A Brief History of the Violin
Musical instruments have existed in one form or another for many thousands of years. There were several stringed instruments made before violins, but some of them are so ancient that modern scholars hardly know anything about them, having only seen them depicted in artwork or written record. The violin has existed in its current form since the 16-th century. The first Violin makers were Italians who were probably influenced by other ancient stringed instruments from around the world.
Some of the violin’s precursors date back several thousand years. The ravanstron, rebec, and rabab are ancient stringed instruments that were used thousands of years ago. By the 11-th century, the rote and vielle had been invented. These instruments looked somewhat similar to modern violins in that they fingerboards that containing strings which players could press in order to produce different tones. The vielle was probably the instrument most similar to the modern violin, different models had between two and five strings that could be plucked or bowed.
Jazz Yatra
Jazz is arguably the most argumentative form of music (even has diminished and argumented chords). So at the outset let me present my side of the argument. Jazz is musical improvisation, right? Indian classical music is improvisation, still right? Granted Indian music does not have the harmonies of the west. But the keyword here is improvisation and not harmony, absolutely right? Indian classical music has been around for more than two thousand years. The Americans discovered Jazz less than a hundred years ago. Right then, now that we have established India as the birth place of Jazz lets head for the Indian Jazz Yatra.
Surfacing on day one are the cats (kangaroos?) from down under. Jamie Oehlers Quintet and the Perth Jazz Orchestra. Jamie opens. Good band. Great Jazz. Jamie and the boys are jammin’ alright. On to act two which is…ahem, an extended remix of act one. Jamie and the boys brought their buddies along to form the Perth Jazz Orchestra! It’s always a thrill hearing the powerful and dynamic sounds of a big band. Reminds me about what teamwork is all about. Each and every member looked really happy to be a small part of the big picture. Standing out and upfront with the big band was vocalist Mark Underwood with a rich and velvety voice that reached out and caressed the audience. Very enjoyable evening. Good start for Jazz Yatra. Met up with lots of old and new friends all sharing a common love for music being created live. Day one was the Aussies night out. Pity we didn’t get to hear their musical instrument called didgeridoo or didgerididnt or something.
Eras of Opera
Baroque Time
The birth associated with safari and its development into probably the the majority of enduring musical variety of most times, comes from the actual baroque period. Coppernicus’s concept from the 16th Century how the planets failed to revolve around the earth hence making the world a larger place, the task associated with Galileo assisting us understand the cosmos much better, developments inside technology plus the works with the great thinkers and also writers such as Descartes and Shakespeare, just about all started supplying all of us different and brand new viewpoints on lifestyle and the universe. They will created distinctive viewpoints by means of their particular fine art.
Salvatore Licitra, the Next Pavarotti
Since Salvatore Licitra’s Metropolitan Opera debut twelve years ago in Giuseppe Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera,” King Gustavus has been his signature role. As a last minute replacement for the ailing Pavarotti exceeded expectations, he was immediately anointed by critics as the next Pavarotti.
His career has continued to soar with leading roles in “La Forza del Destina,” “Tosca,” “Il Trovatore,” “Don Carlo,” “La Traviata” and others written for a true Italian tenor. Now he returns to Washington National Opera for the first time since 2008 in a production of “Un Ballo” to be enjoyed by opera lovers and thousands of newcomers to the genre at a performance simulcast to 20,000 at National Field.
Verdi thought the story by French playwright Eugene Scribe about the assassination of Sweden’s King Gustavus III in 1792 – a tale of forbidden love, witchcraft and murder – would make a splendid opera, but when he presented his completed work to the censors of Naples in 1857, they raised objections. It did not help that an assassination attempt was made on Napoleon III during that period. Infuriated, Verdi made some changes they demanded, ultimately appeasing them by moving the setting from Sweden to Boston, Massachusetts.