Posts Tagged classical

Digital Painting Volume 1 (Ludivico Einauldi-Melodie Africana)

Jan 26

Posted by ArtFanatic in Art | 4 Comments

Feel free to mail me if there is something you would like to see in Volume 2 This is a small compilation of Digital Art from my portfolio. All the images here are property and copyrighted by Nyla Rossini. … digital art artwork 3d Poser Daz Carrara Photoshop Vue Bryce Fantasy Illustration Wacom pen tablet nyla rossini creating CD Covers Book Illustrator ludivico einauldi talent drawing rendering female women sci-fi melody africana classical modern …

Classical Guitar Set Up

Jan 25

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | 2 Comments

Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to the music embedded in the traditions of every art and culture. It spans over a time length ranging from 9th century and the 21st century.

The term is often used as a synonym of Western music traditions and includes within its fold a vast range of music styles, an traditions ranging from compositional techniques to issues related to entertainment. Classical music has included within its genre also classical instruments especially the classical guitar, which has finally carved a niche for itself and has become a name to reckon within the world of music.

Guitar is perhaps one of the most alluring musical instruments whose charm has spread far and wide. Surpassing other musical instruments guitar has found a unique niche for itself. The set up of a guitar is very important. Even the most high sounding, sophisticated guitar may be hard to play.

Traversing a long interesting road guitars have emerged as the most popular musical instrument. It has become an integral part of the entire musical journey globally.

The most important aspect of the classical guitar set up is its playability factor. Touring concert artists now mostly prefer guitars, which are easy to handle. Classical guitar set up is similar to that of the steel strings or electrics. There is only a difference in tension, bridge and neck design. Only the principles differ a little in certain respects.

A good classical guitar set up should have the following elements in it

Good tension in the strings.

Good adjustability of the nut.

Capability to adjust with the nut.

Thickness in the neck.

Good pitching in the soundboard and the bridge.

Adjustability according to the player’s style.

Tone production quality.

String’s active vibrating length.

Freedom of performance it gives to its guitarists.

It should have low tension in the strings of the neck and should be made entirely of wood and not of steel struss rod.

It should have greater volume and longer sustainable capability.

There are various types of classical guitars. The most common of them are

Multi-string classical guitar

Classical electric guitar

Some of the famous classical guitarists who have dominated the musical landscape globally are as followed

Francisco Tarrega

Fernando Sor

Jose Feliciano

Christopher Parkening

John Williams

Julian Bream

Carl Volk

More Resources

Marcos Vinicius

Sharon Wayne

Maro Razi

Lynn Harting-Ware

Aniello Desiderio

Andrew York

Progetto Avanti

John McLaughlin

Sharon Isbin

David Tanenbaum

Eliot Fisk

Nigel North

Pepe Romero

Richard Alcoy

Classical guitar has always dominated the traditional musical scene for ages. Its history is almost four centuries old. Classical guitarists are capable of producing great music with excellent sound quality at one single stroke of the hand. A perfect classical guitar set up usually assists in adding that old world charm.

Therefore, having a proper classical guitar set up is absolutely essential for the beginners. Many classical guitar museums offer excellent classical guitar set ups for guitar enthusiasts. They host many a unique collection of playable instruments.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, and synthesizers. You can find the best marketplace for guitars, drums, and synthesizers at these 3 sites: guitars, guitar set ups , drums, drum sets, drum kits, and synthesizers, keyboards.

Learn to Play Piano With Classical Music

Jan 21

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | 1 Comment

People love to learn a new musical instrument or just an instrument in general. For the beginner who is looking at learning the piano, now is just the time for you. There are websites popping up all over the internet where people all over the world can begin to learn classical piano music or any type of music they want. Want to know something else? You can begin to learn for free. Okay so maybe you are not a beginner, maybe you already know the piano but you are tired of playing the same thing over and over again. Well guess what. You are also in luck. There are many websites available to you, to allow you to download sheet music from any of your favorite songs. Again this is for free as well. So nows your chance to print off sheet music and start playing some of your favorite artist’s songs.

Since there are websites that offer you the chance to learn how to play any type of piano you want too, and that’s including classical piano music, what are you waiting for? A lot of these websites will allow you to begin to teach you the basic chords and notes by just using your computer keyboard. A lot of these websites will also teach you how to read sheet music as well, so once you have that down and piano playing, those free sheet music websites will come in handy for you. A lot of people think this is a great idea, allowing people to begin to learn for free. One of the main reason’s being is that going out and purchasing a piano or a keyboard is not exactly cheap. So you can begin to learn at home and find out if this is truly the instrument you want to learn and after you have your basic chords and notes down you can then look at paying for lessons and purchasing equipment if you wish to do so.

A lot of people love to learn a new instrument just for the fact that when they have company over they can simply begin to play right then and there for them. One of the greatest feelings in the world, said by many people and artists is just having a group of people over and everyone begins to jam together for an afternoon or an evening.

People all around the world consider the piano to be one of the most diverse instruments ever. The sound that comes from it is beautiful and soothing, so what’s stopping you from learning to play classical piano music? Nows your chance, even if your free time is limited.

If you have already chosen a method on how to learn to play to play piano, you must then have a proper practice combined with determination and commitment to learn. Learning to play piano can be a lot of fun and if you have already mastered it, it becomes a very rewarding experience as well. Patience is also very important for you learn fast and easy.

To learn piano with classical music, click here! Find the complete list of online courses on rocket piano here!

Digital Paintings Volume 2 (Relax Enya Watermark)

Jan 18

Posted by ArtFanatic in Art | 2 Comments

you to those of you who sent requests hope you like it Feel free to mail me if there is something you would like to see in Volume 3 This is a small compilation of Digital Art from my portfolio. All the images here are property and copyrighted by Nyla Rossini. … digital art artwork 3d Poser Daz Carrara Photoshop filter Vue Bryce Fantasy Illustration Wacom pen tablet nyla rossini creating CD Covers Book Illustrator talent drawing rendering female women sci-fi enya relax watermark …

Apocalyptica Tickets?bringing Classical Music and Metal Together

Jan 18

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

Apocalyptica tickets are now available and can be bought or sold online at Stubhub.com.

