New stories on MusicTales

1. 

   Orchestra

   Im Sommerwind is an atypical work of the typical modernist composer

   Austrian composer Anton Webern rose to fame as a member of the Second Viennese School, a prominent movement known for…

   July 1, 2018

2. 

   Orchestra

   Romeo and Juliet eclipsed by the tragic beauty of Chinese Butterfly Lovers

   The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto is one of the best known classical orchestra pieces in China, though a vast…

   June 30, 2018

3. 

   Songwriter

   Ursula Le Guin as told through English alt-folk

   Alt-folk band This Is the Kit is a project started by the British musician Kate Stables that comes to life through…

   June 29, 2018

4. 

   Film

   Vintage synthesizers alleviate the Blade Runner sequel

   Blade Runner 2049 is the long-anticipated sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 iconic film which defined a whole generation of…

   June 28, 2018

5. 

   Meditation

   Brian Eno's Airport Music for orchestra

   It is useless to speculate now which direction the genre of ambient might have taken if not for Brian Eno, the revered…

   June 27, 20181 comment

6. 

   Vibraphone

   Cal Tjader: the inception of Latin jazz in the Bay Area

   Vibraphonist Cal Tjader was a fruitful composer who combined Afro-Cuban and Brazilian rhythms with jazz harmonies,…

   June 26, 2018

7. 

   Songwriter

   The Birth of 'Venus': from Stephen Foster, to The Big 3, and Shocking Blue

   Stephen Foster (1826—1864) was an American composer whose vast contribution to a popular song, specifically the ballad…

   June 25, 20182 comments

8. 

   Trumpet

   Nameless trumpet sonata credited to Purcell after years of debate

   Henry Purcell, the most prominent English figure of the Baroque era, covered a wide field of genres, producing music…

   June 24, 2018

9. 

   Orchestra

   Mother of film score genre learned music through BBC radio broadcasts

   Doreen Mary Carwithen, also known as Mary Alwyn, was the first student to be selected from the Royal Academy to join an…

   June 23, 2018

10. 

    Cello

    The Catalan virtuoso was discovered by Albéniz in a cafe band

    Pablo Casals (1876—1973) was a Catalan cellist, composer, and conductor, known for his virtuosic technique, and skilled…

    June 22, 2018

11. 

    Film

    Hero's colors come alive with silk violin strings

    Hero, an undeniable martial-arts classic, is an epic collaboration between Zhang Yimou, perhaps the biggest name in…

    June 21, 2018

12. 

    Male Vocal

    Dede Efendi: the father of the famous Ottoman waltz

    İsmail Dede Efendi (1778–1846) is one of the greatest Turkish classical composers. He has created masterpieces in all…

    June 20, 2018

13. 

    Classical Guitar

    William Walton forgot that his only guitar work was written for guitar

    Great guitarist Julian Bream commissioned music from a number of composers to contribute to the creation of the modern…

    June 19, 2018

14. 

    Songwriter

    Peggy Lee's sensual version of Fever replaced the original

    Fever, one of the biggest songs to define a generation, is a passionate love proclamation that spoke to listeners of…

    June 18, 2018

15. 

    Orchestra

    The true soul behind Elgar's Enigma Variations

    Edward Elgar's Enigma Variations, originally titled Variations on an Original Theme, is famous for its mysterious name,…

    June 17, 2018

16. 

    Orchestra

    The lively nature of A Color Symphony emerged from the Great War horrors

    A Colour Symphony, dedicated to the legendary conductor Sir Adrian Boult, was the first major orchestral work by the…

    June 16, 2018

17. 

    Classical Guitar

    Fernando Sor: the Beethoven of the guitar

    Spanish composer Fernando Sor was probably the most well-known guitar player in what has since been dubbed the First…

    June 15, 2018

18. 

    Film

    Star Wars meets Baroque classics

    The long-spanning Star Wars saga is embedded into our consciousness not only with its visual motifs but also its iconic…

    June 14, 2018

19. 

    Big band

    The Stride Piano founder left nightclubs in favor of symphonic music

    James P. Johnson has secured an honorable place in jazz music history as one of the most gifted piano players and…

    June 13, 2018

20. 

    Violin

    Sweet little waltz from a traveling Swedish fiddler

    Early Swedish music was primarily characterized by ballads and kulning, songs typically sung by women for the purpose…

    June 12, 2018