Klaus Döring's Classical Music/Klaus Döring's Klassische Musik

  by  Georg Predota , Interlude   Frédéric Chopin Frédéric Chopin suffered from serious and chronic health problems throughout his short life. Already in his teens, Chopin suffered from frequent respiratory problems that included coughing, headaches, and the swelling of the cervical lymph glands. Biographers and doctors have detailed numerous episodes of bronchitis and laryngitis, and he appears to have caught a bout of influenza in Paris in 1837. Adding to this were several periods of severe depression, as he complained of “hopelessness, apathy, and sleeplessness.” It has been reported that he frequently had to “be carried to bed after playing the piano for a long time.” His doctor, Paul-Léon-Marie Gaubert assured him that he was not suffering from tuberculosis, but that might simply have been some friendly misdirection. As Chopin’s health deteriorated after 1840, he was described “as pale, thin, looking ill, and weighing only 45 kilograms.” Delacroix: Chopin, 1838 ...

by   Desiree Ho , Interlude Credit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Did you ever wonder why the Chinese character for Music (“樂”) shares the exact same character for happiness (“樂”), and why the Chinese character for medicine (“藥”) is simply the same character with the symbol for plants placed on top? It seems that ancient Chinese had long recognised a connection between music, happiness and medicine. Could the growing field of music therapy really bring about health benefits? Music as a non-therapeutic form of medicine Perhaps you have a friend or family member who suffers from a health problem, such as stroke, depression, Parkinson’s, or is recovering from surgery, and is now looking for other forms of treatment. Well, perhaps music therapy could be the answer. Music therapy is a growing field of healthcare in which music is used by a qualified professional to help address a patient’s needs through clinical and evidence-based therapy. The aim of music therapy is to reduce the patient...

 by Hermione Lai, Interlude © aesdes.org If I could take only one style of music to a deserted island it would have to be  Baroque  music. Music written during that period is full of drama and energy, and it can be very intimate or simply grandiose. It is lively and tuneful, and always seems to express a fundamental and universal order. It also gave birth to opera, and the orchestra became a musical force. My favorite among all these wonderful and expressive genres, however, is the concerto. Soloists on all kinds of instruments started to take center stage and amazed audiences with their technical skills and highly expressive music. You can probably tell already that Baroque Music was famous for its stylistic diversity. Italy led the way in terms of musical innovation, and the beginning of the 17th century saw one of the most dramatic turning points in the history of music. While earlier music was composed in accordance with the rules of counterpoint that took precedence ...

By Georg Predota , Interlude A good many people decide to plan proceedings for their own funerals. Among the various options and choices there is always the question if music should be part of the service, and if so, what that music might be. With his health steadily deteriorating, Frédéric Chopin had some time to mull this specific question. With support from his student and patroness Jane Stirling, Chopin and his family members took an apartment at 12 Place Vendôme, in June 1849. Only his closest friends were admitted, although Pauline Viardot sarcastically remarked “all the grand Parisian ladies considered it de rigueur to faint in his room.” Chopin put his affairs in order, and on 17 October 1849, around 2 in the morning he died aged 39. Last moments of Frédéric Chopin (1849-1850) by Teofil Antoni Jaksa Kwiatkowski Chopin was horrified to be buried alive, so he requested that his body be opened after death, and his heart returned to the Church of the Holy Cross in Warsaw. And he re...

Filipino music in general was introduced to me by my wife Rossana. What does music really mean to Filipinos? It simply tells them where they've been and where they could go. It tells a story that everyone can appreciate and relate to, which is why it's a big part of every Filipino culture. During the 1980s, Rossana was the lead dancer of the Manisan Cultural Dance Troupe. I got to know about  gong music which can be divided into two types: the flat gong commonly known as gangsà and played by the groups in the Cordillera region and the bossed gongs played among the Islam and animist groups in the southern Philippines. The kulintang ensemble is the most advanced form of ensemble music with origins in the pre-colonial epoch of Philippine history and is a living tradition in southern parts of the country. Very quickly, it pleased me another popular medium for light classical muse -  the rondalla . Its repertoire consists mainly of native folk tunes, ballroom music as w...

By   Georg Predota , Interlude © medium.com The English rock band The Beatles, formed in Liverpool in 1960, is widely considered the most influential band of all time. Led by songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the band was part of 1960s counterculture and inspired an international fan frenzy called “Beatlemania.” They stormed the United States pop market in what was dubbed the “British Invasion” and enjoyed huge commercial success. The Beatles essentially wrote simple songs emerging from folklore roots. Although primarily rooted in contemporary rock ’n roll, they absorbed different influences and styles, “having been inspired by everything, from Negro blues to Magyar dances.” And as a scholar writes, “they borrowed here and there with unabashed enthusiasm and made it all their own.” And while they considered “ Beethoven  a con, just like we are now,” Paul McCartney once said “ Bach  was always one of our favorite composers.”  George Martin, 1965 Paul and John sang in ...

  Puccini is one of the most beloved of all opera composers La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Turandot still play to packed opera houses the world over. Generally snubbed by the critics, Puccini was a serial adulterer whose greatest passions (apart from women) were massacring the local duck population and hurtling around in high-speed cars and boats. Yet behind the macho image, he was a creative artist of profound sensitivity and dramatic flair. This essential music companion provides a compelling overview of the constant tension between Puccini's indulgent personal life, his status as an international celebrity and his excruciatingly high standards as a composer. Italian composer Giacomo Puccini started the operatic trend toward realism with popular works such as 'La Bohème' and 'Madama Butterfly.' Who Was Giacomo Puccini? Italian composer Giacomo Puccini started the operatic trend toward realism with his popular works, which are among the most often performed...