People living in the Nordic region of Europe must have Viking blood running through their veins. How else to explain the passion for dark, violent, dramatic metal?

Even those with classical training have a love for it, it seems. Apocalyptica, a cello quartet from Helsinki, Finland, were initially received as an amusing novelty when they debuted in 1996 with an album full of Metallica covers. But in time, they’ve gained an enormous amount of respect and goodwill from metal fans around the world, which enjoy their music for containing all the drama and rage of a good metal song.

The band is composed of four cellists who met at the Sibelius Academy for music: Eicca Toppinen, Max Lilja, Antero Manninen and Paavo Lotjonen. At first, their diverse range included everything from Bach to Jimi Hendrix. But eventually, their shared love of metal led them to craft covers of well-known metal standards. The bands they included Pantera, Metallica, Slayer and more. Eventually, they decided to join a covers night at a local metal club. They approached the gig with some trepidation—they weren’t sure how the crowd would react—but in the end, they received lots of applause and had a great time.

After putting out their first album (with a title that was straight and to the point: Four Cellos Cover Metallica), they continued to tour and gig both at home and abroad. In Finland, and especially in Helsinki, they were a massive hit. But the band thought they could do more.

They began writing their own songs, and eventually added a drummer, Dave Lombardo. This allowed them to pursue more of a rock or metal hybrid sound as opposed to a strictly classical one. They found future success with each album that came out. Their most recent, 2007’s Worlds Collide, featured an excellent cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes” sung in German by Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann.

Now on tour, this is the time for metal fans to snap up some Apocalyptica tickets and see this band live.

Written by Andrew Good and sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub sells sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and more to just about any event in the world. Don?t miss Apocalyptica tickets.

The Importance Of Drums in Classical Music

Jan 17

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

The warp and woof of music are rhythm and melody, and the drums are the rhythm instruments par excellence. It is easier to recognize a song by its rhythm without melody than it is by its melody without rhythm, which shows what a basic part of music is rhythm.

Primitive music is more rhythm than it is melody, Some of this primitive music is tremendously expressive. Melody could add very little to the foreboding pulsations of the African war drums.

In fact, melody would detract more than it would add. There is something in the constantly recurring rhythmical beat of the drums which pulsates in the blood. There is something in the incessant and ominous boom of the drums which pounds in the brain.

Melody would relieve the tension, would break the spell. But the dread rhythm of the war drums, beating in the ears, booming in the brain, speaks a terrible message which could be spoken in no other way.

If it be a dirge, how little is melody missed when the drums begin their lament! With a rhythm peculiarly expressive of grief and sorrow, the drums beat out a mournful elegy which asks nothing of either words or melody.

By contrast, what can be gayer than the castanets and tambourines of Spain or the bongas and maracas of Cuba? The quickened rhythm, the joyous accents of these instruments sing a song of gaiety and happiness which melody could scarcely supplement.

What can the melody of the bugle add to the stirring rattle of the military drum, sounding assembly or commanding a charge? The weird, the mysterious, the terrible all can be portrayed with tremendous drama and reality by bare rhythm without melody.

It is no wonder that all peoples, from the most primitive and barbarous to the most educated and cultured, have been lovers of the drum and other percussion instruments.

In earliest history we learn that the Egyptians, Assyrians, Hebrews, Greeks and Romans all used instruments corresponding to our kettledrums, tenor drums, tambourines and cymbals. Of these, the most important soon came to be the kettledrums.

In early Europe they were used not only in military affairs, but in the court of Edward I as musical instruments. Later, in 1347, when Edward III celebrated his triumphal march into Calais, kettledrums helped make the music.

Chaucer often speaks of the “nakers” in his Canterbury Tales, and nakers is an Arabic word meaning “kettledrums.” In a carving in Worcester Cathedral, believed to have been done in 1396, a pair of kettledrums is shown strapped to the waist of a player, one on each side.

These were small kettledrums, similar to those brought by the Moors into Spain and carried by the Crusaders from Arabia, but larger-size kettles were developed by the Germans, which are practically like our modern tympani. Henry VIII introduced these larger kettledrums into England in the first half of the sixteenth century.

The German historian of music, Virdung, writing in 1511, describes the kettledrums of his day. He even draws some pictures of them which look much like the modern kettledrums. About a hundred years later, Praetorius, another German historian of music, talks about the kettledrums; and so does the Frenchman Mersennus, writing in 1627.

These ancient kettledrums were hemispherical and had skin heads stretched across the top by hoops which were held in place and tightened by adjusting screws around the rim.

Kettledrums graduated from the army and the military band into the orchestra during the time of Lully and were used commonly by him and other French composers of the seventeenth century.

As early as 1713 kettledrums had become popular in Germany, for Johann Mattheson, of Hamburg, composer and musical authority, writing of the musical instruments of his day, says that kettledrums were often used in both church and opera.

These he says were used in pairs and were tuned a fourth apart, a practice which existed for many years. Handel knew about kettledrums, using them in his “Water Music.” Bach also used them, as did Haydn and Mozart and all the other great masters who came later.

These early kettledrums, or tympani, as they are now called, were hand tuned and were pitched in C and G, the tonic and dominant of the key in which the music was written.

The large kettle was tuned to the G below the C, while the small kettle was tuned to the C, making them a fourth apart. The reason for this inversion was the limitations of the instruments.

If the tonic had been given to the large kettle and the dominant to the small kettle, the dominant would generally have been higher than the small kettle’s compass. Therefore, the tonic was given to the small kettle, and the dominant an octave below was given to the large kettle.

Kettledrums were treated mostly as military instruments, for they were hardly ever allowed to play except with the trumpets, in marches, overtures and other such music. This is only another example of following custom.

