Gongs and tam tams are suspended bronze discs played with a beater. In the West, the two names are often confused as the instruments can look similar and both produce a deep, rich sound. However, the tam tam is untuned, and the gong is tuned. Gongs have been used as melodic instruments throughout Southeast Asia, especially in ...
Alex Skolnick (b. 1968) is best known as a metal guitarist with thrash pioneers Testament, but metal is just one facet of the talented guitarist’s abilities. Skolnick was born in Berkeley, California. At the age of nine, he discovered Kiss and subsequently decided to learn guitar. He was later inspired by the highly technical work of Eddie Van ...
(Yo’-han Vent’-zel An’-ton Shta’-mit) 1717–57 Bohemian composer Born in Bohemia, by 1741 Stamitz was working at the Mannheim court, where he became leading violinist in 1743, Konzertmeister soon after, and director in 1750. He made the Mannheim orchestra the most famous in Europe for its discipline and its capacity to achieve new effects. Although he composed concertos and ...
(Guitar, piano, kazoo, vocals, 1904–81) Hudson Woodbridge was born in Smithville, Georgia; he changed his surname to Whittaker when he went to Tampa, Florida to live with his maternal grandmother. A self-taught musician, he worked juke joints throughout Florida in the early 1920s, before moving to Chicago in 1925. He made his recording ...
Labelled the ‘first lady of country music’, Virginia Wynette Pugh was born on 5 May 1942, in Itawamba County, Mississippi. Throughout the early 1960s she worked as a waitress and beautician – among other jobs – and only dreamed of stardom. It was not long coming, but like many of her contemporaries, Loretta Lynn, Connie Smith ...
1664–1725, Italian Stampiglia was one of the 14 founding members of the Accadamia dell’Arcadia (The Arcadian Academy). Although a Roman by birth, for many years Stampiglia was associated with operas in Naples, and did not always conform to Arcadian ideals despite being part of their circle. Stampiglia’s libretti are often ironic comedies in which conventional heroism is regarded ...
1800–76, Italian Antonio Tamburini, the Italian baritone, was 18 when he made his debut in Cento in Contessa di colle erboso (‘Countess of the Grassy Hill’, 1814) by Pietro Generali. Tamburini went on to appear at La Scala, Milan in 1822 and 1827–30, in Naples in 1824 and 1828–32), the London Haymarket (1832–51) and Covent Garden ...
1850–1905, Italian The Italian tenor Francesco Tamagno was idolized for his powerful voice and dramatic delivery. Tamagno thrilled his many admirers with his effortless top C, which not all tenors were able to reach, and his passionate on-stage performances. His voice was described as ‘enduring brass’. Otello, the eponymous hero of Verdi’s penultimate opera, which he ...
1820–89, Italian Enrico Tamberlik, the Italian tenor, made his debut in Naples in 1841, as Enrico Danieli, singing Tebaldo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Bellini’s Romeo and Juliet opera. Afterwards, while at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, he took the surname Tamberlik and retained it for engagements in London, St ...
(Vocal group, 1957–69) The Tams formed in Atlanta in 1957 and are still touring. They took their name from the tam-o’shanter bonnets they wore on-stage. Their vocal arrangements had a deft, light touch which won them their biggest US hit, 1963’s ‘What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am’, although they are best remembered for the 1968 ...
(Vocals, 1945–70) After some minor solo success, Terrell was paired with Marvin Gaye; their chemistry as a duo was immediate and led to a string of hits, including 1967’s ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ and ‘You’re All I Need To Get By’. But Terrell collapsed in Gaye’s arms on-stage in 1967, diagnosed with a brain tumour from ...
Composers of the early twentieth century sought out further percussion instruments to add to their sound palette. Berg’s Three Pieces for Orchestra (1913) requires a xylorimba: a composite instrument, with a top end sounding like a xylophone, the bass end like a marimba. Walton’s Façade (1926) requires wood blocks: stemming from Africa, these are a series of resonant ...
The history of musical instruments has always been very closely linked to the history of music itself. New musical styles often come about because new instruments become available, or improvements to existing ones are made. Improvements to the design of the piano in the 1770s, for instance, led to its adoption by composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ...
Cymbals are thin metal discs played by being struck together or placed on a stand (suspended) and hit with sticks or beaters. They are made from beaten metal and so are distinct from crotales or antique cymbals, which are tuned cast metal discs. Turkish and Chinese Cymbals Suspended and crash cymbals used in western orchestral music, rock, pop ...
A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who have come together to play music. In theory, an ensemble could contain any number of instruments in any combination, but in practice, certain combinations just don’t work very well, either for musical reasons or because of the sheer practicality of getting particular instruments and players ...
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