Stradivarius on Violin Making In a recent article, I gave a broad account of the evolution of the violin with a particular focus on the work of the Cremona luthiers. At the head of this ...

The Simplicity and Emotional Power of Mozart’s Music In addition, many of W.A. Mozart’s operatic arias are not always harmonically complex. Some are, and he was not a composer who in any way shied ...

Equally, the collection he titled Estampes from 1903 includes a beautiful piece, Jardins Sous La Pluie; there is more than a hint of a raga in the fast-moving right-hand melodic line. Olivier Messiaen ...

Germany Classical Music Festivals Germany holds many well-established festivals, notably in the summer months. The Dresden Festival runs between 18th May – 18th June and has included some big names ...

Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring Impact With the distance of one hundred and ten years between us now and the premiere of Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring, it can be difficult to understand ...

Italian Opera Influence on Classical Music To appreciate the extensive influence Italian opera has had on Classical music we need to take a good look into its past. One claim is that Italian opera ...

The music may tell a story and is sometimes modal. Certain instruments can characterize the sound of Irish or Scottish folk music like the Uilleann Pipes, the fiddle or the Bodhran. There are many ...