50 Moments that Rocked the Classical Music World

Notify me when the book’s added

An eclectic, fun and informative guide to the 50 moments that changed classical music forever, from technological advances in music recording and practical innovations, to landmark concerts, the births and deaths of the great composers, and much more. Published in partnership with Classic FM, the book will have a wide appeal to classical music fans of all kinds, seeking equally to educate, inform and entertain, and uncovers a rich and often unexpected history of classical music. Written by the authors of the bestselling The Classic FM Hall of Fame and Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Classical Music… But Were Too Afraid to Ask, 50 Moments that Rocked the Classical Music World is the perfect gift for the classical music aficionado, as well as anyone new to the genre looking to get their first foothold on the mountain of classical music.

Music Genres & Styles Classical

This book is currently unavailable

259 printed pages

Original publication: 2014
Publication year: 2014

Quotes

Pavel Kurilkinhas quoted9 years ago
You might well wonder why on earth the Church, in particular, needed castrati even in the 16th century. The answer to this question is simple: women were banned from taking part in any sacred service, so choirs had to be exclusively male. Consequently, the feminine qualities of the castrato voice were hugely appealing, given that they mimicked a woman’s voice and tone without actually requiring the presence of a female in the choral ranks. Although the practice of castration did thankfully start to die away during the 18th century, castrati still formed a part of the Sistine Chapel choir as recently as 1903.
- Like
- Comment
- Share
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Copy link
- Report this
Pavel Kurilkinhas quoted9 years ago
The only castrato ever to have been recorded was Alessandro Moreschi – an Italian, unsurprisingly, who lived until 1922 and who was still singing publicly at the start of the 20th century. This youthful-looking man was known for being able to perform Caccini’s Ave Maria with beautiful purity, at the age of 55.
- Like
- Comment
- Share
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Copy link
- Report this
Pavel Kurilkinhas quoted9 years ago
Hildegard continued to challenge authority. When she moved with eighteen fellow nuns to form a community in Rupertsberg in 1150, she pushed for nuns and monks to receive equal dowries (at that time, the monks were better remunerated). She also encouraged the nuns to dress differently: wearing their hair unbound, for example, adorned with beautiful tiaras. All this went hand in hand with her spirituality: Hildegard believed such attire brought glory to God because it emphasised the beauty of femininity.
- Like
- Comment
- Share
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Copy link
- Report this

On the bookshelves

Seppo Mäkelä
Musiikki
- 8
Unfollow