Trumpeters and kettledrummers used to accompany royalty wherever it went and were used to signify rank, much as rank is signified today by cannons, a certain number for each rank.

Later, when trumpets were admitted to the orchestra, the kettledrums naturally followed; also, when the trumpets played, the early composers thought it appropriate that the kettledrums play, too.

It was Beethoven who freed the tympani from these shackles, not only those imposed by the custom of pairing the kettledrums with the trumpets, but also the universal tuning to G and C, a fourth apart.

In his First Symphony in 1800, Beethoven startled the tympani player and the audience by having the tympani play a sort of bass part to a melody of violins and flutes. Seven years later, in his Fourth Symphony, he elects the tympani to the great honor of stating a theme of two notes which was repeated by the other instruments.

The following year, in his great Fifth Symphony, the same symphony in which the piccolo, trombone and contrabassoon all make their debut in the symphony, Beethoven causes the tympani to make their debut as a solo instrument, creating for the tympani a solo effect in the scherzo movement.

In 1814, in his Eighth Symphony, he tries still another innovation by having the tympani play in unison with the bassoons. By this time the fatal tie between the Siamese twins had been broken and the tympani was no longer restricted to duets with the trumpet.

Malcolm Blake is devoted to music, modern and classical. He aims to help people learning to play guitar and trying to learn tricky guitar chords.

A Classical Music Genius: Yohann Sebastian Bach

Jan 15

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

Everyone knows that Johann Sebastian Bach was a great composer but there is little else that most know about this man. Do you know who his parents were or when he was born? Johann Sebastian Bach quizes can reveal just how much or how little you know about your favorite composer.

Questions in Johann Sebastian Bach trivia about his birthday would be answered with March 21, 1685. His father was Johann Ambrosius. Now how many people know what this famous composer’s fathers name was? This little bit of trivia could easily stump your friends. What other interesting and little known facts about Johann Sebastian Bach could you amaze your friends with?

Do you need to brush up on Bach before taking the next Johann Sebastian Bach quiz? There are some tiny tidbits that can assist you. For instance did you know that the Bach-Haus museum is at the same location as the Bach family home was originally? What about the inside? It’s authentically decorated with material from the era that Johann Sebastian Bach lived in.

What else might come up with Johann Sebastian Bach trivia? Questions such as who taught Johann Sebastian Bach to play the organ could come up. The answer would be his uncle, Johann Christoph Bach. His uncle was the organist at the Georgenkirche in Eisenach when he taught Bach how to play.

How old was Bach when he began attending Latin Grammar School? This could easily come up when taking a quiz about Bach and the answer would be eight years old. Another question that could come up is what the name of the choir that allowed Johann Sebastian Bach a chance to sing in the services that were regularly held and in the surrounding villages. The answer to this is the St. Georgenkirche; the boys that attended the school put the choir together.

A few sad facts might enter into Johann Sebastian Bach trivia as well. These could include the fact that he lost both a sister and a brother when he was young and that he was only nine when he lost his mother followed by his father approximately nine months later. The fact that he and his brother Johann Jakob went to live with the oldest brother Johann Christoph could also come up if asked about where he went after the deaths.

An interesting bit of trivia about Johann Sebastian Bach would definitely be who got him into composing musical scores. The answer would be his brother Johann Christoph. What else could taking a quiz about Johann Sebastian Bach reveal to you? Why not take a Johann Sebastian Bach quiz today and find out just how much you actually know versus what you think you know.

Masters of Trivia is a fun and exciting online destination for “anything trivia”. Visit us today at Trivia, Trivia Games and Trivia Quizzes

Enjoy a travel to Leipzig: classical music, culture, shopping and good food

Jan 14

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

When planning a trip to Berlin, always consider short travels to beautiful destinations around. A visit in Potsdam is the traditional choice, but here is another great offer: Leipzig. Actually, why not both?

In many ways, Berlin and Leipzig complement each other. When speaking about Leipzig, it is, first of all, its unique architecture, music, and shopping that make it attractive.

Like Berlin, Leipzig (pronounced ly’pe-tsig) is a city in East Germany, but in a different federal state, Saxony.

Most important tour sites are in the Leipzig’s center, and may be visited in one day. That means it’s possible to go there from Berlin and return to Berlin the same day. Going one way by train takes one hour and 20 minutes only.

Tourist Information Bureau in Leipzig is located near the main train station, and is open every day.

If you plan to stay in Leipzig more than a day, go to the bureau and buy a “Leipzig Card” that gives you free travel on public transportation and discounts in most major city’s attractions. Three-day ticket price is 18.50 Euros per person, or 34 Euros for a couple with two children.

Boys who sing Bach

So what’s so special about Leipzig?

First of all, it’s the “City of Music”. Leipzig is regarded as the city of Johann Sebastian Bach. The great composer was not born in Leipzig, but definitely created his wonderful music there.

Representing Bach more than anything else is Thomas Church, where he served as musical director and played the organ almost 30 years, until the day he died. The famous boys’ choir which he conducted, more than 250 years ago, sings Bach until now, in the same church. Listening to a concert of the choir, called in German “Thomanerchor”, is a wonderful experience for music lovers.

Bach’s music is also played often elsewhere in Leipzig. For example, in the City’s Opera hall and in Bach’s Museum.

Musicians and museums

Speaking of classical music, Leipzig is not only the city of Bach. It is also the city of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, the great romantic composer. The house where he lived and died, at Goldschmidt Street 12, is now a museum honoring the composer and work.

Another famous composer, Richard Wagner, was born in Leipzig, and the composer Robert Schumann lived there. Both are memorialized by museums as well.

Where do malls come from?

Besides music, what makes Leipzig unique is being a pioneer in commerce. The first shopping arcade in the world, known as Passage, was built in Leipzig in the beginning of the 20th century.

The passage was actually the predecessor of the modern mall. Leipzig developed this kind of salesmanship into an art, and created an exclusive Passages’ architecture.

