Classical Music FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Classical music.
This FAQ about Classical music was compiled and written by Gabe M. Wiener gabe@panix.com with numerous contributions by others.
Copyright (C) 1995 by Gabe M. Wiener. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
This compilation document is copyrighted. Permission is hereby granted for electronic distribution by non-commercial services such as internet. Any other use, or any commercial use of this document without permission is prohibited by law. Inquire to gabe@panix.com.
1. What are the major periods of "classical" music?- What the public generally calls classical music is actually ...
- 2. I'm new to classical music and want to learn about it. What should I listen to?
- Probably the first thing you should listen to is your local ...
- 3. I heard this melody on the radio. How do I figure out what it is? (Classical music)
- First option: Call the radio station and ask. They're usually ...
- 4. I heard this great piece on the radio, but when I went to the record store to buy a copy, I found dozens of versions. Which is the right one to get? (Classical music)
- This question is one that often confronts even the most ...
- 5. Why are there so many recordings of the same piece? (Classical music)
- The question of interpretation is addressed in Q15. Briefly though,...
- 6. How do I find out if [insert piece] has ever been recorded? (Classical music)
- *EVER* been recorded is tough. To check if there is a current ...
- 7. What is that music in [insert TV show/movie here] ? (Classical music)
- We have a little joke in the newsgroup that no matter what movie or ...
- 8. What are the best reference works on music in general?
- The supreme musical references is probably the New Grove Dictionary ...
- 9. What distinguishes classical music from popular music?
- Scholars go round and round on this one. Some say that ...
- 10. What is the difference between an opera and a musical?
- Generally, a musical has dialogue with interspersed songs. Opera ...
- 11. What is the history behind Orff's Carmina Burana? (Classical music)
- Carmina Burana was originally a cycle of medieval songs. The text ...
- 13. How do you pronounce all those conductors', composers', and performers' names? (Classical music)
- We don't have schwas and umlauts in ASCII, so I'll do my best. A *...
- 14. How are composers' works usually indexed? Why so many ways? (Classical music)
- I just heard this radio guy announce Foobar's string quartet #...
- 15. What's the point of having a conductor? Can't professional musicians keep time by themselves? (Classical music)
- Yes, professional musicians can keep time by themselves, but ...
- 16. Will a "DDD" recording always sound better than "ADD" or "AAD"? What do those codes mean anyway? (Classical music)
- In the early days of the CD, the Society of Professional ...
- 17. What is "authentic performance practice"? (Classical music)
- Any musical work can be interpreted in a variety of different ways....
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