Classical music is a term that evokes images of grand orchestras, intricate compositions, and timeless melodies penned by legendary figures like Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach. Yet, defining it precisely can feel like trying to capture a symphony in a single note. At its core, classical music is a broad tradition of art music rooted in Western culture, spanning centuries …
In part 2 of this three-part interview, Jonathan shares with us his story of how he became the editor of the Bärenreiter urtext editions of Beethoven’s nine symphonies. In our previous article, Deciphering Beethoven, we learnt from Beethoven scholar, Jonathan Del Mar, just how meticulous Beethoven’s notations were, despite the rather widespread criticism the composer has received for his …
A three-part interview series with the world famous Beethoven scholar. Interview part 1 – Editing Beethoven’s masterpieces Jonathan Del Mar (born January 7, 1951) is a British music editor, conductor and musicologist. He studied at Christ Church, Oxford and the Royal College of Music in London. Jonathan Del Mar edited Beethoven’s nine symphonies for the German publisher Bärenreiter, …
In quest of meaning and happiness with Kierkegaard’s ‘Stages on life’s way’. Human beings are complex creatures. One might expect that today, when life is more convenient, safe and easier than ever in history, the species is thriving. Extreme poverty decreased significantly globally, through medical and technological advancement life expectancy is higher than ever, access to healthcare and education …
A conversation about understanding music, Beethoven’s Große Fuge, and musical animation. American composer, pianist and software engineer, Stephen Malinowski, is best known for his musical animations, nicknamed Music Animation Machine. His visual representations help to understand the different textures in a piece of music, that is, the different layers of sound, and the relationship between them. They are colourful …
Customs of the time were not that different from ours today. Let’s dive in and discover the contemporary Vienna! How Beethoven celebrated Christmas? Apart from a short recollection from his childhood years, including holiday wurst, wine, punch, coffee, singing and playing, we do not know how Beethoven celebrated Christmas. We do know, however, that he was baptized as a …