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Articles & Books From Scott Speck
Classical music was never meant to be an art for snobs! In the 1700s and 1800s, classical music was popular music. People went to concerts with their friends, they brought snacks and drinks, and cheered right in the middle of the concert. Well, guess what? Three hundred years later, that music is just as catchy, thrilling, and emotional.
Whether you want to participate in ballet or just watch it, the ballet experience can excite and inspire you. Ballet is among the most beautiful forms of expression ever devised: an exquisite mix of sight and sound, stunning, aesthetics, and awesome technique.Ballet For Dummies is for anyone who wants to enjoy all that the dance forms offers – as an onlooker who wants to get a leg up on the forms you're likely to see or as an exercise enthusiast who understands that the practice of ballet can help you gain: More strength Greater flexibility Better body alignment Confidence in movement Comfort through stress reduction Infinite grace – for life From covering the basics of classical ballet to sharing safe and sensible ways to try your hand (and toes) at moving through the actual dance steps, this expert reference shows you how to: Build your appreciation for ballet from the ground up.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-23-2022
The world of classical music becomes quite a bit less mysterious when you know the names and functions of all the musical instruments, and a basic timeline of the music itself. This Cheat Sheet will help you discuss classical music with confidence.Meet the classical orchestraLet’s meet the Classical orchestra.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-27-2022
Ballet is a beautiful and demanding art form, with positions and moves to memorize and, often, strained muscles to heal. From the five basic positions — from which all ballet moves emanate — to the (mostly French) language of ballet, there's lots to master.The five basic ballet positionsAll ballet steps start from one of five positions, and these basic ballet positions involve your whole body — how you hold your arms is as important as what you do with your feet.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
In classical music, a ballet is a story that’s told in music and dance, with no speaking and no singing. In the old days of ballet, the dance was the only important thing. The composer’s job was to write music that let the dancers show off.
Musical considerations such as drama, pacing, and even beauty of sound were secondary to the spectacle of the dance: young men and women with great legs.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Most musicians count Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) among the handful of greatest classical musicians who ever lived. And some would nominate him as The Greatest of Them All. Not just because every one of his compositions is a knockout, but also because every subsequent composer owes a great debt to him.
Credit: Source: Creative CommonsJohann Sebastian Bach, master of the organ.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
While Vivaldi was composing away in Venice, another composer was turning heads in Germany and England: George Frideric Handel (1685–1759). He too had a great influence on the direction that music took during and after his lifetime. Keep reading to get a handle on Handel.
Credit: Source: Creative CommonsGeorge Frideric Handel, composer of Messiah and other great oratorios.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
You may think that nobody writes classical music anymore — but they do! New “classical music” is being written all the time. Here are some of the most famous pieces of orchestral music, along with rough guides to the stylistic periods (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, or Modern) into which they fall.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
The earliest classical music was composed primarily for singing (for example, in church) or dancing. Very little “easy listening” took place in ancient times. If you go to a concert and hear a minuet, you’re hearing a form that was originally meant strictly for dancing. In the old days, the only people who simply listened to minuets were people without dates.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
No classical music discussion is complete without the Lieder. In German, the word Lied (pronounced “leed”) means song; Lieder means songs or art songs. In the 1800s especially, Lieder came to great prominence, particularly in private salon concerts.
In classical-music discussions, salon doesn’t refer to hairstyling emporiums.