Composers & Musicians
Despite a legacy of keyboard works, operas, and symphonies, the most famous piece by this master composer might still be "Twinkle, Twinkle"
Who is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
This period in music history gave rise to the symphony, leaving ornamentation and improvisation behind.
What is the Classical period?
These four ingredients comprise the foundation of good tone production on bowed string instruments.
What are placement, angle, weight, and speed?
Without the hair of this animal, the string family would not produce much sound.
What is a horse?
This person was accidentally left behind at the Trenton War Memorial on May 31, 2024.
Who is Mr. Moore?
Fans are often surprised to learn that renowned keyboard composer, Frederic Chopin, was actually from this country.
What is Poland?
This period in music history saw the departure from single-line melodies and chant in favor of polyphony and homophony.
What is the Renaissance?
This bow stroke requires a controlled bounce, most often executed at the balance point.
What is spicatto?
This instrument, often found as part of the "continuo" during the Baroque period, is most closely related to the modern day cello.
What is the viola da gamba?
Should you be caught plucking your instrument while Mr. Oettle is talking, you may face the following consequence.
What is a scale?
This composer inhabited no fewer than 71 different apartments in Vienna, Austria within a four year period.
Who is Ludwig Van Beethoven?
The longest piece in this genre takes over 1000 years to perform.
What is minimalism?
When doing vibrato, musicians should be careful to avoid this particular pitfall.
What is going sharp?
These two wood species are the main materials traditionally used in the construction of a string instrument.
What are maple and spruce?
This treat was once found inside a double bass at HSN.
What is a crunch bar?
This composer earned the nickname "The Red Priest" for his fiery hair color and station at a religious school.
Who is Antonio Vivaldi?
The Second Viennese School refers to the period of time and group of composers who pioneered this style of composition.
What is twelve-tone?
This technique features the rapid rolling of the bow across multiple strings in both directions, for a sustained period, most often while outlining an arpeggio in the left hand.
What is bariolage?
Both the French horn and Wagner Tuba use this notoriously temperamental valve mechanism.
What is a rotary valve?
Mr. Oettle and Mr. Peterson famously got into an argument over this pitch in Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus.
What is D natural?
This eccentric impressionist claimed that he only ate foods that were white in color.
Who is Erik Satie?
This style of music comes from the Portuguese folk tradition and is traditionally sung only by men.
What is Fado?
This technique is notated with a symbol that most closely resembles the "on" button of a computer.
What is Bartok pizzicato?
This thin wooden strip is attached to the inside top plate of a string instrument and strengthens the sound in the lower register.
What is the bass bar?
This small stuffed animal once traveled with the junior class to Washington, D.C. and now resides on Mr. Oettle's bulletin board.
Who is Mr. Mooettle?