The great majority of classical music gear fall into six major categories – bowed strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, keyboard, and the guitar family. The first four form the basis of the modern symphony orchestra.
Heh. I never thought of our instruments as “gear” before. Made me smile. I like that the article is Everything You Need To Know About Classical Music Gear. Yes. Everything.
Are you searching for the “best student oboe”? Well, this site gives recommendations. Please please please please please talk to your oboe teacher first. Do not trust a website. Do not trust a friend. Do not trust a music store. Shoot, you don’t even have to trust me (unless I’m your teacher).
Okay?
And remember; if the price seems unbelievable, the oboe probably will be unbelievable as well. But not in a good way.
In culture, I often find that people want to hold onto habits until they have to change. People who loved vinyl really hated CDs. People who like CDs don’t want to go online. People who go online now think vinyl may be a really cool thing. It’s all a reflection of habits that we develop and how quickly people can adapt in the industry versus people who grow up with another set of circumstances and say, “Wait a minute? Why should I look at the industry that way when there are another set of possibilities?”
-Yo Yo Ma
I just read the following:
Please not the change of line-up and programme: Berliner Philharmoniker, Neeme Järvi (replacing Christoph von Dohnányi)
Fri 5. March 2010 8 pm
Sat 6. March 2010 8 pm
PhilharmonieBerliner Philharmoniker
Neeme Järvi (replacing Christoph von Dohnányi) ConductorJohannes Brahms
Academic Festival Overture in C minor
Johannes Brahms
Tragic Overture in D minor
Carl Maria von Weber
Oberon Overture
Edvard Grieg
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1
Edvard Grieg
Peer Gynt Suite No. 2Introductory presentation 7 p.m.
Although Christoph von Dohnányi was born in Berlin, he identifies himself equally with the Hungarian homeland of his ancestors, one of whom being the pianist and composer Ern? Dohnányi. It is therefore hardly surprising that Dohnányi should be involved in developing the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Hungarian theme this season.
The central work of this evening’s concert is Béla Bartók’s one-act opera Bluebeard’s Castle – an ambiguous composition in which a terrifying plot and the oppressive characterisation of the eponymous hero and his wife are artfully interwoven.
The first part of the concert is devoted to György Ligeti. We will hear his famous Lontano, in which one can lose oneself in the gently meandering sounds as if one were in a labyrinth. And we have the opportunity to hear again the composer’s Double Concerto for flute, oboe and orchestra, the first performance of which in 1972 was also given by Dohnányi and the Berliner Philharmoniker. Today, as in 1972, the soloists come from the ranks of the orchestra: 38 years ago, Karlheinz Zöller was the flute soloist and Lothar Koch the oboist; our soloists for this performance are Andreas Blau and Jonathan Kelly.
Obviously the content below the new program has yet to be updated. Wishing Maestro Dohnányi a speedy recovery.
Love how a kid was just playing the dreidle song on the oboe in kidzstuff at church…
There’s Relaxing with the Classics, Classics for Lovers (a few of those, actually), Debussy for Dreaming, Bach for Breakfast, Mozart for Meditation, and even Baroque at Bathtime. But, really, someone should put out a CD of “Punishing with the Classics”, since that seems to be the popular thing to do now. (Hey, that would make us “popular music” … right?)
One news report says some of the children who have endured this Mozart authoritarianism now find classical music unbearable. As one critical commentator said, they will probably “go into adulthood associating great music—the most bewitchingly lovely sounds on Earth—with a punitive slap on the chops.” This is what passes for education in Britain today: teaching kids to think “Danger!” whenever they hear Mozart’s Requiem or some other piece of musical genius.
I read it here.
I love this poster, which I first saw at Charles Noble’s blog. Gee, kind of implies that every musician in the orchestra matters, you know?
Maybe everyone does matter!
AND … If you go to the orchestra’s Facebook page you’ll see one of my favorite oboists, Albrecht Mayer!
