Music
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Music
idea
Why did bloody knights write love songs about spring blossoms?
The masculinity of medieval knighthood was expansive enough for both graphic violence and the joys of a flower meadow
by Jennifer Saltzstein
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Music
idea
Courtly love songs are a window into medieval sex lives
Song lyrics acted as a sexual script for aristocrats, revealing some edgy practices that ignited their imaginations
by Elizabeth Eva Leach
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Music
guide
How to get hooked on opera
Aspects of opera can seem strange. But give it a try and you’ll soon find yourself absorbed in a truly magical experience
by Alexandra Wilson
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Altered states
film
Cacophony flanked by the abyss – one artist’s take on life itself
A film by Sumito Sakakibara
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Music
idea
I learned to hear the music of Earth’s underwater musicians
If we consider the sounds of whales and other organisms with an open mind, we find a strange beauty – and can even join in
by David Rothenberg
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Music
idea
Ancient Greek ideas of attunement can breathe new life into music
In Athenian philosophy, attunement is important not only in music, but also for moods, attitudes and states of mind
by John Bagby
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Music
guide
How to discover new music
In a musical rut? Whatever your age or existing tastes, you can find surprise and enjoyment beyond the streaming algorithms
by James Hadfield
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Happiness
film
Humanoid animals sing through their existential angst in this madcap short
Directed by Niki Lindroth Von Bahr
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Music
idea
What is it about musical hooks that makes them so catchy?
From hummable riffs to striking lyrics, the catchiest hooks tell us something about the limits of human attention and memory
by Tim Byron & Jadey O’Regan
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Artists and art history
idea
Is the attunement of abstract art and music more than a metaphor?
How does the abstract art of Kandinsky and Klee imitate the meaning and emotion in the music of Shostakovich and Bach?
by Michelle Liu
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Music
guide
How to listen to, and enjoy, classical music
Whether you’re a newbie or an aficionado, these ways to navigate and approach the genre will enrich your experience
by Lawrence Kramer
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Music
film
Six minutes with a pan-African gospel choir is a shot of joy for the weary soul
Directed by Samuel Bradley