THE MAGAZINE
The Sound of Sociability: The evolution of the string quartet
Four instruments, four voices, but one conversation. What was once a social amusement among friends, the string quartet became an ideal of harmony and equality as it moved from private salons to public concert halls. Were its four musicians ever truly equals? A look at the curious relationship between music, sociability, and the art of conversation at the turn of the 19th century.
Rave Culture in China
What happens when dancing becomes a threat to the state? China’s rave scene arrived in the 1990s with smuggled CDs, ecstasy and a promise of freedom from authority, only to be driven underground almost as quickly as it appeared. Read on to discover why the problem with raves may never have been the drugs at all.
Are Orchestras in Need of an Update?
Is the symphony orchestra a doomed relic, or simply overdue for reinvention? As UK institutions confront funding cuts and shrinking audiences, ensembles like Aurora Orchestra and Manchester Collective are rewriting the rules of performance. With young listeners engaging with classical music in record numbers, the future may lie not in preserving tradition but in reshaping it.