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Not your Grandma’s Harpsichord
Elisabeth Chojnacka (1939-2017)
I am sure you have seen popular culture caricatures of double-chinned, middle-aged chaps with fluffy powdered-wigs playing keyboard instruments producing a metallic sound? The instrument, of course, is the harpsichord and it has been around for a while. The earliest
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Please Stop the Music!
Extraordinary, isn’t it? It’s a classical concert, so presumably the audience are there because they want to hear classical music – and yet the bar is playing “bad pop” (and those two words cover a multitude of sins!).
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Forgotten Pianists: Mieczysław Horszowski
At his death at age 100, just one month short of his 101st birthday, the Polish and later American pianist Mieczyslaw Horszowski (1892-1993) had one of the long-lasting careers in the performing arts. His age puts him with other pianists
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Classical Movements II
“Moving the Music; Changing the World”
Through the efforts and vision of Neeta Helms, Classical Movements has become an organization of altruism. A large part of the profits, which the organization earns moving orchestras and choirs on their tours, are devoted to Neeta’s pursuit of global
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Classical Movements I
“Moving the Music; Changing the World”
Have you ever wondered how entire orchestras and their staff are seamlessly moved from country to country when they are on tour? Neeta Helms and Classical Movements are the behind-the-scenes wizards who organize 55-70 symphony and choral tours each year.
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Extraordinary splashes of colour
Music and Synaesthesia
Synaesthesia is a physiological ‘condition’ which literally means “a fusion of the senses”. Its incidence is considered to be about one in every two thousand people, though it may be far commoner, and it is more common in women than
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Forgotten Pianists: Ely Ney
Beethoven specialist Ely Ney (1882-1968) made her name largely in Germany. She began her piano studies with the encouragement of her grandmother, studying first in Cologne and then in Vienna. She had 2 lessons with Theodor Leschetizky and more with
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Musical Giants of the 20th Century: Symphony Orchestra
It doesn’t matter how often I’ve been to concerts in the past. The incredible sounds and excitement of an orchestra plowing through the best and most beloved symphonies at full steam still sends shivers down my spine! The sheer range
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