I opened the class blog with Anthony Tommasini article, “The Greatest,” where he provides his top 10 list of THE GREATEST classical composers of all time. Again, here’s his list: Bach Beethoven Mozart Schubert Debussy Stravinsky Brahms Verdi Wagner Bartok … Continue reading
Mary Hubbell brought to class many examples of the “broken rules” in Western Classical Music of the twentieth century. Singers were confronted with many new demands and expectations by composers. Composition was not confined to notes and rests. Cathy Berberian’s … Continue reading
At the basic level, a conductor unifies musicians by providing guidance for tempo, dynamics, balance, and cueing. Seems simple enough, right? We have watched many renowned conductors in class: Gustavo Dudamel, Herbert von Karajan, and Leonard Bernstein. But how many times … Continue reading
Flutist Roberta Michel from Cadillac Moon Ensemble brought a great thing to our class – LIVE MUSIC. What did you think? Did you have a favorite size flute? (Piccolo? C Flute? Alto Flute? Bass Flute?) Did she change your ideas about … Continue reading
In the last movement of his last symphony, Ludvig van Beethoven gave us a new symphonic genre – the choral symphony. By including a chorus of singers proclaiming a text that celebrated brotherhood and the unity of mankind, Beethoven wrote … Continue reading
A quick blog post before the President’s day weekend. As we approach studying opera in the Classical Era, I came across a recent blog by NPR’s Tom Huizinga where he compares and contrasts how listeners equally “hate” opera and rap. The … Continue reading
I love reading the writings about music from different eras. They are full of ideas that challenge as well as remind me of circumstances of today. Below is a quote by Dr. Charles Burney (1726-1814). Burney, an Englishman, was a … Continue reading
Anthony Tommasini, a classical music critic at The New York Times, wrote a piece entitled, “The Greatest.” Tommasini provides his top 10 list of THE GREATEST classical composers of all time. What a daunting task… He has chosen from hundreds … Continue reading