Classical

A list of rock and pop songs that have benefitted from the work of classical composers

With 60 first place international awards, this young pianist's career is slated to be legendary.

In music history, there are six main periods. These different periods (eras) represent the evolution of Western art music. Read further and explore the Romantic Era.

Michael Praetorius was a prolific composer of the seventeenth century. His compositions are loved today and his written work about music is a valuable resource.

The writings of the great Soviet violin pedagogue Yuri Yankelevich has for the first time been translated into English and published in the book "The Russian Violin School: The Legacy of Yuri Yankelevich." This article highlights two of his original essays.

A rich repertoire is available for recorder consorts. I describe the instrument, some music written for it, and some ensembles. I also include performances.

John Dowland was a popular and prolific composer of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. His songs and instrumental music are still enjoyed and studied.

A brief survey on selected pedagogical publications of Greek violin teacher, Demetrius Constantine Dounis.

The beauty of the moon and its symbolic meanings have inspired many songs around the world. Some lovely folk and traditional songs about the moon exist.

Passive, aggressive and everything in between, there is rarely a time when wind cannot be detected in the air. Read how composers have been influenced by wind: Chopin, Sibelius, Debussy, Szymanowski, Britten, Takemitsu, Vaughan Williams, John Luther Adams, and Michael Burritt.

The last ice age finished around 11,700 years ago and when you think of ice, what comes to mind? Read about composers who have been inspired by ice: Prokoviev, Schubert, Vaughan Williams, Waldteufel, Purcell, Peter Maxwell Davies, Terje Isungset and George Fenton.

Rain is a life giver. No wonder there are so many rain gods devoted to it. Read how composers have be inspired by rain: Chopin, Debussy, Brahms, Britten, Takemitsu, Schubert, Gerard Finzi, and Hamish MacCann.

Lovely Christmas songs can be found in the early music genre and in the music of more recent times. In this article, I include and discuss twelve of these songs.

From crystal clear mountain tarns to the Caspian Sea, lakes have drawn mankind to both appreciate and fear their charms. Read how these composers have been inspired to write about them: Tchaikovsky, Vaughan Williams, Lyadov, Eric Coates, Ola Gjeilo, Alan Hovhaness, Thea Musgrave and Robert Farnon.

Dogs are commonly called man's best friend. Maybe not so much wolves and foxes, but read about how composers have been inspired by these wonderful creatures - Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Janáĉek, Prokoviev, Charles Lecoq, Franz Reizenstein and George Crumb.

Many of us love Autumn's warm colours. They glow beautifully before they fall and nurture the earth. These composers have been inspired by Autumn: Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Vivaldi, Rautavaara, Massenet, Britten, Milhaud, Piazzolla, Oliver Knussen, Thea Musgrave, Edward MacDowell and John Cage.

To some gardeners, roses are indispensable. Combining exquisite flowers with gorgeous scent they can be hard to resist. And when looking for a name for a new rose, why not turn to the great composers for inspiration. Read about 8 composers and the roses that they have been named after.

Souling in order to receive a small cake is an old tradition that was a forerunner of trick-or-treating. The lovely "Soul Cake" song has been recorded by multiple artists.

Samhain was the Celtic precursor of Halloween. The festival celebrated the last harvest of the year and the nearness of the Otherworld. Today's event often includes music.

Composers have found inspiration in ghostly matters and the psychological elements they inevitably throw up. Read how Stravinsky, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Britten, Schumann, Dvorak, Wagner, Strauss, Vaughan Williams, Gilbert & Sullivan and Adolphe Adam have set ghostly themes to music.

Now a subject very much in vogue due to the Harry Potter books, sorcerers or wizards have been a source of inspiration for many composers. Read interpretations from Dukas, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Delibes, Stravinsky, Purcell, Gilbert and Sullivan, Adolph Adam and Rimsky-Korsakov, and Andrew Thomas.

It's hardly surprising that composers have written about the devil—according to that well-known phrase he's supposed to get the best tunes. Read about composers who found devilish inspiration: Tartini, Gounod, Mussorgsky, Saint-Saëns, Berlioz, Liszt, Stravinsky, Verdi, Boito and John Field.

In this third part, comparing Ravel's orchestration of "Pictures At An Exhibition" with Mussorgsky's primeval dark, stark piano solo, we examine how Mussorgsky has been eclipsed by conventional instrumentation which isn't necessarily faithful to the original.

Continuing to answer the questions of why the orchestration of "Pictures At An Exhibition," one of Ravel's most popular works, has overshadowed Mussorgsky's monumentally original suite for solo piano and why Ravel does not necessarily do it justice.

The orchestration of Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exhibition" has become one of Ravel's most popular works, yet most people are unaware of the original solo piano version's stark, brooding character, which was unadorned by the trappings of the brilliance of Ravel's indulgent instrumentation.

