Musical Masterpieces Research Articles

Design of “Munyer” as a Respons to Social Condition in New Normal

This study aimed to observe social background of “Munyer” masterpiece creation. This study was a qualitative study through library research, observation and interview to elaborate the composition. The finding showed that the design method consisted of initial stimulation, idea generation, exploration, improvisation, formation and presentation or performance. The result of this design was a new musical masterpiece with instruments, pattern and performance in five composition parts. Each part illustrates online learning situation happened in New Normal. Thus, the creation of “munyer” was a response to social condition in new normal where all pedagogical activities were conducted via online. However, there were complex obstacles and problems during online classes such as poor provider network, massive internet data plan, non-updated hardware and software, etc.

Lending an Ear to Mozart’s Operas. Stanisław Barańczak’s Poetic Translation Experiments

The paper Lending an Ear to Mozart’s Operas. Stanisław Barańczak’s Poetic Translation Experiments examines the issues of intermediality, in particular the relationships between music and literature in mixed creative genres fusing disparate media of expression. The brief study discusses the connections and inter-dependencies between the music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Italian libretti by Lorenzo Da Ponte, their translation by Stanisław Barańczak and his unique quasi-translation (‘fonety’). The article presents interdisciplinary interpretations of selected vocal translations (excerpts from the libretti of ‘Don Giovanni’ and ‘The Marriage of Figaro’) and ‘fonety’ – Barańczak’s own genre created at the boundary where linguistic witticisms and vocal translation meet. The Italian text by Da Ponte is often treated as quasi una musica – as a sound material free from the referential ballast of language (semantics). Barańczak offers the music lover a new means of aural reception in the buffo style, illuminating a path to discovering anew the artistic potential of musical masterpieces.

Orfeo: A Posthuman Modern Prometheus. Uncommon Powers of Musical Imagination

Abstract At the wake of the twenty-first century, Richard Powers updates Shelley’s motif for the posthumanist context. His novel Orfeo pictures Peter Els; an aged, American version of Viktor Frankenstein, as he runs away from Homeland Security after 9/11. His crime is having composed the musical masterpiece of his life by altering the DNA of a bacteria, which is mistaken for an act of bioterrorism. Powers’ novel looks back at Shelley’s existentialist concerns about the ethical dimension of a creative freedom that questions the very limits of humanity. The parallelisms between both novels go beyond the development of this motif and deep into the structural arrangement of plot and character development to suggest that Shelley’s narrative lies behind the thematic and compositional arrangement of Powers’ work, and evidence the endurance of Shelley’s literary impact.1

Vitebsk as a local text

The paper is devoted to the analysis of the image of Vitebsk in the works of Russian-speaking poets of Belarus. The research material is poetic texts of Russian-speaking poets of Belarus, which touch upon the spiritual, natural, material, cultural, historical realities of Vitebsk. The main general scientific methods of observation, description, analysis and interpretation were used in the work. It is proved that the study of the concept of “city” is based, first of all, on the relationship of a particular person and social realities: the city as an extension of a person to the outside world - social, collective, cultural, the city as a “condensed” information and semantic space. Vitebsk is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. According to legend, the city was founded by the Kiev Princess Olga in 974. Dvina is often mentioned in poems. Vitebsk appeared at the confluence of two rivers - the Western Dvina and the Vitba, from which the name of the city came. The ancient name of the Dvina is Eridan, Homer, Hesiod, Nestor the chronicler wrote about it. In the poems of Belarusian poets, she appears in the image of a nurse, a protector, a wise and mysterious woman. The article says that Vitebsk is rightly called the cultural capital of Belarus. The works of Vitebsk poets reveal precedent names that are significant for the history and culture of Belarus, as well as for the world cultural space. Marc Chagall, Vasily Kandinsky, Mstislav Dobuzhinsky, El Lisitsky, Kazimir Malevich worked in Vitebsk. Not far from Vitebsk, the Russian painter Ilya Repin lived in the Zdravnevo estate. I.I. Sollertinsky created his musical masterpieces, M.M. Bakhtin lived and worked in Vitebsk in the thirties. Thus, in Russian-speaking Belarusian poetry, the image of Vitebsk appears as an ancient city, a native home, a spiritual place, a city of creativity, art and inspiration. The study of a local text is a topical interdisciplinary problem that allows not only to outline the conceptually significant features of the semantic complex of a particular locus, but also to establish its etiological and teleological significance for an ethnic group. After analyzing the corpus of texts of Belarusian poets, we came to the conclusion that the image of Vitebsk is attributed to such semantic characteristics as “nurse city”, “protector”, “wise woman”. The paradox lies in the fact that a city with a masculine toponym absorbs alternative gender parameters, which expands the previously explored virgin cities and harlot cities by introducing the features of a beloved city.