At least a dozen of these elegant shopping centers is active there until today and worth visiting. Window shopping in the Passages is possible at any time, but if you really want to buy something do not go there Sundays, when most shops are closed.

Luther and Napoleon

Speaking of history and of Thomas Church (Thomaskirche, in German), this building was the place where Martin Luther, founder of the Reformation movement, addressed at Leipzig residents 1539 and convinced them into Protestantism.

In addition to the Thomas Church, the Nikolai (St Nicholas) Church is another tourists’ attraction. The church was the first base of the quiet protests in 1989, which ended in toppling the Berlin Wall.

10 minutes drive from the city center by tram (line 15) another historical site is located: the monument commemorating the defeat of Napoleon at the “Battle of Nations”, 1813. The German Kaiser Wilhelm the 2nd unveiled the huge monument, the largest in Europe, on the battle’s 100th anniversary.

For a small entrance fee, you may climb to the top of the monument for observation. There is a museum as well.

A communist point of view

The best view of Leipzig is available from the top of the tallest house in town, which is located in Augustus Square. The edifice is a remnant of the Communist spectacular building style. Today it is leased to the German Broadcasting Company MDR.

Leipzig was devastated by the allied bombings in World War II, and was not much of a city during the communist regime. However, since the re-unification of Germany, it has been renovated and restored.

Food and literature

In Leipzig center, there are an abundance of restaurants, pubs and bars. The food is good and the prices are not high. The most famous restaurant is “Auerbach’s cellar”, located in Grimmaische street 2.

The place attracts many tourists, especially German literature lovers, because it is mentioned in Goethe’s play Faust. However, it serves a delicious traditional Saxon menu as well.

In addition, there are a lot of greenery and water, a walking distance from midtown.

A list of all beautiful places in Leipzig, many photos, and walking routes are to be found in my site www.berlinwalking.com.

Moshe Reinfeld is a veteran journalist and Travel expert.

EMI Encore Classical Music Fits Perfectly Under Christmas Trees

Jan 13

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

EMI Classics now offers Emi Encore, a budget-label series comprised of 235 CD titles; all of which make great Christmas presents. This means you can easily stay within your budget limitations and still give gifts of high quality.

The titles selected for the budget series were chosen from the rich EMI archive, which features internationally renowned artists. Each of these elite artists is highly skilled and beyond talented. The wide range of the selection is varied, offering an assortment of expected, fundamental works, but it also includes some very intriguing, esoteric titles that will appeal to a wide cross section of classical music lovers, including new fans and connoisseurs alike.

The modern design of Emi Encore is striking, as the CDs feature one of two very famous trademarks: either the infamous dog and trumpet or the little cherub seated on a disc, which is the oldest recording trademark in England and one of the oldest in the world. That trademark was registered in 1898 and has always been associated with quality and prestige.

EMI Encore CDs are a gift you can give proudly. The art is timeless and the hours of pleasure they provide are priceless, but oh so affordable. With this budget label series, it is practically like belonging to an easysaver program. You can easily build a complete library of classical music for yourself or for a loved one, in no time at all.

Another advantage of giving CDs as gifts is their small size. If you are sending them through the mail, the cost is minimal because they are small and do not weigh much. Plus, they make perfect stocking stuffers. Instead of filling that stocking with expensive perfume or jewelry, go the ez saver route and throw in a CD or two and a candle. You will find that Christmas will be more special than ever because your loved will be getting something they will enjoy and you will save money. Then, spend Christmas Day enjoying great music and the ambiance of candlelight with the one you love.

Helen Beck usually struggles to find the perfect ez saver gift for his wife at Christmas ? that is, until he remembered that she likes classical music. Now he shops the Emi Encore label from EMI Classics to build her music library. According Beck, buying classical music CDs in this manner is like having a built in easysaver program for the music items wanted.

Classical Music For The Holidays Easy Sell For EMI Encore Marketing

Jan 12

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

As the winter holidays approach people are in the mood for beautiful sights and sounds, which means there is no better time of the year for classical music. Realizing that, Emi encore has developed special Christmas campaigns that offer great advantages for their customers.

EMI Encore is the budget series offered by Encore Classics. This series continues to grow and include a wide range of various types of sounds – something for those who love the classics as well as those with more adventurous tastes. Regardless of one’s likes, he or she will find that the selections are varied and the prices are extremely reasonable.

Encore has added new titles to the flagship budget series, which includes the following: Maria Callas, Busch Quartet, Itzhak Pearlman, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Birgit Nilsson, Arthur Rubinstein and Andre Previn.

The company is always working to find ways of making their products more affordable, as well as more accessible to people everywhere. Naturally, the Internet allows Encore marketing to reach people in countless places around the world. This budget series can now be purchased online through Amazon.com.

Amazon is one of the most well-known and safest ways of making purchases on the Internet. It is rated highly with various authority sites, which insures that it is a safe place to make purchases. This is good for both customers and the marketers who sell their wares on the site.

An advantage of selling products on Amazon is that the site is very popular and has a good reputation. It also does a lot of promotion for the type of products listed on the site. Therefore, the merchants that list their products there benefit. This is certainly an easy saver marketing solution.

Because Encore is market-wise, the company also uses other marketing techniques. The budget series CDs are also available on other websites across the Internet; a simple search will bring up lots of results. Time has proven that most people seem to enjoy the classics during the holiday season – even if they don’t listen to classical music any other time of the year.

Link Webb loves Christmas and everything related to the holidays. He begins decorating his home right after Halloween and he adds to his decorating arsenal each year. This year he is adding beautiful classical music to enjoy throughout the holiday season. Webb found that Emi encore offers Easy saver options, which means he can afford more music than he thought. The Emi encore budget series includes a variety of artists that Webb plans to add to his collection. By using this Easysaver method of building a library of music Webb can afford more.

