We have now have had a few weeks to reflect on the influence and impact of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Her music touched every genre and her artistry inspired vocalists and instrumentalists for generations. Her spiritual roots formed a foundation of generosity...
France has won the world cup, for only the second time in the tournament’s history. Thankfully, France’s classical composers have had many more successes on the world stage. French composers are particularly known for their love of the piano and many of the country’s...
Tchaikovsky is arguably one of the best-known Russian composers; if you want to hear some of his music, you can find it in playlist #169 (last week). This week’s playlist features Sergei Prokofiev. Although Prokofiev spent a significant amount of his adult life...
Soccer and Russia. These two things would not usually go together. But this year, Russia is hosting the World Cup. Russia is a powerhouse of classical music composers, so while the footballers play, let’s surround ourselves with some of the best music that reflects...
Aficionados place terroir above all in fine wine: the particular taste that can only be imparted by a particular combination of factors unique to one place and time. Terroir includes a distinctive, localized, specific combination of factors including soil, climate,...
Very few composers are credited with having invented a classical music form, but the one thing that many people have heard about John Field (1782 – 1837) is that he invented the nocturne. It isn’t true, of course: others before him (Haydn for one) had used the term...