Shadows, wraiths, and amoebas:the distinctive flops of Anton Webern in the United States

On January 13, 1924, the music of Anton Webern was performed for the first time in the United States. It did not go well. Over the course of the next five years, performances of Webern’s works in the United States would become more frequent, but they just kept flopping. Some critics dismissed Webern’s compositions as “strange little things”; others went further, claiming that the music contained “neither melody, harmony, [n]or rhythm.” But if Webern’s music didn’t become better-liked during this period, it at least became better known. Webern developed a reputation distinct from that of his fellow modernists thanks to his incredibly quiet and remarkably brief compositions. Though critics did not respond positively to these qualities, they did take notice, with nearly every review from the period containing phrases such as “mere shadows of sound” or “scarcely perceptible tonal wraiths.” In one notable reception trend, Webern’s works were repeatedly likened to the sounds of animals, insects, skeletons, and even amoebas. Yet, far from presaging an eventual fading away, the initial flops endured by Webern’s music in the United States helped establish its staying power. The music may have failed, but in doing so it drew attention to Webern as an idiosyncratic composer unlike any other. As Nicolas Slonimsky once argued, “[n]ot every musical monstrosity is a potential musical masterpiece, but its chances of becoming one are measurably better than those of a respectable composition of mediocre quality.” Put another way, the story of Webern’s music in the United States proves that it matters how you flop.

Inyiak Upiak Palatiang

Inyiak Upiak Palatiang was born in 1900s in Kubu Gadang Hamlet, Nagari Gunuang, Padang Panjang City, he is famous as a pandeka (swordsman) Minangkabau silat girl who controls the flow of silek gunuang (Silat Gunung). (Interview with grandson Inyiak Upiak Palatiang, Fardizal, 20.00WIB, Padang Panjang, January 8, 2017). Inyiak Upiak Palatiang is a Minangkabau martial arts master, when he is 100 years old, he is still active in preserving and preserving the art of Minangkabau culture, even being a teacher of silek tuo (old martial arts), He is also known as a reliable kicker with various dendang creations besides Inyiak Upiak Palatiang also likes to play art Randai tradition. Based on the explanation of the greatness of Inyiak Upiak Palatiang, pengkarya plans to lift it into a musical masterpiece of the archipelago that will be titled "Inyak Upiak Palatiang", with the reason of the name of Inyiak Upiak Palatiang already representing what he cared for during his life. Background of the phenomenon that has been described, it can be formulated a formulation of the creation of the work, that is how to transform the phenomenon of a female character Inyiak Upiak Palatiang , into a musical composition of the archipelago, which will be divided into two sub-works, namely Upiak and Palatiang.

«Времена года» Антонио Вивальди в реинтерпретации британского композитора-минималиста Макса Рихтера