The Earth, home to a myriad of flora and fauna and humans who have inhabited every continent of the planet. Read how composers have been inspired by our fascinating globe: Haydn, Mahler, Milhaud, Schönberg, John Luther Adams, Andrew Christie and Austin Fray, George Fenton and Harrison Birtwistle.

Man has found solace in trees, woods and forests since time immemorial. Trees are essential to life on Earth. Read about how composers have been inspired by trees: Schubert, Schumann, Verdi, Liszt, Shostakovich, Saint-Saëns, Johann Strauss II, Respighi, Roussel and Edward McDowell.

Indian classical music is known for its diverse form of melodic structure and rhythmic improvisation associated with time cycles. This article celebrates the greatest vocalists and instrumentalists in Indian classical music.

Mirrors have played a significant part as part of man's spiritual, mystical and ceremonial heritage since the dawn of ages. Read how composers have expressed their view of reflections: Ravel, Avo Pärt, Poulenc, Henri Dutilleux, Strauss, Barber, Hendrik Andrriessen, and an unverified piece by Mozart.

Whether you prefer big blooms, heavy scents, or tiny, almost insignificant florets, there is a flower for you. Read about Tchaikovsky, Johann Strauss II, Schumann, Bizet, Delibes, Puccini, Jean Françaix, and other composers who have been inspired to write about flowers.

This article has been written as a guide for musicians taking high level music diplomas to help in the successful production of program notes. This also provides a basis to learn an effective way to write program notes for concerts and other professional performances.

For thousands of years man has been fascinated by the moon, finally landing on it in 1969. Read about inspiration taken from the moon by composers: Haydn, Beethoven, Debussy, Schonberg, Britten, Dvorak, Janacek and Vítězslav Novak.

Priests normally preach through sermons; these talented priests spoke through music. Their lives of prayer served as a wellspring of creativity.

Man has been able to create fire for at least a million years. Read about how composers of classical music have written music inspired by fire, including Debussy, Beethoven, Manuel de Falla, Shostakovich, Haydn, Prokoviev, Handel and Stravinsky.

Everyone has to eat and drink. It's one of life's pleasures, whether a traditional roast dinner with all the trimmings or a vegan Indian spread of many dishes. Classical music with food at its heart by Debussy, Prokofiev, Satie, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Bach, Mozart, Verdi, and Schubert.

The classical music genre includes some lovely music about mothers. Sharing a playlist of these pieces is a great way to celebrate motherhood or Mother’s Day.

I don't know anyone who doesn't dream in their sleep or have dreams they want to achieve. Read about composers who have taken inspiration from dreams: Debussy, Liszt, Berlioz, Takemitsu, Ravel and Giles Farnaby.

All of us have encountered storms of one sort or another in our lives. Unsurprisingly, composers have written music to conjure them up. Read how Haydn, Johann Strauss II, Khachaturian, Beethoven, Berlioz and Britten have found inspiration from storms in their music.

Read about composers using snow as their inspiration: Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, Vaughan Williams, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Liszt, and the little known Sviridov. They all used snow in different guises to show off their art.

Read about classical music composers depicting morningtime, Ravel, Debussy, Haydn, Elgar, Roussel, Grieg and Delius all taking inspiration in different ways, from Greek classical literature and a painted ceiling to time spent on an orange plantation.

Read through the night with John Field, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Manuel de Falla, Britten, Rossini and Mozart and Schönberg. On the way visit gardens, sirens and lovers working out a painful relationship, tolling bells and evening sunsets and a bit of light entertainment fit for a soirée.

Read about composers' visions of travel. Ravel, Mahler, Honegger, Offenbach, Vaughan Willliams , Jan Sandström and John Adams all composed pieces based on a form of transport, boats, bikes, locomotives and aeroplanes, and of course, feet.

Doug Perry is a percussionist, composer and music educator based in Connecticut. His musical passions and abilities span a wide range of genres from jazz to classical, traveling down many other musical avenues along the way.

Read about what tragedies befell some of our most treasured composers - Purcell, Dvorak, Alban Berg, Weber, Bizet, Arriaga and Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn.

Have you heard of the ondes Martenot, the lira organizzata, theramin, barytone, arpeggione, musical saw, musical clock or glass harmonica? Unusual instruments great composers have written for.

The cornett, cornetto, or zink produces a lovely sound that often resembles the human voice. It has finger holes like a recorder and a mouthpiece like a trumpet.

Read about great female pianists, Kathryn Stott, Mitsuko Uchida, Angela Hewitt, Maria Joao Pires, Marta Argerich, Alicia de Larrocha and some wonderful pianists from a bygone age like Lili Kraus.

With all the choices in music to listen to today, it's no wonder that many people shy away from music that they don’t understand. This article will explain Why You Should Listen to Classical Music.

Rigoletto is a popular opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi. In this article, I discuss the opera's history, plot, and leading characters. I also include some of its lovely music.