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Music

Celtic tigers triumph in Beethoven

Celtic tigers triumph in Beethoven

Pianist Barry Douglas formed Camerata Ireland to celebrate the often overlooked talent of his native country. The latest CD in a series of the Beethoven piano concertos by Douglas and his chamber ensemble is another step forward in putting Ireland on the classical music map.
by Julie Amacher

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Songwriting in earnest

Songwriting in earnest

We've heard how the musicians reacted when they first saw the lyrics to Stephen Burt's "Afternoon Song." This time we check in as they try to turn those words into music.
by Chris Roberts, Sanden Totten and Larissa Anderson

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The bands record their Afternoon Songs

The bands record their Afternoon Songs

The Appalachian folk group The Roe Family Singers, indie darlings The Owls and singer/songwriter Matt Wilson were given two weeks to come up with a tune using the same set of lyrics. We hear how the ideas and melodies they've come up are transformed into full-fledged songs.
by Chris Roberts, Sanden Totten and Larissa Anderson

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New Classical Tracks: Beethoven Piano Sonatas Volume IV

New Classical Tracks: Beethoven Piano Sonatas Volume IV

Three years ago, Andras Schiff began a series of performances exploring the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas in chronological order. ECM records documented this project with a series of recordings. The fourth volume in that series has just been released.
by Julie Amacher

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Song submissions

Listen to songs that others have sent in, and read about their songwriting process.

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Meet the lyricist

Meet the lyricist

Meet Stephen Burt, our poet turned lyricist, who wrote the words for our Songs from Scratch project.
by Nikki Tundel

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Rock's next generation

Rock's next generation

For many Minnesota rock bands, it takes years to get a gig at First Avenue in Minneapolis. But for participants in the MacPhail Center for Music's summer rock camp, it took less than a week.
by Karl Gehrke

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The bands get the lyrics

The bands get the lyrics

Our project looks at the creative process of writing music, through the eyes of a lyricist and three different bands. We hear from the three bands -- The Roe Family Singers, The Owls, and Matt Wilson -- as they get the lyrics from writer Stephen Burt, and begin shaping his words into songs.
by Chris Roberts, Sanden Totten and Larissa Anderson

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Songs from Scratch FAQ

If you'd like to submit a song to MPR for our Songs from Scratch project, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions.

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Atlanta Symphony Orchestra breathes new life into works by Vaughan Williams

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra breathes new life into works by Vaughan Williams

In 2003, Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra earned three Grammy Awards, including Best Classical Album, for their recording of "A Sea Symphony," by Ralph Vaughn Williams. This new collection of orchestral works from Vaughan Williams is their follow-up to that critically acclaimed recording.
by Julie Amacher

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