The effect of audience reception on Stravinsky’s compositional processStravinksy on the public not particularly liking his music: Their attitude certainly cannot make me deviate from my path. I shall assuredly not sacrifice my predilections and my aspirations to the demands of those who, in their blindness, do not realize that they are simply asking me to go backwards … I could not follow […]
Feed the inner beastLou Dorfsman, design chief for CBS Radio and later the CBS Television Network for over 40 years, once said, “In reality, creativity is the ability to reach inside yourself and drag forth from your very soul an idea.” However, nothing comes from nothing. You must continuously feed the inner beast that sparks and inspires. I […]
Beethoven and the spiderXaver Schydner von Wartensee, in the early days of meeting Beethoven, was curious about a tale he had heard about Beethoven and a spider. Before Schnyder had become acquainted with the immortal Master, he had read the well-known anecdote according to which, when Beethoven was practising the violin in his garret, a spider lowered itself […]
Mood lighting to boost creativityA study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology has concluded that the level of lighting in a room can impact the level of creative thinking. Anna Steidle and Lioba Werth concluded that “darkness increases freedom from constraints, which in turn promotes creativity.” A dark environment “elicits a feeling of freedom, self-determination, and reduced inhibition, […]
Energy from work“The more work that you make, the more energy you have to make work.” – Garry Stewart, artistic director of the Adelaide-based Australian Dance Theatre. Edwards, Verity. “Dance maker with edge on top of world”, The Australian, 22 July 2011, p.7.
Beethoven’s pianoFranz Liszt owned Beethoven’s Broadwood piano.
AnecdotesQUICK LINKS Composers Instruments Interesting facts Performers and performances Personalities of the musicians See also: QUOTES COMPOSERS Quick links INTERESTING FACTS Quick links INSTRUMENTS Quick links PERFORMERS AND PERFORMANCES Quick links PERSONALITIES OF THE MUSICIANS Quick links
The Great Collapse (The Boy and the Heron)Composer: Joe Hisaishi Arranger: Greg Smith Title: “The Great Collapse”, from The Boy and the Heron Instrumentation: Piano Solo Available from Sheet Music Direct and Sheet Music Plus.
Maurice Ravel: Menuet sur le dom d’Haydn; Menuet Antique; Pavane pour une infante défunte; SonatineRavel’s style — elegant, and refined — was highly influenced by eighteenth classicism (e.g., Mozart) and the early French keyboard composers (e.g., Couperin). Stravinsky once described Ravel as a “Swiss watchmaker”, due to Ravel’s attention to detail. Ravel wrote: “I never put down a work until I have made absolutely certain that there is nothing […]
George Gershwin at the pianoThe theatre director Rouben Mamoulian describes Gershwin’s playing: George at the piano was George happy … like a sorcerer celebrating his Sabbath. He would draw out a lovely melody like a golden thread, then juggle it, twist it and toss it around mischievously, weave it into unexpected intricate patterns, and hurl it into a cascade […]
