“Retro” is a word you hear a lot these days – taking something old and clearly dated and making it fashionable again. Bell bottoms, vinyl records, lumberjack beards, thick plastic glasses, mullets (someday, I hope!)

Many people have said to me how much they enjoy the sound of older instruments – since I’m a keyboard player, I usually hear it about the harpsichord. It looks like a piano, but its sound has a bite to it that is not unlike the electric guitar; it’s gentle and elegant, but has a real edge to its sound. I think we are attracted to the older instruments because they remind us of something we already know, but are different enough to really catch our attention (our “beginner’s mind“). The fact that the instruments are recycled from the past (as opposed to newly invented) gives an added benefit of transporting our imaginations to an idealized time in history.

The Crumhorn could be called the lovechild between a bagpipe and an oboe. It is a double-reed instrument with fingered holes (like an oboe), but the player’s mouth doesn’t touch the reed – instead it is contained in a box, giving it a growling sound while severely limiting its range. It was a popular instrument in the renaissance, but its lack of range made it fall from favor as newer instruments were invented. The sound will put you back in the 16th century – as you can see by this extremely talented performer who is playing all 4 crumhorn parts, all 4 viol parts, as well as the drum. It’s slightly surreal, but completely awesome, and yes, I’m totally jealous of this guy’s abilities.

Make sure you pay attention to the video, especially the artwork. Yeah.

I started this blog six months ago, knowing that many blogs are begun and abandoned shortly thereafter. I gave myself a goal – one post a day, for one year. Of course this brought up all kinds of questions. Do I know 365 pieces of music? Definitely. Do I know 365 pieces that are so good they’re worth writing about? Well, I wasn’t so sure about that. But here I am, six months from my start – and halfway to my goal.

Partly, this blog is just a place for me to throw some creative energy into and keep my head fresh with new ideas. The other aim is to introduce Art Music – the music I love and have devoted my life to – to audiences who haven’t been exposed to it. So, on its half-birthday, here’s a champagne toast to Art Music, along with a few other things that typically go with opera – cross dressing, nudity, drunkenness, and bad dancing.

Does Norway have a 4th of July? Yes, but they call it “May 17th.”

Fun Fact #1: Scandinavia has way more heavy metal bands per capita than anywhere else in the world.

Edvard Grieg is unquestionably Norway’s most iconic composer. When he was born, Norway was a very poor country – in the eyes of mainland Europeans, it was the sticks, full of country bumpkins and fishermen (and burnt-out Vikings). Grieg helped forge a national identity through his marvelous music, which often incorporated Norwegian folk songs and legends. He only wrote one concerto, but it was and is so popular that quite frankly he didn’t need to write another one. The Piano Concerto in A minor incorporates some traditional Norwegian dances, as well as some less-traditional Nordic heavy metal. Just listen to the opening – is that not totally metal?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VctuKi7QwcM

Fun Fact #2: Grieg’s melodic phrases are almost invariably four-measures long. (hmm, I suppose that’s not as fun as fact #1 …)