A quick historical deep dive on the journey of the saxophone from French military pride to jazz band spotlight, but never the symphonic orchestra.
Tag: 20th century composer
5 Important Works That Call for a Theremin Soloist
You may know the theremin as the sci-fi sound of aliens and robots, but it’s been used by composers all over the world in concert music too. Let’s explore!
Talking Points: Igor Stravinsky on How New Problems Require New Approaches
In this edition of “Talking Points,” influencial composer Igor Stravinsky shares his thoughts on composition, creativity, craftsmanship, and other topics.
What We Learned from ‘Composers or Types of Pasta’
Thanks to a hilarious internet quiz, we’ve discovered works from 8 spectacular Italian composers that we definitely thought were types of pasta.
Reflections on Nico Muhly’s Composing Process
How does composer Nico Muhly stay organized while juggling travel, commission deadlines, meetings, collaborations, and his own creativity?
Why Do We Like Sad Music So Much? On ‘Life and Death’ From ‘Lost’
Let’s look at how music can make a song sound sad even when there are no lyrics — and why we like that so much.
On Alban Berg’s Great Musical Palindrome
Hidden in plain sight in a second act interlude of Berg’s monumental Lulu, sits a full orchestra musical palindrome unlike anything in music history.
Talking Points: Ryuichi Sakamoto & Alva Noto Explain Working with Images and Sound
In this edition of “Talking Points,” composers and electronic artists Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto discuss the nature of collaboration and improvisation.
On Sofia Gubaidulina, the Once-Blacklisted 86-Year-Old Composer Who’s Still Working
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How Thomas Newman’s “American Beauty” Score Flipped the Script on Film Music
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