As the gift giving season is upon us, we look at musical gifts composers have written for friends, family, lovers and royalty in our new playlist.
7975 Raytheon Rd. Suite 310
San Diego, CA, 92111
Primephonic brings you stories about innovation in classical music
As the gift giving season is upon us, we look at musical gifts composers have written for friends, family, lovers and royalty in our new playlist.
Topics: Richard Strauss, Béla Bartók, Richard Wagner
The melody of the dies irae or ‘day of wrath’ is possibly as old as the 6th century. The tune was traditionally set to a Latin poem, describing judgement day – a trumpet call summons all souls to God’s divine judgement of salvation or damnation. This dark, historic melody has captured the imagination of many composers since then. Take a listen to the Dies Irae playlist, only on Primephonic.
On 25 October 1917, 99 years ago today, the Bolshevik uprising led to the formation of the Soviet Union, one of the most significant geopolitical entities of the 20th century. The cultural impact of the spread of communism throughout Eastern Europe was profound.
Topics: Alfred Schnittke, Arvo Part, Soviet Union
There’s something ethereal about music that speaks to humanity. Music expresses emotion sonically without the need for language or text. Music doesn’t even need to be understood to be enjoyed.
Topics: William Herschel, Dmitri Shostakovich, The Voyager Interstellar Record
Shostakovich was born on this day in 1906. 20thcentury innovations such as the radio and television made it more possible than ever before for ideas and information to reach a wide audience. This in turn made censorship, not just of the news but of literature, art and music, a requirement for the functioning of any totalitarian state. It is therefore likely thatDmitri Shostakovichnever fully realized how much the Soviet regime needed him.
Topics: stalin, Soviet Union, Dmitri Shostakovich