Starting from the second half of the 20th century the interest in Western European Baroque music on the part of composers and performers has acquired the character of a sign phenomenon. Besides reinterpreting masterpieces by “other composers,” contemporary composers have widely applied the method of reconstructing Baroque musical text models. Of special interest are the musical compositions based on generally familiar musical masterpieces. The article examines an original reinterpretation of Antonio Vivaldi’s instrumental cycle “The Seasons” composed by British composer Max Richter in 2012. The conception of the composition is built on the inspiration to adapt the musical masterpiece to new existent conditions, without resorting to apply the traditional genre of transcription. The phenomenon for reevaluation is presented by the model of the baroque instrumental concerto, which unifies in itself the principles of the concerto grosso with those of the solo instrumental concerto. Richter also achieves identification with the primary musical source by his reliance on contrapuntal regular laws, the preservation of the foundation of the instrumental ensemble, the instrumental cycle’s overall formal structure and the figurative qualities. The factors cementing together the reinterpreted version with the primary musical material are the textual structures of the tutti – solo and continuo – solo dialogues which have been established during the Baroque period. In the intertext of the reinterpreted cycle “The Seasons” models of the past epoch are unified with the characteristic principles of contemporary culture: open form, unpredictable dramaturgy, and electronic sounds. The lexical content of the invariant models are also subjugated by Richter to the logic of minimalism, proving the close proximity between the principles of intonational unfolding of Baroque and minimalist musical works. Keywords: Vivaldi’s “Seasons,” Max Richter, text models, baroque, minimalism, reinterpretation, instrumental concerto, concerto grosso.

Enescu’s Musical Language in Suite Impresii din copilărie [Impressions of Childhood

Abstract The musical language of George Enescu (1881-1955) is sprinkled with symbolic valences that carry the imprint of the Romanian musical culture. For more than half of a century (57 years), Enescu wrote musical works inspired by the folkloric tradition. Between the Romanian Poem, written when he was 16 (in 1897) and the Chamber Symphony, when he was 73 (in 1954), Enescu also composed: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 (A major), op. 11 (in 1901), Romanian Rhapsody No. 2 (D major), op. 11 (in 1902), Sonata for piano and violin No. 3, A minor (in 1926), Caprice Roumain, for violin and orchestra (in 1928), Orchestral Suite No. 3 (From the country), op. 27, D major (in 1938) and the programmatic suite Impresii din copilărie [Impressions of Childhood for violin and piano], op. 28 in D major (composed in 1940). The paper presents the temporal-spatial structure of the musical masterpiece which reveals a cyclical thinking based on a presentation of the exterior images, followed by the interior images and a return to the exterior. And by an extrapolation of meanings, I created an analogy with the stages of life: childhood, maturity and old age. This article also deals with elements of the musical language used by George Enescu in a manner that reveals a re-created Romanian folklore in a way which bears the imprint of personality and originality of the composer.

Besteci Rauf Hacıyevin operetlerinin müzik dilinin üslup özellikleri

The operetta and the genre of musical comedy take a special place in the works of Azerbaijani composers. The investigation of the establishment and development of this genre is of great importance for the science of musicology. The creation of this genre took place in different decades of the twentieth century and also had a special impact on the work of other composers. The main task of the genre of operetta is to solve a problem with the help of humor, to show an unexpected flow of events and an unusual attitude of the characters to what is happening. Rauf Gadjiev used the genre of operetta and musical comedy in his works. His works in the genre have gained popularity not only in Azerbaijan but also in post-Soviet countries. The first work of R. Gadjiev, dedicated to the genre of musical comedy from the first days of his career, “Pranks of Students,” dates back to 1940, which corresponds to the student years of the composer. The work was written based on the work of the English playwright Brandon Thomas “Aunt Charley.” The work was the first test of the composer, and R. Gadjiev returned to this genre in 1960. One of his bright operettas is “Romeo is My Neighbor,” the premiere of which took place in Baku under the name “Neighbors.” Soon after this, the work also received great sympathy among the Moscow public. The song “My Lover” (“Sevgilim”), passing as a leitmotif, subsequently continued its independent concert life in the repertoire of outstanding singers. The combination of people from different strata of society, old and young, with different worldviews and ways of thinking, and the depiction of the characters by brilliant music of each image are among the reasons for the high appreciation of the operetta of R. Gadjiev. Far from musical comedies and operetta styles on the stage of the Azerbaijan Musical Theater, the composer managed to create a new style that used modern musical expressions and delighted the audience. In 1963, the composer presented his new work to the Moscow Theater. The operetta “Cuba, My Love” was dedicated to the 5th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. The courage exhibited by the Cuban people in achieving their freedom was met with great enthusiasm in Soviet countries, and the plot of the operetta was dedicated to the struggle of the Cuban people for freedom. This theme, which does not correspond to the operetta genre, posed a number of problems in front of the composer, but he was able to justify himself by comparing serious and comic, humorous and satirical, lyrical characters. In 1969, the composer presented the work “Don’t Hide Your Smile,” and in 1971 the operetta “The Fourth Vertebra” in a new style. “Don’t Hide Your Smile” was more of a vaudeville character. Its main feature is the bright national atmosphere. The operetta of the composer “Crossroads” was met with great enthusiasm in 1981. The theme of this work is the revolutionary events of the early twentieth century. However, this theme was presented in a unique way. Although there are no scenes representing these events in the work, they indirectly play an important role. The primary attention in the operetta is paid to ordinary people, who must bear the burden of these events. This is shown in the first act. The overture of the operetta is somewhat different from the traditional one: the polyphony of sound symbols, which combine contrasting images, prevails here, the call for prayer “Ezan,” the factory bell, and a charming song are mixed. This musical number represents the bright face of revolutionary Baku of that time. The image of the city also opens in the market. The main characters live in the middle of this market. A typical home scene presents the first presentation of images. The composer used a wide range of folk song genres. This scene is also typical for the beginning of the main dramatic line of the work. A total of 7 operettas of the composer, 5 of which were staged on the stage of the Moscow Theater, were successful. The contribution of the composer to the development of the genre of operetta and musical comedy is priceless. In his operettas, literary and musical dramaturgy is enriched with new studies. The composer managed to create brilliant musical masterpieces by widely using a variety of pop and jazz music.

