The Classical Music Minute

Send us Fan Mail Description In this minute of classical music history, I’ll showcase Mozart’s partner in crime, Lorenzo Da Ponte, who was librettist to many in the operatic world at the time, including writing for three of Mozart’s greatest works. Fun Fact At the age of 79, Da Ponte became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Five years later, he founded America's first opera house, the New York Oper...

Send us Fan Mail Description In this minute of classical music history, I’ll delve into the life of Hildegard of Bingen who was, among other things, one of the first identifiable composers—dating back over 800 years to the early medieval period. Fun Fact A character of the same name, Hildegard, was created for the Netflix series “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”. Although Hildegard is mentioned in...

Send us Fan Mail From the grand gestures of gods and ancient heroes in Opera Seria to the comical meanderings of Opera Buffa. These two genres occurred at a time of great change both in music and European society as a whole. Take one minute to Get the Scoop! Fun Fact Opera Buffa was inspired by intermezzi, which were comic intermissions appearing in between acts of Opera Seria, in order to break u...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I explore the history and impact that Castrati made on the musical scene of the time. They were indeed a powerful force, both literally and figuratively in shaping musical dexterity, virtuosity, and prowess. Fun Fact Alessandro Moreschi was the last castrato to sing in the Sistine Chapel choir. He would retire in 1913, thus ending the Castrati legacy. About Steven...

Send us Fan Mail In this minute of classical music history, I’ll delve into the make-up and influences of the Florentine Camerata. They had a big impact on the arts in the latter part of the 16th century, more specifically the development of a new kind of music. Fun Fact: Did you know that Jacopo Peri’s Dafne (1598) is said to be the first opera ever written? Apparently, Jacopo might have popped i...

Send us Fan Mail Today, most orchestral performances begin with the grand entrance of the maestro, as he/she takes their place on the podium and then emphatically points their baton at the musicians to indicate everyone (including the audience) should pay attention. But the use of the baton wasn’t always this elegant and didn't always convey the musical subtleties of conductor to musician. In...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how some wind players circular breath? What is circular breathing anyway?  Check out my first episode of The Classical Music Minute podcast for the answer to this burning question.  If you’re interested to hear the oboe piece I mentioned in the podcast check out the recording .  See if you can spot this circular effect in action! Featured Soundtrack for this episode,...