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Avalokiteshvara

MEDITATION

Mantra of Avalokiteshvara: meaning and purpose of popular Buddhist chants

Avalokiteśvara is one of the central figures of Buddhism whose name is often associated with several mantras chanted by...

Сompay Segundo

Poetry

Guajira Guantanamera: song meaning and origin of the lyrics

Guantanamera is a demonym—a word that identifies a group of people in relation to a particular place—in this case, used...

FILM

Five tones of Spielberg's alien language

Close Encounters of the Third Kind—Steven Spielberg’s first and perhaps best attempt at sci-fi—was released in 1977 only...

Muse Tuning the Lyra

Music Theory

Popular songs using Lydian mode

In Western music, the vast majority of classical compositions and popular songs are written using only two diatonic... 4 comments

Orpheus in a Phrygian cap by Giovanni Dall'Orto

Music Theory

Popular songs featuring Phrygian mode and Neapolitan chord

Western music theory describes seven diatonic scales that are the basis of corresponding musical modes, among which the...

Phrygian Soldiers at Pararli

Music Theory

Classic examples of the Phrygian mode through the music eras

From Middle Ages to modernity, Western music has been largely based on diatonic scales that organize seven notes into... 4 comments

Besame Mucho by Dick Hyman Trio

SONGWRITER

Bésame Mucho: song meaning and source of inspiration behind the famous Mexican bolero

Bésame Mucho is one of the most famous songs in music history that has been tirelessly performed for the past eighty... 1 comment

Traditional Irish Music scorebook by Gráinne Hambly

HARP

The Celtic Baroque roots of Stairway to Heaven

Irish musician Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738) is considered to be a pioneer in blending court music of the Baroque era... 6 comments

Cocteau Twins' Four Calendar Cafe LP

Band

Emotion over meaning: the enigmatic lyrics of Cocteau Twins in the languages of glossolalia

Having first appeared in religious practices, the term glossolalia referred to the ability of a believer to... 2 comments

Terracotta Kylix by Dokimasia Painter

Music Theory

5 songs featuring Dorian mode

Out of all seven diatonic scales, the major and minor scales have been the two most prevalent in Western music...

Terracotta amphora attributed to the Berlin Painter

Music Theory

7 songs featuring Mixolydian mode

The dominance of the major and minor modes in Western classical music has been observed for several centuries, and this... 2 comments

The Cylix of Apollo with the Lyre

Music Theory

Mixolydian mode: famous examples in classical and pop music

In the 17th century, the major and minor scales became the basis for almost all classical music compositions. This... 13 comments

Lakme LP

ORCHESTRA

The Flower Duet of Lakmé: the love drama of an Indian girl and a British soldier made airborne

The Flower Duet is a famous operatic duet which popularity has spread far beyond interests of classical music audience...

Terracotta Kylix Attributed to the Akestorides Painter

Music Theory

8 songs to introduce Aeolian mode and natural minor scale

Over the past centuries, the composition of polyphonic music has been primarily focused on seven diatonic scales...

Zefiros by Sandro Botticelli

Poetry

Zefiro Torna: famous madrigal by Monteverdi lauds the west wind that brings spring

Originating in the 14th century as a poetic form, the madrigal is a short poem of lyrical content. During the...

Roman numerals indicating chords of minor and major scales

Music Theory

Plagal cadence exemplified by 9 songs in all diatonic modes

In musical theory, the term cadence is applied to the chord progressions that create a sense of resolution at the end of... 2 comments

Gipsy Kings CD cover

SONGWRITER

Bamboléo: song meaning and origin of the lyrics

Bamboléo, released by the French band Gipsy Kings in the 1980s, remains the defining genre entry of its era. The band's...

Capricho Arabe by Francisco Tarrega

Classical Guitar

Capricho Arabe: the first composition of Francisco Tarrega became his epitaph

Capricho Arabe is the most popular work of the iconic Spanish guitarist Francisco Tárrega who initiated the revival of...

Lydian delegation at Apadana

Music Theory

Lydian mode: famous examples throughout the music history

Major and minor modes are the most used diatonic scales in classical and popular music due to their versatile structure...

Kate Bush's Never For Ever LP

SONGWRITER

MTV and EMI did not appreciate the concept of Kate Bush's iconic Running Up That Hill

Running Up That Hill, initially titled A Deal with God, is no doubt the most iconic work of Kate Bush which came to life... 1 comment

Summer Evening by Childe Hassam

Choir

Gershwin's Summertime: the most recorded song draws inspiration from Ukrainian lullaby and African American spiritual

Written by the American composer George Gershwin in 1934, Summertime aria is now the most recorded song in the history... 3 comments

Roman numerals indicating chords of minor and major scales

Music Theory

Deceptive cadence: chord progressions and song examples

In music, cadences play a crucial role in the organization of musical phrases and sentences. The concept of cadences is...

Bob Marley's Kaya album sleeve

SONGWRITER

Easy Skanking: meaning and themes in the famous Bob Marley album opener

Easy Skanking is the opening song on Bob Marley’s tenth studio album Kaya released in 1978 and preceding the historic...

Steam in Africa by Guenter Haslbeck and David Wardale

Choir

Shosholoza: meaning and origin of the famous African work song

With its origins going back to the gold mines of South Africa, Shosholoza holds a firm place in the cultural...

Metastaseis by Iannis Xenakis

ORCHESTRA

The symbiosis of music and architecture in mathematical glissandi by Iannis Xenakis

The rapid growth of technology in the 20th century led to the beginning of a new era in the music industry when the... 3 comments

Christ's Entry into Jerusalem by William Blake

WILLIAM BLAKE

Prog rock version of Jerusalem was banned by BBC

Jerusalem is a British national song based on a poem by William Blake printed in 1808. At the heart of the poem is the... 4 comments

Flamenco by 4i @ flickr

Music Theory

The Andalusian cadence: distinct chord progression of flamenco that captivated all pop music genres

The Andalusian cadence is a musical term denoting a chain of four chords that appear sequentially through each step of...

Vanitas with Violin and Glass Ball by Pieter Claesz

ORCHESTRA

Albinoni's famous Adagio is unusually solemn and offbeat because it wasn't, in fact, written by Tomaso Albinoni

Adagio in G Minor, attributed to 18th-century Venetian master Tomaso Albinoni, is widely familiar through its often use...

Akbari Mosque Overlooking Ganges by Sita Ram

SAROD

Legendary Tansen could bring rain with music

The history of Indian classical music is enriched with numerous artists who were able to channel very specific moods set...

The Thunderstorm by Jan van Goyen

Nature Sounds

8 orchestral pieces depicting thunderstorms

Of all the meteorological phenomena, thunderstorms are perhaps one of the most imposing forces of nature, so it is not...

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