It’s safe to say we’ll get far, far more than we pay for in a free online course organized by the Curtis Institute and Coursera, featuring pianist Jonathan Biss discussing all of Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano sonatas. The five-week series begins on Sept. 3.

An evolutionary sketch of how the orchestra came to be, from 16th-century consorts to the modern orchestra we know today.

But before we jump to multimedia conclusions, it may be worth taking a fresh look at that boring old orchestra. The big picture may be static, but, as is the case with a duck gliding across the mill pond, there’s an awful lot going on underneath.

This is the first installment in an occasional, indefinite series of explanations on typical things one would find at a classical music concert for people who are new to its many, many codified forms.

 

Bastille Day is a fine excuse to spend a moment with underappreciated French composer Charles Koechlin (1867-1950), who is benefiting from some very fine new recordings, including an album by Toronto violist Steven Dann.

How being in tune is really a combination of traditions and habits which changes throughout history.

Tallis’s music has had a small bump in notoriety over the past couple of years as that motet, Spem in alium, is also part of the soundtrack to amorous adventures in Fifty Shades of Grey.

Nearly every instrument in an orchestra has changed over the past three centuries. Some differences are obvious, others more subtle.

When  you think about it, liking something is a pretty big expectation to put on anyone who takes a chance on a concert of art music or opera.