The benefit of working with a living composer is you can get instruction and clarification directly from the source. On the other hand, it might b...
- Added: Apr 30, 2009
- Length: :25
Cuban guitarist Manuel Barrueco has been playing guitar and making music for more than 40 years. His love affair with the guitar began almost inno...
- Added: Apr 30, 2009
- Length: :22
It's wonderful to have a large circle of friends, but the best friends are those who stand by you – the ones who've "got your back." Pianist Jean-...
- Added: Apr 30, 2009
- Length: :18
How does a performer choose the music they'll play? First and foremost, performers play the music they love – the music that resonates for them. ...
- Added: Apr 30, 2009
- Length: :15
It's not a "given" that the instrument a famous musician plays today was the very first instrument they played. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma's first instrumen...
- Added: Apr 30, 2009
- Length: :20
You'll hear some of the most brilliant virtuosic flourishes about midway through Debussy's First Rhapsody for Clarinet and Orchestra. They're almo...
- Added: Apr 30, 2009
- Length: :24
Dvorak's "New World" Symphony is at the top of nearly everyone's "Hit Parade" - and his other big symphonies and the Cello Concerto are not far beh...
- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :26
Alan Hovhaness is an American composer of Armenian heritage with a fascination for the Far East. He's best known for his symphony, "Mysterious Mou...
- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :21
Every orchestra has a trademark - it can be their overall sound, an instrumental section within the orchestra like the Chicago Symphony Brass, or i...
- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :29
American composer David Diamond wrote in what can comfortably be called the "romantic" tradition. He enjoyed getting rich, full-bodied sounds from...
- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :24
Mahler's Symphony No. 2 is known as the "Resurrection" Symphony. It's a religious work of sorts, but conductor Ivan Fischer says Mahler wasn't rea...
- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :25
How does one interpret music? How do performers and conductors decide how to shape and craft the music they play? Conductor Gerard Schwarz likes ...
- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :20
When Beethoven wrote his last piano sonata, we can say with near certainty he was completely deaf. The Sonata is filled with surprises. Pianist S...
- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :24
How do performers and conductors choose the way they shape the music they play? It's different for each performer. Some look to history or academ...
- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :19
On a few occasions, pianist Simone Dinnerstein gets herself into trouble on the concert stage. Nothing too serious, but the difficulty usually beg...
- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :25
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein's most recent CD begins with the French Suite No. 5 by Bach. Here's her brief translation of the French in the French S...
- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :21
Beethoven's last piano sonata contains one of classical music's all-time most shocking moments. Right in the middle of the sonata, without warning...
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- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :25
- Purchases: 1
There really is no such thing as an overnight success. It's a myth, or a misunderstanding at best. Or...is it? On one August day in 2007, pianis...
- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :29
It's not uncommon for performers to study the historical and theoretical aspects of the music they play. Pianist Simone Dinnerstein knows her hist...
- Added: Mar 31, 2009
- Length: :25
It's surprising, if not shocking, to learn that Bach's music became pretty much unknown after his death. It was Mendelssohn who resurrected his mu...
- Added: Mar 02, 2009
- Length: :23
The frequent trumpet solos are literally the high point of the Bach Brandenburg Concerto Number 2. Those sky piercing notes may be exciting and gl...
- Added: Mar 02, 2009
- Length: :22
Conductor Arturo Toscanini was known as the poster child for bad behavior on the podium. Fortunately, the days of the yelling, screaming, raging t...
- Added: Mar 02, 2009
- Length: :25
There are a few things you might want to know about Russian composer Alexander Glazunov: he was a child prodigy, and like Mozart, could compose an...
- Added: Mar 02, 2009
- Length: :23
You may have heard that the future of the recording industry is somewhat up in the air as new technologies make it possible to access music in new ...
- Added: Mar 02, 2009
- Length: :22
When violinist Julia Fischer performs with other musicians, she likes that opportunity to make personal connections on stage. When she plays the S...
- Added: Mar 02, 2009
- Length: :26
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