Classical Musicians and Reviews

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.

Sergei Prokofiev was a major twentieth-century composer who has left us some beautiful music as a legacy. His compositions were often unusual for his time.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Lovely Christmas songs can be found in the early music genre and in the music of more recent times. Twelve of these songs are discussed and sung in this article.

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.

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

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

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.

A few classical music fun facts. Maybe they will spark an interest or maybe they are just a bit of trivia to lighten your moodl

Do you want to play piano like Nodame, but are having trouble finding all the sheet music? Here is a collection of the featured piano music in the anime and live-action drama Nodame Cantabile.

Includes embedded videos, text and translations, general remarks about each piece and specific listening guides. Learn to love Renaissance choral music (no prior knowledge required)!

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.