Hello From Austria – Classical Music, Hiking

Jan 10

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

At 9:30 am I went to visit Klaudia, one of my best friends from high school, at her parent’s house. Our other school mate Doris was already there and it was great to see both of them again, more than 23 years after we graduated from high school. After the initial hugs and kisses and how-are-yous we started walking onto the local hill, the Weizberg. Our stroll took us through the local cemetery where we admired a very famous grave: the last resting place of Aurelia Schwarzenegger, Arnold’s mother, who was a long-time resident of Weiz.

Klaudia even mentioned that her father happened to encounter Mrs. Schwarzenegger at the cemetery a number of years ago, but she had collapsed due to a heart attack. My friend’s father called the ambulance which gave her emergency treatment and took her to the hospital. She passed away shortly after and Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a thank you letter to the ambulance employees as well as to Klaudia’s father, to thank him for getting help for his mother. Proof that in this town real celebrity connections are just steps away…

Right next to the church is the so-called “Kräutergarten” (herb garden) that was created by a group of local residents (including Klaudia’s mom) that features a wide variety of local herbs, many of which are used in the regional cuisine. Then we took the romantic stairs down the hill, a pathway that we had walked many times as children. Our local stroll took us past our former high school, where we discussed fond memories of our school years.

One of the highlights of our high school careers were two choir trips to Germany, to our partner school in Offenburg, where the two school choirs jointly performed classical songs. We most fondly recalled the actual concert where for the finale both school choirs appeared together to jointly sing the last song. Screaming our lungs out among 120 singers from two different countries was an exhilarating experience, and not surprisingly my passions for cross-cultural exchanges were kindled at an early age.

After our return to Klaudia’s parents Doris left and the rest of us started preparing a hearty meal, and I, by no means gifted in the kitchen, donned the apron and started cutting and chopping whatever needed to be done. (Good thing I was not in charge of any really important tasks…) Klaudia’s mom whipped up a delicious meal for 10+ people in next to no time and we soon sat down in the garden to have some Austrian specialties: we savoured a “Bröselknödelsuppe” (breadcrumb dumplings in a clear beef broth), stuffed green peppers and delicious mashed potatoes with caramelized onions.

Given this delicious yet substantial calory injection, we had to do a work-out and decided to do a hike up onto the Schöckel, at over 1400 m the highest local mountain. Around 2 pm we met up with Doris again and all three of us broke out our Nordic walking poles and we attacked the mountain from its steepest side. Doris, an experienced hiker, led the group at a rather hellish pace, and the two of us clambered behind her. Some areas were so steep we had to use our hands to brace ourselves climbing up between the rocks. But our walking sticks definitely aided in the ascent and about an hour later we were rewarded with an astounding 360 degree view over the Styrian hills and mountains.

The Schöckel is also referred to as the “Grazer Hausberg” or local mountain of Graz, and we had great views down into the Styrian capital and the Mur Valley. To the south the Austrian and Slovenian plains were stretching out, looking east and right saw the foothills of Eastern and Western Styria, and to the north we took in the panorama of the more imposing mountains of the Styrian Alps. We also saw several ramps for hang-gliders, a popular activity in this region.

We walked past some peaceful cows that were grazing on the mountain pastures and reached the summit area which is the location of the upper station of the cable car, of a couple of restaurants and a summer tobogganing course. The weather today was brilliant and many serious hikers, mountain bikers and tourists were congregating at the mountain top. We were quite fascinated by the summer tobogganing and Doris suggested that I should try it.

Well, I have always been a bit of a daredevil and she did not have to say it twice. She even sprang for my Euro 2.50 round, and a couple of minutes later I was sitting in the steel “buggy of death”, ready for my hair-raising descent down the serpentine curves of the course. Actually, the ride was a lot tamer than I expected, and I only occasionally pulled the brakes, but it was still an very entertaining experience. I figured if I did it again I would probably try to go down the course without breaking at all.

Once the lift had pulled my buggy back up to the summit plateau we started walking past the Stubenberghaus, a large mountain restaurant and inn, towards the summit cross which provides a beautiful view northwards into the mountainous area of Upper Styria. I have always loved mountains, and to see peak after peak after peak was just a great experience. We then started hiking back to the car and our trek back down was considerably easier than the torturous climb up. We stopped at Doris’ beautiful country house on the way back where we admired her recently created garden pond and her new dog. Equipped with some gorgeous ripe Styrian peaches from Doris’ family’s farm we returned to Weiz and I dropped Klaudia off.

About an hour later we reunited when Klaudia, her husband and two children, her parents, her sister Andrea and her daughters Nina and Katja arrived at my brother’s place. Tonight we would all get together for a great barbecue, and my brother Ewald, the passionate chef, had a few special treats waiting for us. Anneliese, my sister-in-law, had been helping all afternoon with the preparations.

After some initial chit-chatting we started off with a savoury vegetable soup, and then my brother started preparing the main course: 13 whole artic chars were waiting to be grilled in a large pan on an open fire. Ewald had already been marinating the fish in a special blend of herbs and spices the whole day. Tender young potatoes were to accompany the fish, and a solid Styrian salad with pumpkin seed oil rounded out the main course. A scrumptious raspberry parfait provided the sweet final note to our culinary symphony.

So despite a bit of rainy weather yesterday, I had had a fantastic couple of days which included classical music, hiking, a reunion with good friends and an amazing array of gastronomic delicacies. Now there is only one more full day left of my trip to Austria, and tomorrow we will explore one of the medieval treasures of Styria: the Riegersburg, a massive fortress on a basaltic outcrop dating back to the 10th century, often referred to as the “strongest fortress of Christianity” because it was never conquered.

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of http://www.travelandtransitions.com, a web portal for unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. Check out our FREE ebooks about travel.

History of the Trumpet In Classical Music

Jan 9

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

After Bach and Handel, trumpet playing declined. Haydn, the great successor of these two masters, did not do well with trumpets. When Haydn entered the service of Prince Esterhazy, music-loving prince of Austria, his orchestra at first did not include trumpets at all.

