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List of News Articles

  1. The waltz goes international

    25 November 2024

    We look at what happened when composers outside Austria turned their hands to the waltz ...
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  2. The story behind Silent Night and other carols

    18 November 2024

    The history of Christmas carols is long and surprisingly varied - we look at a few of them.
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  3. The clarinet concerto

    11 November 2024

    It's the clarinet's turn to step centre-stage for a look at their concerto repertoire. It's possible Mozart is mentioned!
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  4. The search for Beethoven's successor

    4 November 2024

    Beethoven died in 1827. Who would be worthy to take on his mantle?
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  5. Why is there so little classical Christmas music?

    28 October 2024

    Where are all the Christmas classics from the great composers?
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  6. Three men, dressed formally: one Victorian, with a short grey beard, one young and clean-shaven, in sepia, the last (in a painting) with a long grey beard and glasses

    The lure of the exotic: northern Africa in classical music

    21 October 2024

    How does the west's fascination with the wider Arab world come across in music? We look at a few examples ...
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  7. André Cebrián and Marta Gómez play the flute sitting in the SCO desks

    The flute concerto

    14 October 2024

    In the third installment of our series looking at the concerto, it's the turn of the SCO flautists to recommend their favourites.
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  8. Three Swedish composers: Bellman (in the middle, in 18th century dress) is playing the cittern, with formal photographs of Berwald to his left and Atterberg to his right

    Not just Eurovision: an introduction to Swedish music

    7 October 2024

    Wherein we challenge you to think past 'Waterloo' and 'Mamma mia' ...
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  9. Max Mandel plays the viola, concentrating hard on the sheet music. He wears a black suit and tie.

    The viola concerto

    23 September 2024

    Our examination of the concerto continues with the viola, whose potential as a solo instrument was long unrecognised.
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  10. Three pictures: a man leans forward, his elbows on some sheet music; a man with a large belly, wearing a black carnival mask; a caricature sketch of a man in a wig

    Pulcinella and the dangers of (mis)attribution

    16 September 2024

    Stravinsky's ballet Pulcinella is based on music by Pergolesi. Or is it?
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  11. Two Black men (the first an 18th century gentleman, the second in a formal Edwardian suit) and a black woman in profile

    The first Black composers

    9 September 2024

    To celebrate Black History Month, we look at the early history of Black composers, from Joseph Boulogne to Samuel Taylor-Coleridge.
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  12. Three women: one in a high wig and flowers in her hair, another sitting in profile, and (in a drawing) standing in a group as part of a stage production

    Mozart and the Weber sisters

    2 September 2024

    We look at Mozart's close relationship with the children of the Weber family.
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