Enjoying Opera
The most accessible genres of classical music are those which combine music with drama – namely ballet and opera. These […]
CULTURE
The Scarlattis
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725) Alessandro was a great composer of vocal music – operas, cantatas, oratorios and motets. Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)
“The Life of Chopin” by Franz Liszt
When I came across this book by chance, I pounced on it! It was written in french shortly after Chopin’s
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Playing Bach on the church organ
A sizeable proportion of Bach’s oeuvre was written for the organ, and this in itself is a good enough reason
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Describing classical music
It’s tempting to try to describe the music we love, and we can build up a battery of seemingly useful
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The plays of Shakespeare – a quick overview
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is simply the greatest name in English literature. He is remembered above all for his incredible collection
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The music of Mr and Mrs Schumann
Before overcome by manic depression and ending up in an asylum, probably brought on by the syphilis he suffered from
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A short guide to ballet
How ballets are born Ballets come into existence in two ways: a composer specifically writes orchestral music intended for
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What is “Neo-Classical architecture”?
It’s simply one of the worst styles of architecture to have been inflicted on Europe and America. Neo-Classicism spans
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The music of Schubert
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) contracted syphilis at 25, and died at the tragically young age of 31, so much of his
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