The clarinet was a brand new instrument when Mozart because enamored with it. The Stradivari family was already well-known for building the string instruments that are still considered the best in the world, but the clarinet was a relatively new invention. And...
Everything needs a foundation. Trees only grow tall, their branches and leaves reaching toward the skies, because of the stability of their roots. In the 13th century, composers began using a technique that became known as cantus firmus. A low melody of long notes was...
This week’s playlist highlights the string quartet – the ensemble arguably the crown jewel of the chamber music genre – two violins, viola and cello. Joseph Haydn is often credited with developing and promoting the string quartet, in the mid-1700s. Haydn’s...
In French, the word ensemble means “together, with one another, or combined.” This week’s music features examples of diversity together: ensemble. In particular, a wind ensemble is a combination of difference unified. Wood and brass, single reeds, double reeds,...
There is an intangible quality that develops when those involved in a group have built connections and rapport through working together in all conditions, over an extended period of time. These connections are often created through times of difficulty or diversity, as...
Each season of the liturgical year is like a room full of beautiful artifacts and experiences that we spend a number of days or weeks exploring. As we move from room to room in this narrative house, we must pass through various doorways. The connections between...
