stackyFACTSThe phrase tickling the ivories is brutally literal. Before plastics were invented, the white keys on pianos were sliced directly from elephant tusks, meaning every romantic sonata played in the nineteenth century carried a heavy toll of casual aristocratic poaching.
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The ophicleide was an early brass instrument that sounded notoriously terrible and was incredibly hard to play. The modern tuba was specifically engineered as…
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Early iterations of the instrument couldn't hold out a ringing chord. If a composer wanted a sustained, dramatic sound, they were forced to relentlessly trill…
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Adolphe Sax invented his iconic hybrid to perfectly bridge the gap between woodwinds and brass. Instead of embracing it, classical purists fiercely rejected…
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We currently sit in absolute, terrifying silence at classical recitals, but in the eighteenth century, symphonies were basically bar music. Aristocrats would…
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Before you could easily click a button to view an entire season, consuming mass amounts of television required iron willpower. Audiences had to physically…
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Breaking out of handcuffs was not originally just about showing off physical flexibility. During the massive spiritualism craze, so-called mediums constantly…
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