• Musical Phrenology and the Case of the Missing Composers’ Skulls

    Classical music lovers celebrate the life and legacy of titans such as Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Mahler, and many others by listening to and performing their music. We study their lives and musical legacies to try and learn more about their ideas and inspirations. Some people take other routes. Throughout history, people have tried to study the human body to learn more about how it works. As you might imagine, the bodies of famous people were considered highly valuable in hopes of learning more about their intellect. Which is what led to the theft and displacement of several skulls of classical musicians. Phrenology is the pseudoscience of studying human skulls in…

  • 13 Italian Music Vocabulary Words Perfect for Halloween

    Whether you’re composing or just want to learn some new words to add to your music lexicon, here are a few Italian words which are perfect for Halloween (all taken from the music dictionary pictured above): con abbandono – with reckless abandon; highly emotional (no, it doesn’t mean abandoned, as in a haunted house) adiratamente – angrily amarissimo/angoscioso – with anguish bizarramente – in a bizarre manner con disperazione – with despair doloroso – with great pain gemendo – groaning morendo – dying away singhiozzando – sobbing sordamente – using a veiled or muffled sound sospirando – sighing; sobbing tumultuoso – in an agitated manner; tumultuous vacillante – wavering or…

  • Secret Societies in Clarinet History

    In addition to the abundance of clarinet history’s unsolved mysteries, there is also evidence of secret societies in clarinet history. Most notably is Austrian clarinetist Anton Stadler (1752-1812), who is well-known as “Mozart’s clarinetist.” Mozart and Stadler became good friends and were both fellow Freemasons during the latter half of the 18th century. There are many rumors, mysteries, and even conspiracy theories surrounding Freemasons, but at its core, Freemasons were (and continue to be) a fraternal organization with the goals of enlightenment for its members. “Big deal, Mozart and Stadler hung out together in a fraternal group,” you might be thinking. You’re not wrong, but there are some interesting things…

  • How this famous composer of clarinet music inspired the Phantom of the Opera

    Did you know that one of clarinet history’s most celebrated composers might be responsible for partially inspiring Gaston Leroux’s novel The Phantom of the Opera? A bit of background: Even if you haven’t read the book, you’re probably familiar with the story of The Phantom of the Opera. A quick primer for anyone who’s unfamiliar: a mysterious phantom named Erik lives under the Paris Opera house, the Palais Garnier, in a subterranean lake. He falls in love with soprano Christine, much to the displeasure of her friend Raoul. As in most operas, drama, destruction, and diabolical plans ensue. Gaston Leroux was partially inspired by the rumors and unusual occurrences that…