How To Classical
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An Abridged Classical Music Dictionary
What’s a crescendo? What does forte mean? And what is pizzicato and does it come with extra cheese? Our (very) abridged classical music dictionary has the answers. Nov 22, 2022
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What’s That Quirky, Spooky Music I Always Hear In Movies?
Edvard Grieg, the composer behind “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” had no idea his two-minute ditty would become an on-screen sensation. Oct 28, 2022
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What Makes The French Horn Notoriously Difficult?
The mechanics — and history — behind the horn’s incredible range have made the instrument notoriously difficult to master. Mar 11, 2019
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Why is ‘The Four Seasons’ Such a Pop Culture Powerhouse?
And how did we come to rediscover Vivaldi in the first place? Jan 24, 2019
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Why Do We Hold onto the Idea That Classical Music Makes You Smarter?
The “Mozart effect” theory took hold in the mid-90s, and though it’s been debunked, it’s never really gone away. Oct 24, 2018
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When Did WQXR Start Calling it 'Classical' Music?
Sure, we use Classical music to describe the style of composers like Haydn and Mozart, but since when did we use that word to describe 1,000 years of music? Oct 3, 2018
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What If We Got the Story of the 'Rite' Wrong?
The Rite of Spring’s riot is one of classical music’s the most enduring stories. But what if it didn’t actually happen? Aug 21, 2018
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That Italian Song You Know But Can’t Quite Identify? We Name That Tune.
It’s been used as musical shorthand for all things Italy in countless commercials and television shows. But what’s that song actually called? How did it become a stereotype? Jul 31, 2018
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How "Nessun Dorma" Became a Pop Culture Hit
The BBC’s usage of the Turandot aria during the 1990 World Cup took it from the opera house to musical mainstay. Jun 26, 2018
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What’s Up With All Those Ricola Cough Drops At Carnegie Hall?
Outside Isaac Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall has boxes filled with loads of Ricola cough drops. Why are they there? Jun 6, 2018
