The other day a newsletter arrived in my mailbox from a local symphonic orchestra. It was about upcoming concerts, tickets, and seasonal passes. In a final section, the orchestra requested the loyal audience to support them with financial donations, as they need a set of new timpani. The set’s price, disclosed in the newsletter, surprised me, as it was comparable …
These days we celebrate Passover and Easter, and it can be a good opportunity to look beyond the chocolate bunnies and painted eggs, and reflect at least on one aspect of these events: the story of human nature. In the Passover story we celebrate the freedom regained after 400 years of cruel slavery, in Easter’s Passion story we remember the …
The Emperor represents the composer at the peak of his “Heroic” style, creating music of unparalleled scale, power, and emotional resonance. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Opus 73, famously known as the “Emperor” Concerto, is not just music. It is a bold statement: heroic, innovative, and deeply expressive. It represents a pinnacle of the Classical concerto …
Incorporating technology into evolutionary adaptation. This somewhat unusual title probably caught the attention of my dear Reader, and I promise to connect the dots and make sense of it! On these pages we often venture off from the delightful path of music, and from its brightest servant Beethoven, to discover other interesting and valued topics. But how Darwin and AI …
The premiere of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was a triumph, but turmoil awaited the next day. This Friday I attended a concert, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The Big Ninth! It was grandiose, not only the music itself, but the whole orchestra with a choir of more than 75 singers. I can not tell how many times I did listen to this …
Classical music, spanning centuries and evolving through distinct historical periods, is brought to life by a rich array of instruments. These instruments, grouped into families—strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and keyboards—each contribute unique timbres and textures to the orchestral soundscape. From the soaring melodies of a violin to the resonant depths of a tuba, the tools of classical music are as …