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If I told you about a letter from a famous composer to his employers, a letter in which the composer complained that he needed a higher salary because…

Of the many musical terms that have made their way into general usage, one of the most colorful—and useful—is Prima donna. These days the term gets…

“Program music” is instrumental music that attempts to tell a story, paint a scene or picture, or convey impressions of a character, place, or event. But…

The mathematician Mark Kac once tried to describe the extraordinary genius of the physicist Richard Feynman “There are two kinds of geniuses,” Kac wrote.…

Today is the birthday of the French composer Georges Auric, who was born on February 15, 1899. Auric was one of a group of avant-garde composers in Paris…

A few more words today about Johann Sebastian Bach, whose birthday was yesterday. Bach wrote enormous quantities of profoundly moving sacred music. But…

Imagine you’re a professional basketball player, about to take a foul shot. You’ve practiced this thousands of times, and you know exactly how you need to…

Franz von Suppé could be the poster child for composers who were extremely prolific and very famous in their own time, but who, if they’re now remembered…

It’s hard to find a classical music lover who doesn’t love the music of Mozart. It’s when we try to describe why we love Mozart that things can get…

“Program music” is instrumental music that attempts to tell a story, paint a scene or picture, or convey impressions of a character, place, or event. But…