Шедевр на заказ. Поздние струнные квартеты Бетховена

Making music to order is a common practice for many composers. At the same time, as one explores specific music pieces a question inevitable begs itself: how writing music to order affects the creative process and the final result. How do such things as the personality of a customer and the relevance of the order to personal aspirations of the composer contribute to the emergence of a musical masterpiece? In this regard, special mention should be given to Ludwig van Beethoven’s last string quartets (Op. 127, 130, 131, 132, 133 “Big Fugue”, 135). These pieces have already received a considerable degree of attention in the research literature. Nevertheless, questions remain about the reasons for this or that turn in the sequence of events and the development of Beethoven’s creativity that impacted the originality of his later works. It is known that the quartets emerged due to an external impulse – an order of the Russian philanthropist, cellist, and a music critic N. B. Golitsyn. Beethoven’s extensive correspondence with Golitsyn, publishing houses, musicians, and friends recreates the sequence of events and the main milestones in the composition of quartets – from the conception to the publication of musical opuses. Of particular interest is the unusual story behind Op. 130. Its grandiose scale, complexity and unusual content created a lot of controversy in assessments and judgments among Beethoven's contemporaries. As a result, at the insistence of the publisher М. Artaria, the finale was replaced, and this piece received an independent existence and a special name – Grand Fugue for String Quartet” (Op. 133). This masterpiece has not lost its relevance even today: it still sparks interest and debate about ideological and figurative content of Quartet Op. 133.

