No, this is not music appreciation like you had in grade 3 where Miss Smith tried to teach you to sing your scales and learn to like opera. This is just a collection of items that fall between the cracks and can't be put into any special category. So they are all organized here. It will be fun, not like in Miss Smith’s class.
Mozart was perhaps the greatest composer of all time. His creative genius is seen in his creation of masterpieces for each of the wind instruments in the orchestra – oboe, bassoon, French horn and clarinet – like no other composer has done. The mastery of the instruments will be demonstrated both collectively as a group, and “broken” out into individual concertos for each one. Remember – a day without Mozart is like a day without sunshine!
For the cold winter months, it is nice to know that many composers wrote classical works to depict that time of year. Although the weather may be cold, windy and full of ice and snow, it is comforting to hear some good music to warm up one’s heart and soul. So despite the weather outside, let's grab an extra blanket, snuggle up beside the fire, relax and listen to some good music for the season.
Everyone loves spring. It’s that time of year to shed your heavy coat and enjoy some warm weather, free of winter’s snow, slush and ice. Nature invites us to enjoy the outdoors to see the birds return, the grass turn green and the flowers bloom. Classical music composers have helped us at this time of year by writing some great musical pieces for us to enjoy as the days get longer. This is an opportunity to get back into nature with the birds, trees, flowers and music.
Many people have trouble with Baroque music – it is hard to listen to, it is so old fashioned. Maybe they don’t really understand it. Baroque music came about at a time in human history during the age of science and reason. It was a time when the ruling royal monarchs wanted to hear some good music for themselves. But slowly, Baroque music led the way to accommodate the general public. This presentation will give you a better understanding of what it is all about. You may even come to like it!
Large scale classical or orchestral music as we know it has been with us since the 18th century. But since that time the music itself has developed and changed considerably. There have been a few composers whose works can be considered as “breakthroughs” in terms of how they changed the ideas and concepts about music, and affected future composers and their works. This presentation will focus on compositions by Bach, Haydn, Beethoven and Debussy. Be prepared for a musical journey of a lifetime.
Many classical musical pieces have been written to depict heavenly objects. Also in modern times movies about outer space make use of great orchestral music, both borrowed from the classical world and original compositions as well. This session will present examples of these works for your ride through the cosmos. Prepare for lift off – 10, 9, 8, 7, . . .
Believe it or not, classical music has an interesting connection to jazz music. Jazz originated in the USA in the late 19th, early 20th century. As a music genre it became very popular. The jazz composers and performers saw classical music as a source for some of their work. Similarly, some classical composers and performers adopted jazz elements in their work. This presentation has examples of both. It’s real hot and cool.
If you played an instrument at any time you know that timing is everything. The beat of a musical work transmits a great deal of musical expressive information. When we hear “oom-pa-pa” we often think of dancing a waltz because waltz music repeats its notes in groups of 3. But that same beat has a lot of other applications in classical music – other dance forms, symphonic music, popular music and opera. We will explore the history of many of these. Let’s start – a 1, and a 2 and a 3!
A concerto in classical music usually highlights the violin or piano along with the rest of the orchestra. But in many concertos and other classical works, other instruments are sometimes featured. It is a bit unusual to hear them but they still create a pleasant sound. Examples include the piccolo, mandolin, harp, tuba, organ, viola, saxophone and English horn. The composers did not want them to feel neglected so we will pay special attention to them in this presentation.
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