Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Bohème is about struggling artists in Paris. Its title means „the bohemian lifestyle.“ But Bohemia isn't in France; it's in the Czech Republic. Other composers such […]
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Franz Schubert wrote his Marche Militaire for piano four hands — two people playing the same instrument. Here are some more pieces for piano four hands.
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Some composers in Tchaikovsky’s day didn’t think his music sounded „Russian“ enough, but Tchaikovsky was Russian through and through. Tchaikovsky wrote symphonies, operas, songs, chamber music — and of course, […]
Ilyich Tchaikovsky Play Episode Pause Episode 1x 00:00 / 6:00 RSS Feed Share Link
Beethoven was a pianist. During his lifetime, the piano changed quite a bit, and those changes were reflected in the music Beethoven composed for the instrument. William Black, who was […]
Beethoven the Pianist Play Episode Pause Episode 1x 00:00 / 6:00 RSS Feed Share Link
„Rhapsody“ is an ancient word that means „songs stitched together“. The Greeks used to write long poems in praise of their heroes, and then take bits and pieces of those […]
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Johann Sebastian Bach was born into a musical dynasty. The Bach family had over 300 years‘ worth of professional composers and musicians, but Johann Sebastian was the most famous of […]
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Both Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughn Williams loved using folk music in their music. They were inspired by a „folk song revival“ started by an English musician named Cecil Sharp […]
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Benjamin Britten was asked to compose music for a film that explained the instruments of the orchestra to children. Britten borrowed a tune by one of his favorite composers, Henry […]
Orchestra – Part 2 Play Episode Pause Episode 1x 00:00 / 6:00 RSS Feed Share Link
A collection of musical firsts, including the first string quartet, the first use of trombones in a symphony, and the first professional musician to make a recording.
the New Year Play Episode Pause Episode 1x 00:00 / 6:00 RSS Feed Share Link
Kodály’s opera Háry János is about a real person who told real whoppers – big, fat lies. If you listened to him, you'd think he defeated Napoleon's army all by […]
of Hary Janos Play Episode Pause Episode 1x 00:00 / 6:00 RSS Feed Share Link
