Characteristics of Baroque Music: An Introduction
In terms of Western Art, the Baroque period followed the Renaissance and is broadly agreed to cover the years from 1600 until around 1750 when … Read more
Dr Justin Wildridge
How Hard Is Un Sospiro? by Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt gained a formidable and deserved reputation during his long life, as a virtuoso pianist and composer. For many pianists studying and performing the … Read more
Formalism In Music – Music Composition and Theory
We enter a weighty, academic world when exploring the title above. It’s a fascinating and consuming aspect of the study of music but one that … Read more
What Instruments Did Tchaikovsky Play?
It feels slightly wrong to simply title this article with the name Tchaikovsky when he properly deserves his full title of Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 … Read more
What Instruments Did JS Bach Play?
Composer and legendary performer JS Bach was by all accounts a remarkable musician. When we look back this far in time it is commonly very … Read more
Why Was The Marriage Of Figaro Considered To Be Controversial?
Opera buff or not, you are unlikely not to recognise the title above of one of WA Mozart’s most discussed, analysed and performed operas: The … Read more
How Classical Music has Influenced Modern Music
The way I intend to explore this question is both modern in terms of modern classical music and modern popular music. Both genres have evolved … Read more
Classical vs Romantic Music (Differences Between Classical And Romantic Music)
This article is going to give two highly important periods of Western Classical Music a chance to square up to one another and discover how … Read more
What Makes Mozart Famous?
If you visit Austria today, and in particular Salzburg, you could be forgiven for thinking that WA Mozart was a manufacturer of chocolate or liqueurs. … Read more
Swing vs Straight Rhythm: What’s The Difference?
Rhythm is a vital element of music. It is one that we respond to almost innately whether a pounding techno-beat or a lilting waltz, rhythm … Read more
Why Are Bassoons So Expensive?
All too frequently, the purchase of a musical instrument can be a costly one. This can be particularly true if one is aspiring to an … Read more
Why Are Oboes So Expensive?
Popularity can often determine the cost of a musical instrument. Take for example the humble electric guitar. Nearly everyone I’ve ever met has at one … Read more
The Characteristics Of Minimalist Music: An Introduction
Even if you have not come across the term minimalist about music, the chances are you have listened to minimalist music. Since Michael Nyman coined … Read more
Characteristics Of Mozart Music: An Introduction
If you ask almost anyone to name a classical composer, they are highly likely to name Mozart. In part, this is because his music has … Read more
Why Were Castrati Used In Baroque Music?
This, perhaps, is not a topic for the faint-hearted. From the word, you may already have guessed what this means in terms of physical alteration, … Read more