A composer writes the notes; musicians play the notes. That's the current arrangement in the world of classical music, but it wasn't always so. Bach, Beethoven and Mozart were great composers, but ...

Some boys balk at taking classical piano lessons, but for keyboard master John Medeski those early days on the ebony and ivory inform his music today. Medeski, usually partnered with Chris Wood and ...

Improvisation was regarded as an important skill in Western music from its earliest days right through the 19th century. Pianist Gabriela Montero points out that J. S. Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, ...

In classical music, the art of the impromptu or improvisation is hardly exhibited these days, except in rare cases of artists performing original cadenzas in a concerto. Even that is hardly ...

When most people think about musical improvisation, they imagine Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, inventing melodies in smoky jazz clubs. But the act of musical improv isn't a 20th century invention.

Use one of the services below to sign in to PBS: You've just tried to add this video to My List. But first, we need you to sign in to PBS using one of the services below. You've just tried to add this ...

Detail from the cover of Jordi Savall's Invocation a la Nuit, which features Henri Rousseau's The Sleeping Gypsy. A composer writes the notes; musicians play the notes. Improvisation is now making a ...