Tango composer, Astor Piazzolla, composed Libertango, which was published and recorded in 1974. Libertango is a portmanteau merging the Spanish word, Libertad and Tango that symbolized Piazzolla’s break from Classic Tango music to Nuevo Tango music.
Way before conductors used batons as conducting tools, staffs were used instead. The method of conducting using a staff was vastly different as compared to the usage of a baton: a conductor indicated the time of a piece by banging a large staff on the floor, while with a baton, as it is used today, it is done by drawing patterns in the air.
In history or present, music has been an attempted mechanism to connect with animals. We need dreams in order to push our limits and achieve more than what we already have. What Optus did in the commercial might seem to be an naive dream to many now but one never knows. With this ignition, someone may be inspired to achieve this dream of communicating with whales through music in the future.
ThePiano.SG held its second teachers’ gathering on 6 June 2016 at The Esplanade. Chasing away the Monday blues with music and laughter were Sng Yong Meng, Pauline Tan, Serene Chew and Liew Hui Jie.
Returning to the Esplanade for the third time this summer for their upcoming concert “The Forte Awakens”, Anderson and Roe will be bringing their exhilarating rendition of pieces from the Star Wars fantasies to delighted fans, and ThePiano.SG had snagged an exclusive interview with The Piano Duo to understand their inspiration and vision for their music.
Many would recognise the melody of one of Beethoven’s most famous piano piece, Für Elise. Not many, however, would know the controversies behind it, that it was not published till 40 years after Beethoven’s death, that the title could be wrong all along, or that the version we are all so familiar with was not the last edited version by Beethoven.
One of the best-known musical events of the world, the renowned biennial International Steinway Festival, is now well underway with various countries concurrently running national-level auditions to determine their representatives for the International Steinway Festival 2016.
When you think of starting piano lessons for yourself or your family, one of the first questions that come to mind might be: What are the piano lesson rates in Singapore? Although indeed, price might seem like an important and practical consideration, there is frequently a lack of understanding that aside from budgeting purposes, there is precious little value in considering the monetary obligation that lessons will cost.
A Masterclass, much as the name suggests, can be broadly defined as a class led by one who possesses mastery in any specific discipline. More commonly practiced within the arts, and on musical subjects in particular, Masterclasses have been a staple learning methodology since 1869. Their invention is attributed to the virtuosic Hungarian pianist, Franz Liszt. Since then, Masterclasses have been held by professionals ranging from experienced instructors to legendary performers, for aspiring pianists all over the world.
Michael Staff drew an intriguing parallel between Rubik’s Cube with piano chord progressions through an area of mathematics called group theory. Now, with every square on the Rubik’s Cube mapped to a note within a chord, once you have ensured that your chords are harmonious, you would have also solved the Rubik’s Cube!
ThePiano.SG, founded by Sng Yong Meng, held its first gathering for its family of piano teachers on 1 May 2016 at Kiseki Japanese Buffet Restaurant in Orchard Central. Coming only two months after the teachers listing was created and hosted by Yong Meng, it was an evening of fun and sharing and attended by piano teachers Chng Jia Hui, Charlotte Ong and Pauline Tan.
4’33” is read “four minutes and thirty three seconds” and is sometimes known simply as 433. It is a piece that defies the conventions of classical music. When performed by a soloist, this composition sees the performer take the seat at the piano but doing absolutely nothing with it.
Music notes give life to melodies, which, in effect, can be interchangeable with numbers. As composers embark on their eternal quest for ingenious and original pieces, many are inspired by the use of mathematical constants as music pieces.
How many times have you listened to a song and believed that it was recounting exactly how you felt at that moment? For Donald Gould, a homeless man in the streets of Sarasota, Florida, the song, “Come Sail Away”, might just be what he needed to encourage him to carry on and reach for his dreams.
Since ancient times, music has been a part of human life and culture. Simple items were constructed to play a variety of sounds and they eventually developed into real musical instruments in the 14th and 15th centuries. As civilization advanced, so did the construction of musical instruments like piano.
The Piano Stairs are not pure, decorative pieces. The keys do work like real piano keys and with each step that commuters take, a note is produced. Sensors embedded under the layer of keys send electrical signals to a computer, which analyses them and produces a corresponding sound that is broadcast from hidden speakers.
On 10 November 2011, a 23-year-old pianist appeared on the stage of the famous Carnegie Hall in midtown Manhattan, New York City. Over the course of four minutes, the smartly-dressed young man played an original composition with such emotions that tears flowed from his eyes. His exceptional performance had the usually-reserved Carnegie audience give him a standing ovation.
Memories can exist in many forms; they may be a picture you see in a magazine, a scent you smell on the way to work or a song you hear over the radio. In this Japanese commercial, commissioned by Tosando Music in Japan, memories come in the form of Pachelbel’s Canon in D.
In 1989, British Airways unveiled a television commercial that projected its intended image of itself being the airline that united the world. With its catchy, fast-paced track Aria on Air, a stunning visual that saw people coming together from exotic locations and the impressive voice-over, “Every year, the World’s Favourite Airline brings twenty four million people together”, The Face, as it came to be known, quickly gained popularity and became a much-talked-about classic.
If there are two people who can play the piano and change their clothes at the same time, it has to be the duo from Germany known as Ass-Dur. These young comedians-musicians have proven that they are not only able to perform multiple tasks but are also able to make a living with their unusual talent.
Rainer Hersch is a musician and comedian from Britain. While most people possess multiple talents or passions and are able to pursue parallel, often-disparate careers, Rainer must be one of the few who are able to blend the two into one. Not only does Rainer do that, he does it exceptionally well, to the extent that he is able to turn this combined talent into a seamless whole and present the resulting performances in a fun way to concert-lovers. Suddenly, people who would otherwise not have known anything about music sit up and take notice.
In recent years, transparent pianos have been gaining popularity. While many still prefer the traditional, wood-based instruments with a glossy lacquer finish, the fine examples of which grace concert halls and jazz clubs, others are opting for their modern, transparent counterparts that present a contemporary feel.
It is often said that mathematics is the universal language. Being the medium of calculation and the means of transactions between people, it is no doubt something that is understood by all mankind, regardless of cultures and geographies. However, if there is something that is not only universally-understood but is also a source of entertainment, it has to be music.
Every little while, something interesting appears on the Internet that captures our imagination. Each time, from the deepest recesses of Planet Earth emerges a creative genius who grabs hold of famous musical compositions from days past and gives them a new twist.