As late as 1766, the regular personnel of this orchestra, one of the foremost in Europe, consisted of six violins and violas, one cello, one string bass, one flute, two oboes, two bassoons and four horns but no trumpets or cornets. Several years later the resources of the orchestra were enlarged so that trumpets and tympani could be added when needed.

Even when Haydn did use trumpets, he scored for them so they played an octave or a sixth above the horns. To this thin arrangement he added drums for accompaniment. He probably felt the need of filling in with something, and the drums seemed the most appropriate.

Mozart, who was at first Haydn’s pupil but whose genius lifted him to a place above his master, seemed to share Haydn’s dislike for trumpets. This antipathy for trumpets was due to an extremely sensitive nature. Until Mozart was ten years old, the sound of the trumpet was excruciatingly painful to him, and he could not endure it.

As an adult he found little pleasure in trumpets, and he used them sparingly. In 1788 he wrote his three greatest symphonies, but in only two of them did he use the trumpet. He could not endure the high clarion parts written by Bach and HandeL He even rearranged some of this music, giving the high clarion parts to the clarinets.

Beethoven generally wrote for two trumpets and often used them as solo instruments. This can hardly be interpreted to mean that Beethoven was particularly fond of the trumpet, for it was a known custom of his to score as much as possible for all players in the orchestra and to pass around the solo parts in order to keep them all interested.

In general he followed the custom of Mozart and Haydn in handling the trumpets, writing for them parts which were an octave, a sixth or sometimes a third above the horns, all to the accompaniment of the pounding of the tympani.

Although it probably was just as well that the trend was away from the high clarion writing of Bach and Handel, the composers who followed failed to invent any writing for the trumpet which was as interesting. Bach and Handel and their predecessors made the trumpet one of the most interesting instruments in the orchestra.

They no doubt went to extreme lengths and exhausted the possibilities along this line, but they have to be given credit for resourcefulness and inventiveness. When composers after Bach and Handel abandoned this style of writing, they failed to bring forth anything to take its place.

They used the trumpets much as bugles are used today in drum corps. The trumpet parts were thin chords whose poverty of design was covered up in the noise of the tympani. They apparently did not think well of the long trumpets on which it was possible to play chromatically in the upper registers.

This kind of playing was a man killer for the trumpeters, but it did have possibilities which some feel were not fully exploited. These old masters also knew about adding crooks to the simple trumpet, in order to obtain, by jumping from one trumpet to the other, something approximating chromatic playing. Wagner’s success with this type of instrument shows well enough that Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven overlooked possibilities in the trumpet of their time.

Instead of taking advantage of the long trumpet with its diatonic and chromatic upper registers, and instead of using the trumpet with crooks as did Wagner, they contented themselves with writing thin tonic and dominant chords for these instruments.

Possibly it is expecting too much, even from such geniuses as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, to look for trumpet writing beyond the thin chords based on the tonic and dominant. After all, although Wagner did great things on the simple trumpet without valves, he had set before him the example of piston-trumpet performance.

He chose the simple trumpet because he preferred the tone to that of the valve trumpet, but the example of the valve trumpet must have suggested the superior trumpet writing for the simple trumpet. To appreciate what Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven were up against, we need only examine what sort of music is written for the regular military bugle today.

Bugle calls are limited to five or six notes. Other notes are possible, but these five or six are the best in quality and the easiest to blow.

The obstacles in making music with these notes are obvious. They have wide gaps between them, and their range limits the music to a monotonous span. In the upper part of the scale the notes are closer together and have greater musical possibilities, but these notes are hard to play and can be blown only by a few powerful individuals.

Even with the accurately built instruments today, many players cannot hit the ninth and tenth partials; on the crude bugles two hundred years or more ago it is doubtful if many players could go beyond the sixth. It is little wonder that early composers did not think seriously about the musical possibilities of such instruments.

Malcolm Blake has spent years of his life devoted to studying music online and off. He is currently working on projects on learning to play guitar online and how to learn guitar chords flawlessly.

Role of classical music in our day to day life

Dec 26

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

There might be different views as regards music but one fact cannot be ignored that it has a great effect on our emotions. When a child takes birth, it starts reacting to the various sounds in its surroundings such as toys, human voice and others. At times, when you see someone shouting or screaming with joy, it simultaneously affects you and fills you with joy.

Now, scientists have proved that music also effect the development of human brain too. When a baby is born, it has billion of brain cells, over times these cells grow stronger. It has been proved that children who grow up listening music have strong music connections. It affects the way of your thinking, for example, listening to classical music improves your spatial reasoning and if you learning by playing with an instrument, it has effect on certain thinking skills.

Is it true that music makes one smarter?
Not all the times because music controls some cells of the brain for a particular way of thinking. After listening to classical music, one can quickly perform some spatial tasks such as adults can quickly solve jigsaw puzzle. This is because the classical music pathways are similar to the pathways used in spatial reasoning. Listening to classical music, these pathways are “turned on” and are ready to be used. This is how you can solve puzzle quickly but lasts for a short time after listening to music. Playing an instrument also improves the spatial skills as research has proved that music training creates new pathways in the brain.

Use of classical music
The structure of classical music is much complex as compared to rock, jazz or pop. Child who listens to classical music easily picks out the structure and recognizes any classical music he has heard before. Therefore, listening t o classical music has a different effect as compared to other forms of music.

How to nurture your child with music?
You can easily help your child to build his love for music by playing music for your child, singing to your baby, start taking early music lessons, sing with your child or help your child to learn music education at the school.

For more information visit our recommended website music-future.com

Olivia Andrews, writer of music-future.com is a freelance journalist and has written many reviews on subjects such as finance, education, health, entertainment, music, apparels and mobile phones.

Learn Guitar Easy with Classical Music Notes

Dec 25

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | 2 Comments

The guitar is probably the easiest musical instrument to learn. It is also one of the most beloved musical instruments that man has ever known. It’s a very compact musical instrument and it is also a very versatile one. There is one thing about guitars that tells you why any person, who has an appreciation for music deeply values its form and composition. That is the fact that you can never be lonely if you have a guitar and if you know how to play a tune on it.

