In the opening act of the Royal Opera’s new staging of Verdi’s Rigoletto, Titian’s alluring Venus of Urbino dominates the sumptuous court of the greedy Duke of Mantua. Later, it is replaced by the same artist’s Rape of Europa. We know that the 16th-century duke was a renowned collector – and that when Mantua was […]

Orchestral percussion usually doesn’t require a drum set but we see one in several compositions. The popularity of drums in orchestras dates back to the earliest of times. People have been using different types of drums in an orchestra to maintain the rhythm, produce unique sounds, and add excitement to the performance ever since. Let’s discuss […]