May 8, 2020
Today we call them art songs, but when this specific genre first appeared in the late 18th century, they were simply “songs,” nearly always scored for what is now a classic combination: piano and voice. At the time, the Industrial Revolution was helping to create a new class of music lovers. The new Middle Class …
April 30, 2020
Classical music has stood the test of time for many reasons, its beauty, complexity, and the vastness of repertoire have inspired audiences for hundreds of years. Within classical music, there are several pieces that have become iconic through use in special events such as graduations, weddings, classic films, and even cartoons! In this list, we’ll …
April 16, 2020
Countless musicians have been inspired by nature, and many have left us quotations describing their feelings for the natural world. Here is a collection of seven quotes about nature from classical composers, paired with compositions that reflect their love of the natural world.
April 6, 2020
“Music and poetry have ever been acknowledg’d Sisters, which walking hand in hand, support each other; As Poetry is the harmony of Words, so Musick is that of Notes; and as Poetry is a Rise above Prose and Oratory, so is Musick the exaltation of Poetry. Both of them may excel apart, but sure they …
March 26, 2020
The Miró Quartet, who visited Portland in February hosted by Chamber Music NW, is celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth with the release of the complete string quartets. They began around 2005 with the Opus 18 (Beethoven’s first published set), recording them at the same age the composer was when he wrote them, in other …
March 18, 2020
Women are helping to shape the sound of classical music right now, as musicians, artists, and most certainly as conductors. Here are some of our favorite American women conductors. Marin Alsop Marin Alsop is an inspiring and powerful voice, a conductor of vision and distinction who passionately believes that “music has the power to change …
March 18, 2020
There’s a rich assortment of music about springtime in the classical repertoire, ranging from Schumann’s Spring Symphony Op.38, to Beethoven’s “Spring” Violin Sonata Op.24 (not that Beethoven himself ever called it a “Spring” Sonata), to Vivaldi’s perennially popular (pun definitely intended) violin concerto, “Spring” from The Four Seasons. In fact, there’s so much classical music …
March 18, 2020
Throughout Western music history, women have produced innovative, moving compositions, and the realm of early music is no exception. In this list, we’ll profile nine of the many pathfinding women who composed from the Middle Ages to the High Baroque.
March 1, 2020
If you’re familiar with the history of classical music, you may know that historically classical music hasn’t been the most welcoming field for women, and there is a long way to go before women classical composers of today are performed and recognized at the same level as their male peers. That said, here are some …
February 12, 2020
Black History Month is a time for me to reminisce and give thanks to those who have paved the way for Black and Brown people in classical music and thinking of all of the Black and Brown service members who have paved the way for my family. It wasn’t until a few years ago when …
