David Pogue

David Pogue is a six-time Emmy-winning “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent, a New York Times bestselling author, and a former Broadway conductor and arranger.

Articles & Books From David Pogue

Classical Music For Dummies
Classical music was never meant to be an art for snobs! In the 1700s and 1800s, classical music was popular music. People went to concerts with their friends, they brought snacks and drinks, and cheered right in the middle of the concert. Well, guess what? Three hundred years later, that music is just as catchy, thrilling, and emotional.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-23-2022
The world of classical music becomes quite a bit less mysterious when you know the names and functions of all the musical instruments, and a basic timeline of the music itself. This Cheat Sheet will help you discuss classical music with confidence.Meet the classical orchestraLet’s meet the Classical orchestra.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 12-21-2021
Learning and practicing magic is fun and challenging and to keep it as stress-free as possible be prepared to coolly answer questions about your tricks and make a quick recovery when a trick goes wrong. Know the different types of people in your audience so you can deal with their sometimes offbeat behavior and study some key words you will use repeatedly as you continue on your magic career.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
While Vivaldi was composing away in Venice, another composer was ­turning heads in Germany and England: George Frideric Handel (1685–1759). He too had a great influence on the direction that music took during and after his lifetime. Keep reading to get a handle on Handel. Credit: Source: Creative CommonsGeorge Frideric Handel, composer of Messiah and other great oratorios.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Ah, the cello. It’s difficult to even write about this instrument without sighing. Classical music wouldn’t be what it is without the cello. What a beautiful, rich, singing sound this instrument makes. Of all the string instruments, the cello is the one that sounds most like the human voice. The name cello is short for violoncello, which is Italian for “small double bass.
Article / Updated 09-28-2023
Classical music notation be confusing. If you sit down at the piano and plunk out one of Ludwig van Beethoven’s incredible sonatas, you have only his written score to work from. The notes are all there, along with the rhythms and dynamics. However, it’s impossible to say how closely this written music mirrors the brilliant ideas in the composer’s head.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
You may think that nobody writes classical music anymore — but they do! New “classical music” is being written all the time. Here are some of the most famous pieces of orchestral music, along with rough guides to the stylistic periods (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, or Modern) into which they fall.
Article / Updated 10-06-2022
The orchestra world is a slowly evolving beast. At its heart, a classical concert is the same animal that your grandparents may recognize. However, the past two decades have seen developments that have brought the audience closer to the music. Here’s a look at what’s changed — and what’s not. Identifying what’s new First, much more new music is being performed, which is due primarily to one factor: new music is gorgeous again.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
In classical music, a ballet is a story that’s told in music and dance, with no speaking and no singing. In the old days of ballet, the dance was the only important thing. The composer’s job was to write music that let the dancers show off. Musical considerations such as drama, pacing, and even beauty of sound were secondary to the spectacle of the dance: young men and women with great legs.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
No classical music discussion is complete without the Lieder. In German, the word Lied (pronounced “leed”) means song; Lieder means songs or art songs. In the 1800s especially, Lieder came to great prominence, particularly in private salon concerts. In classical-music discussions, salon doesn’t refer to hairstyling emporiums.