Learn guitar easy with a few pointers to remember. First of all, you really need to have your own guitar. It is one thing not to own one’s personal musical keyboard when one wants to learn how to play the piano or the organ, but a person will find it very hard to learn guitar easy if this person does not have his own instrument to practice on or to learn with. You can always borrow your friend’s guitar or a relative’s guitar if you can’t afford to have your own guitar, at present. So this first tip shouldn’t really be a problem for beginners. The next thing that you have to do is to determine if you want to learn classical guitar or modern guitar. With classical guitar, you will have to learn how to read formal music sheets as the guitar techniques that you will encounter will be presented to you in a rather formal way. For modern guitar methods, you will be learning how to play a tune on a guitar through the help of chords and these musical chords are also known as musical chord progressions. For many reasons, people tend to learn guitar easy when they use instructional books and manuals which teach you to play guitar using the different types of guitar chords and the types of guitar chord progressions. One of the reasons behind this can be attributed to the eagerness of people to learn how to strum on the guitar. Whereas for people who would really like to learn how to play this instrument because they would like to distinctly make use of most of the guitar notes, these people are more comfortable with formal classical lessons. You see, it is often a misconception that the world’s greatest composers did not create classical music for guitars. Well, it is not true that the world of guitar belongs to this world’s rock bands. Some great composers like Mozart and Handel created music for guitars and if you are someone who would like to learn Mozart for guitar, you can say that you are interested in classical guitar lessons.

Here is a tip for those of you who would like to learn guitar easy or those who want to play classical guitar. You need to familiarize yourself with formal musical notation first. Ask someone to teach you how to locate these notes on the fingerboard of a guitar. Afterwards, you’ll have no trouble, as a beginning guitarist. You’ll see; you’ll have no trouble at all.

Are you looking for more information on learn guitar easy? Visit http://guideonhowto.com/learntoplaytheguitar today for more information!

The Hidden Benefits of Classical Music

Dec 24

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

Classical Music is not as popular today as it used to be. It has been around for hundreds of years and it is the oldest type of music out there. There are different types of classical music such as Medieval, Romantic and contemporary classical. Many people who listen to classical music have a deep appreciation for the music and the composer. They do not know why they are mesmorized by the sounds and how it makes them feel. Classical music is very complex in nature. It does not have just one or two chords throughout the whole score. Classical music consists of many instruments or one instrument in a song. It takes on various sounds and feelings. It is not just soft sounding as many people think; many compositions are complex, dark and mysterious.

Many people often think of listening to classical music in a restaurant with a bottle of wine and in the company of friends and or family or that it is just for high-society people. But there are some to enjoy listening to it most when they are alone. Classical music is played a lot on public radio stations and there are also places on the internet where you can listen to it as well. There are many composers with CD’s that you can buy from a retail store. Do not forget about the wonderful orchestra concerts out there too! Not many people will appreciate classical music when they first hear it, and sometimes it is because listening to classical music is not what they are used to listening to. If you take the time to learn about classical music, what it is about, how it is written and why, you will grow a deeper feeling and appreciation for this type of music.

Classical music can also reduce stress and blood pressure. It is compiled of high-frequency sounds and it is said by some studies that these sounds re-energize the cortex of the brain and it stimulates health. Most popular music today operate on low-frequency sounds. These low-frequencies give you the opposite effect and make you feel down. Classical music is also extremely beneficial for pregnant women. Studies have shown that playing classical music for your unborn child has great benefits to him or her. While a child is in the womb, they hear a variety of sounds with many different rhythms. When outside of the womb, there have been reports of people who have remembered hearing that music, but they do not just hear it. It is said that they are able to understand the music as well.

No matter what type of music you listen to now on any FM radio stations, whether it is pop, rock or rap, chances of that music staying the same and being around for the next couple hundred years are very slim. That music is always changing; but at that time, you will still be able to hear the beautiful sounds of an orchestra or a single instrument playing new or timeless classics.

Click here to learn much more about Classical Music

Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker – Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy

Nov 23

Posted by ArtFanatic in Art | 25 Comments

Art: “Ballerina” by Andrew Atroshenko.

Contemporary Or Classical Musical Instruments?

Nov 7

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

Playing a musical instrument is a gift to all those who hear it. Does it really matter if you play a classical musical instrument or a contemporary musical instrument? It can. First and foremost, playing a musical instrument should be fun and rewarding. If it’s not, you are not likely to practice it at all and eventually you will lose interest.

Playing classical music with a classical instrument can be remarkably challenging and rewarding. As a general standard, classical music is more intricate that contemporary music, although there are naturally exceptions to every rule.

Playing contemporary music with contemporary instruments can also be tremendously satisfying and rewarding. While not everyone may agree that contemporary music is a gift when they hear it, those who appreciate it will appreciate it deeply.

One of my favorite trends as of late is to either play contemporary music with a classical instrument or classical music with a contemporary instrument. Both sounds are considerably remarkable and both aspects take quite a bit of talent and practice. Creating this interesting twist can ultimately please more crowds, as classical music played with a contemporary instrument can reach the younger generations and actually turn them on to classical styles. The same can be said about contemporary music that is played with classical instruments.

When choosing between classical or contemporary instruments, the best method of decision making is simple preference. When choosing for a child, or helping a child make the decision, preference of course still matters, but opening the doors to new music and different experiences can really benefit the child tremendously. The basic goal for choosing an instrument, either classical or contemporary, is finding an expression that works well with the personality. Children who learn at least a little of both classical and contemporary expression are more equipped to make the decision for themselves later on.

Classical music and instrumentation can teach strong basic skills, while venturing into contemporary music and instrumentation can be both inspiring and fun for kids, especially older children.

