Classical Notes: April 8, 2009 Archive

How Can He Sing That Fast?

Posted at 4:47 PM on April 8, 2009 by Rex Levang

Minnesota Opera is going to be winding up their season with The Barber of Seville, an opera with some iconic moments and some famous spoofs (Bugs Bunny as the rabbit of Seville, for one).

This aria for the bass is slightly less well-known, but it never fails to grab an audience's attention: specifically, the moment where the patter really gets going, and you ask, How can he sing that fast? In Carlos Feller's performance, that happens about 3:38 into the clip (though the whole thing is worth watching).

It Might Make You Smarter, But It Won't Help You on the Test

Posted at 11:30 PM on April 8, 2009 by Gillian Martin

A couple of middle school students from Arizona decided to see how different types of music affect students taking tests. They thought classical would be the most beneficial, but their actual results surprised them. Read more about it here.