The delicate dance to preserve the magic of Abbey Road’s legendary Studio One
Nearly a century after its opening, Studio One underwent a six-month, multimillion-pound refurbishment, with the main priority being the preservation of one very important thing: the sound.
Don't Miss a Beat
After Gathering Dust for 200 Years, How Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 Was Rediscovered
Franz Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 collected dust for nearly 200 years in the National Museum in Prague before it became a staple of the cello repertoire. Music historians had always known of the concerto’s existence, thanks to Haydn’s diligent records: the work is included in both of his personal catalogues, dating it circa 1765. Beyond those brief mentions, ...
Check Out the Sights and Sounds of Chicago’s Only Classical Music Street Fest
In the summer, Chicago is teeming with block parties and street fests. Over the weekend, the Thirsty Ears Classical Music Street Festival filled the block of Wilson Avenue between Ravenswood and Hermitage with music you won’t likely hear at other Chicago street fests – or at least, not in this format. Thirsty Ears, a two-year-old project of the Chicago organization ...
Hear the Mass Some Believe Saved Church Music
You may not be familiar with his music, but we all benefit from his work. Italian Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina is often called the "Savior of Church Music."
The Secrets to Heavenly Singing from Peter Phillips, Conductor and Founder of the Tallis Scholars
"A choir is like any instrument. But because it's people, a choir is an instrument that varies far more than a string orchestra would vary, for example, or an organ."
Help Us Decide if Chopin’s ‘Marche Funèbre’ Played Backwards Is More Morose Than the Original
The third movement of Frédéric Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor, Op. 35 – better known as his “Marche funèbre,” or funeral march – is one of the most iconic pieces of music ever written about death. Historians believe this somber movement was inspired, at least in part, by the November Uprising, a Polish rebellion against the Russian ...
9 New Concert Halls That Should Be on Every Traveler’s Bucket List
Concert halls today are so architecturally innovative that the buildings themselves draw visitors. The venues on this list are so spectacular, they’ll be sure to have you checking to see just how many more vacation days you have left.
Chicago Celebrates 50 Years of ‘Everyone’s Picasso’ with Music and More
For 50 years, the sculpture, known simply as the Chicago Picasso, has delighted and baffled passersby. The artist never revealed his inspiration.
Video: After Coming Out as Gay, This Russian Violinist Can’t Return Home. This Is How Music Helped Him Find Acceptance.
For violinist Artem Kolesov, leaving his home country didn’t just offer the opportunity for professional advancement, it was also a chance to escape a life of constant fear and persecution.
Quiz: Can You Guess Who Composed the Music Just by Looking at the Score?
Put your musical knowledge to the test: can you guess the piece of music just by looking at an excerpt of the score?
Listening to This Bach Fantasia Arranged for Marimbas Is Like Giving Your Brain a Massage
J.S. Bach is one of the most celebrated figures in the history of music. American composer John Knowles Paine declared that Bach’s music “cannot grow antiquated,” and many modern musicians have arranged his compositions for instruments that had not yet been invented during Bach’s lifetime. Wendy Carlos changed music when she arranged Bach’s works for Moog synthesizers and helped popularize ...