Being well versed in classical music can actually provide a better platform for kids or adults who want to play a more contemporary instrument. Contemporary music is often written with the use of only a few chords and a basic beat while classical music demands a higher level of instrumentation. If we never teach kids the classical instruments or the classical music, the classical arts are destined to die.

Lanny Hintz writes about Guitar trader discount, Bass sale Codes and Guitar samp coupons

Elements of Classical Music

Nov 6

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

For the most part it can be distinguished by the type of instruments in the musical piece. Most modern forms of music only have a couple of instrumentations used in its creation, whereas classical music uses several types of instrumentation. Musicians of this type of music are extremely skilled in their chosen instrument because of the detailed compositions.

The instruments used in classical music generally come from five or so different groups of instruments, including string instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments and percussion instruments. The use of these types of instruments generally makes up a symphonic orchestra. When the human voice is added to this ensemble of instrument, and opera is formed.

The forms of classical music are numerous as and tend to be very well defined. The concerto is a musical work in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra. This form of music was established in the Baroque period and has continued to be a strong musical force today. The symphony is a musical composition and is usually for an orchestra. The opera is an art form in which singer and musicians work together to produce a work that combines text and musical. Another form is known as dance music and its specific use is to facilitate or accompany dancing. This form can either be a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. The suite form of music is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces of music that are performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniments. An etude is a short musical composition designed to provide practice in a particular technical skill in the performance of a solo instrument. A symphonic poem, also known as a tone poem, is a piece of orchestral music in one movement in which some extra-musical program provides a narrative or illustrative event.

Classical music requires a strong knowledge of music and as well as skill in playing an instrument. Knowledge of music must include the familiarity of development, modulation, variation, musical phrases that are of differing lengths, counterpoint, polyphony as well as sophisticated harmony. The skill involved in playing an instrument requires the musician to be adept at sight reading, have the ability to coordinate with other players in the ensemble as well as experience in playing a composer’s music.

The popularity of classical music has been debated for years. It has been said that it is strictly for upper-class citizens, and at the same time others have said that it is popular with the working class. All in all, the popularity depends on what one considers to be classical music. Certain staples of classical music are often used commercially. Movies and television often use standard clichéd pieces of classical music to convey certain emotions to their audiences. In order for the commercial use of classical music to be effective, it has to rely on the fact that anyone who listens to the music will recognize it and be emotionally drawn to it.

Classical music has many forms that make up the genre, even though no specific form is implied in its description. The knowledge and skill of classical musicians makes these musicians sought after for orchestras or symphonies. The commercial use of certain classical pieces helps to keep the classical music alive and available to all classes of people.

Zack Fair writes for a Royalty Free Music provider UniqueTracks.com that offers royalty free classical music and background, and production music. Create presentations and use special effects from UniqueTracks. Get some Royalty Free Music Downloads today.

Developing an Appreciation of Classical Music

Nov 5

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

Classical music is at once one of the best known and least understood forms of music, and many music fans who feel they would never like classical music are surprised at just how enjoyable it can be.

Of course, classical music can take a great many forms, and not every music fan will appreciate every kind of classical music. To some people, classical music is best enjoyed in a crowded concert hall, with a glass of wine and good company. To others, the best classical music is enjoyed alone, perhaps in a darkened room with a great stereo system. Still others will enjoy making their own classical music in the company of family and friends, perhaps playing their own piano or enjoying a night out.

For those who are unfamiliar with classical music, there are many places to begin your classical education. One of the best places to start to learn about classical music is with your local public radio station. Just about every market in the country has at least one public radio station, and many public radio stations have extensive classical music programming during their broadcast day. In addition, the announcers on these stations are usually quite well versed in all aspects of classical music, so if you have a question about the art form they are a great place to start.

In addition to public radio, the many internet radio stations are a great way to introduce yourself to the world of classical music. There are a great many classical music stations on the internet, including many sub genres, such as classical guitar or classical piano. Scanning the music available at these sources is a great way to explore the breadth of classical music available and get started on your own appreciation.

For some listeners, an appreciation of classical music will come almost immediately, while for others it may take quite some time to develop an ear for the nuance and style that classical music represents. The time you take learning about classic music will be time well spent, though, and you may learn more than you ever intended about one of the oldest forms of music in the world.

Classical music has been with us for centuries, and chances are good that it will be with us for centuries to come. While other forms of music, from country and rock and roll to hip hop and rhythm and blues, may not be around five hundred years from now, chances are good that our great, great, great, great, great grandchildren will still be enjoying piano recitals, chamber music and other kinds of classical music.

For more information on the world of the classical visit http://www.classicalz.com

Free Sheet Music Giveaway to boost Classical Music online sales

Nov 4

Posted by ArtFanatic in Music | No Comments

BW RECKNAGEL debut Album “Nihilum” which is available online via http://www.bwrecknagel.com, has already attracted classical music lovers and pianists all over the world and will also be soon available via I-tunes and other online sales providers. Since there is a rising demand for piano sheet music in general, customers can now receive the piano scores of all 10 pieces for free together with the download purchase of the Album on the website. With more and more people expecting free goods on the Internet, fee sheet music is also one of the most popular sought after items on the Internet.

The pieces appeal to advanced piano players as well as professionals with a very appealing feel, strong melodies and rich harmonic structure. Originally performed by Russian Pianist Xenia Russo, all pieces are more likely a description of mood and rather than being technically demanding, BW RECKNAGEL’s work calls for a more intimate and personal context with a meditative approach.

With the romantic style of classical music still being one of the most popular, BW RECKNAGEL’s piano compositions, a sublime mix between Minimal Impressionism and Romanticism, are already reaching an audience which goes well beyond the strictly classical scene. Unlike other contemporary composers, BW RECKNAGEL has no academical background in classical music but an interesting history which spans from a classical upbringing to a very active life in the music world and music industry in London since 1992.

For more information and downloads please visit:
http://www.bwrecknagel.com

For press releases and videos please visit:
http://www.bwrecknagel.com/blog

For press enquiries please mail: press@bwrecknagel.com

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