Meet Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Пётр Ильич Чайковский for those who can read it). A flamboyant orchestral composer, he is best remembered for the range of his dynamics: the use of actual cannons in his 1812 Overture to his gentle The Nutcracker and heart wrenching Swan Lake. Born in 1840 in a small town in Russia, Tchaikovsky grew …
Meet the Composers: Palestrina
Meet Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Known as the "Prince of Music" he is responsible for hundreds of works that are known as "absolute perfection." I love his music so much that he is a supporting character in a novel I wrote (not yet published; I'll let you all know when it is). Perhaps this is …
Ravel: Rigaudon from Le Tombeau de Couperin
You made it to the weekend! I wanted to share one of my favorite pieces as a fun way to start the weekend. The "Rigaudon" from Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin is one of the pieces that made me fall in love with piano, and it's just a fun piece to both listen to and play …
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Mozart: Rondo in D Major, K.485
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO3_mblaIlY This song will forever remain one of my favorite pieces to play and listen to. In this recording, Horowitz beautifully captures the lightness and wit that Mozart is known for. In fact, this piece itself is a bit of a musical joke. A Rondo is a form that repeats a theme, in this piece, …