Famous Composers and Their Habits
Sometimes listeners have trouble identifying music they hear, and they try to at least guess the composer. Sometimes it’s easy (like Haydn vs. Bartok), but sometimes it’s very difficult (Mozart vs. Haydn). We all have our favorite composers that we can always identify, but no matter who you are, there’s bound to be a work…
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violinguy
The Classics – Gateways to Even Better Music
One of the criticisms I hear a lot regarding classical music is, there is only so much Mozart, Beethoven, or Tchaikovsky out there. While that is true, most novice classical music lovers are usually unaware of the awesome depth of fine music from any one composer. Mozart has 41 symphonies to choose from. Brahms wrote…
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violinguy
Rock and Pop Ripped from Classical Music
I have always said that without church music there would be no secular music (baroque, classical, etc.), and without classical music, there would be no rock or pop music. There are so many great rock and pop artists who write great melodies. Some pop artists are excellent composers in their own right. Paul McCartney wrote…
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violinguy
Another Tournament Update – Bach and Mozart
The other two brackets have completed their games so it’s time to get the results. If you missed the other results, you can see them here. Will there be any big upsets like the Stravinsky bracket provided? Will Mozart and Bach have the same drama as the other brackets? Let’s find out. Bach Bracket –…
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violinguy
Tournament Update – Beethoven and Stravinsky Brackets
The games are afoot, so to speak, in the Tournament of Classical Music! Here is the first update and results post. Now, this year I’m determining the results on my own. In future years, with more readers, I will probably put it to a vote. As far as this year is concerned, I am going…
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violinguy
Tournament of Classical Music – The Brackets
March is here, and with it comes the madness. March Madness to be exact. My version of March Madness is The Tournament of Classical Music. This post announces the brackets and the play-in game winners. For an overview and explanation of the rules, you can read this post. Finally, don’t forget that this list includes…
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violinguy
The Tournament of Classical Music – Overview
I’ve been wanting to do something like this for many years. The Tournament of Classical Music. The NCAA basketball tournament is one of my favorite 3 weeks in sports and it’s coming soon. Sixty-four teams (not including the play-in games) compete for the national championship. There is a bracket which works its way down to…
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violinguy
Lesser Known Masterpieces of John Williams
John Williams is arguably the finest film composer who ever lived, and he is still working right now (on Star Wars ep. VIII and eventually ep. IX). I have known his music since I was a child and spent hours listening to the 4-LP set of the original Star Wars (now titled “A New Hope”). …
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violinguy
Arranging Music for Any Ensemble
With the advent of music editing software like Sibelius or Finale, I have had a renewed interest in composing over the last 10-15 years. Composing is more of a hobby for me, but arranging music has become more than that. I have started making serious money by arranging different music for different ensembles and now…
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violinguy
The 5 Best Mendelssohn Scherzos
Felix Mendelssohn is one of my favorite composers (but is he on Mt. Rushmore?). He was just as much a child prodigy as Mozart ever was, and just like Mozart, he didn’t live to see his 40th birthday. He gets far too little credit, mostly because he wasn’t revolutionary in his composing. Like Brahms, he…
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violinguy
The Best Pieces of Classical Music in Every Key
Classical Music by Key – Introduction (and excuses in advance) In classical music (and even popular music), the key of a piece is one of the most important choices a composer makes. Every key has its own characteristics that can make a symphony great, or boring. For example, Spinal Tap says that D minor is…
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violinguy
How Does That Make You Feel? – Emotion in Music
Emotion in music is a huge topic. Music makes people feel all kinds of emotions, and not the same for everyone. People are always asking, “What’s the most depressing piece of music?” or “What is the happiest symphony?” These feelings are going to be different depending on who you are. Below, I’m going to give…
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