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Behind the music

List of News Articles

  1. Musical hoaxes

    27 October 2025

    Dishonesty among classical composers? Surely not!
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  2. Figaro beyond Mozart (and Rossini)

    20 October 2025

    Where does Jonathan Dove's 'Figures in the Garden' fit in with the Figaro story?
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  3. Not quite a symphony: the sinfonietta, divertimento and serenade

    13 October 2025

    Our series on the symphony takes a slight detour to look at those works which don't quite make the grade.
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  4. A marimba seen sideways on from a low angle, with Colin Currie just visible behind it

    An introduction to keyboard percussion instruments

    6 October 2025

    Can you tell the difference between a vibraphone and a xylophone?
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  5. Mozart and the development of the piano concerto

    29 September 2025

    How one composer almost single-handedly raised the piano concerto to unprecedented heights
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  6. Haydn, Father of the Symphony

    22 September 2025

    In the latest in our series looking at the symphony, what makes Haydn so significant in its development?
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  7. When composers don't write a full Mass

    15 September 2025

    Some sections of the Mass are more popular than others ...
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  8. Symphonies and their nicknames

    8 September 2025

    Beethoven's Fifth has a nickname? Well, it does according to some people ...
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  9. The percussion concerto

    1 September 2025

    Our examination of the concerto now turns to percussion. Expect the unexpected!
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  10. The clarinet concerto

    16 June 2025

    It's the clarinet's turn to step centre-stage for a look at their concerto repertoire. It's possible Mozart is mentioned!
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  11. Opera seria: a beginner's guide

    9 June 2025

    Ahead of the SCO's performances of two key opera seria in this year's Edinburgh International Festival, we look at the history of the genre.
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  12. Three men, dressed formally: one Victorian, with a short grey beard, one young and clean-shaven, in sepia, the last (in a painting) with a long grey beard and glasses

    The lure of the exotic: northern Africa in classical music

    2 June 2025

    How does the west's fascination with the wider Arab world come across in music? We look at a few examples ...
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