PECULIARITIES OF POST-POSTOMODERN PSYCHOLOGY IN CONTEMPORARY BRITISH NOVEL

In the paper, I explore the strategies of the “resurrection of the subject” in the discourse of English post-postmodern novel. It has been emphasized the essential role of psychology in contemporary British novels. This paper reports the results of the investigation about the nature of the interaction of characters with the society, artistic revision of socio-political problems, etc. has been revealed. The peculiarities of the outlook of characters endowed with exceptional features (presence of Asperger’s syndrome, inability to hear untruth, etc.) have been discussed. It is emphasized that the worldview of post-postmodern characters is determined by genetic and physiological features, which makes it possible to perceive the reality as objectively as possible, discarded and analytically. At the same time, characters find strategies for post-postmodern humanism, which is fundamentally different from the humanistic traditions of the twentieth century. Post-postmodern narrative reacts to the idea of the Nietzsche’s philosophy of the plurality of truth. In the post-postmodern novels, the idea of plurality of truth is not denied but along with these truths there is an attempt to reach an ontological Truth, which is not currently given in senses and knowledge, since mankind has not reached a certain state of its own development. This idea is especially presented in David Mitchell’s novel “Cloud Atlas.” The main idea of the paper is that the hypothetical presence of Truth actualizes the motive of the ontological knowledge search, the need to understand the world at a qualitatively different level than humanity is experiencing here and now. Ontological forms of cognition of Truth in novels may be music (the ability to create musical masterpieces that appear as a form of the proclamation of the Truth), mathematics (as a perfect language, devoid of the disadvantages of metaphorical according to which the narrowing of the picture of the world occurs). Besides, the autistic mind of the post-postmodern protagonist of the novel “The Curious Incident…” seeks to know the surrounding reality as a system in which it is possible to establish regularities between its various fragments. All this determines the multidimensionality of the discourse of the “resurrection of the subject” in the contemporary British novels. The English post-postmodern novels represent a break with the postmodern tradition of novelistic characters. However, bringing the narrative closer to the actual broadcast of people with autism, writers currently do not have tools to depict deep psychological experiences in the inner world of characters. The autistic consciousness of post-postmodern characters resembles the phenomenon of “black box” or a computer whose internal processes remain incomprehensible to an outside user.

Diary of performing mastership: the sphere of universal skills of modern trumpeter

Diary of performing mastership: the sphere of universal skills of modern trumpeter

Kiedy ucho robi oko, czyli o fonetach Stanisława Barańczaka wobec muzyki

Artykuł zatytułowany Kiedy ucho robi oko czyli o fonetach Stanisława Barańczaka podejmuje problematykę związków muzyki ze słowem. Interdyscyplinarne interpretacje wybranych fonetów – gatunku zaproponowanego przez Barańczaka w książce Pegaz zdębiał – przedstawiają tłumaczenia-przeinaczenia – praktykę translatorską polegającą na słuchaniu muzyki Mozarta i libretta Da Pontego. Quasi-tłumaczenia Barańczaka często pozostając w semantycznej sprzeczności z oryginałem, zachowują dyscyplinę wymaganą od tekstów pisanych do muzyki. Uzyskany w fonetach efekt podwójnej, muzyczno-literackiej przynależności, a zarazem wszechobecny humor pozwalają zrozumieć, w jaki sposób Barańczak słuchał arcydzieł.

Semantics of Musical Text as a Key Condition for Development of Secondary Musical Personality

From the standpoint of the aesthetic and semiotic approach music is understood as a complex psychosemantic text. Theoretical analysis of studies of the psychological connection between music and speech allowed to develop the concept of secondary musical personality as a sort of secondary linguistic personality. The author has developed a musical-semantic pattern of development of secondary musical personality in the educational process. This theoretical pattern is a system of interrelated conditions and factors of development of secondary musical personality. The author determines complexity, polysemy and semantic diversity of the musical text as the key condition. The author attaches special importance to forming potentials of classical music masterpieces in the musical-semantic pattern. The author identifies the artistic, spiritual and ethical levels of music as the main criteria of the musical masterpiece.

К проблеме развития музыкальных способностей детей в дошкольном возрасте

The article considers the problem of developing musical abilities in pre-school childhood in line with the problem of forming the basics of the musical and general culture of children. The concepts of „musical abilities,” emotional responsiveness to music „in the aspect of the evaluation function of emotions in pre-school age are analyzed. It is shown that the role of the content of education, the quality of the repertoire studied has a direct impact on the personality formation of pre-school children. The data of experimental research are given, showing the effectiveness of the technology implemented in O. P. Radynova’s program Musical masterpieces not only in terms of the development of musical abilities but also aesthetic emotions, thinking, imagination, interests on value content – works of high art.

Neurosyphilis and classical music: the great composers and "The Great Imitator".

Throughout history, neurosyphilis has victimized many people, including classical composers, with a wide range of clinical presentations. Six articles with descriptions of composers with possible neurosyphilis were reviewed. Neurosyphilis is a possible diagnosis for composers like Beethoven, whose progressive hearing loss influenced his career, culminating in complete deafness. In his autopsy, cochlear nerve atrophy and cochlear inflammation were described. Donizetti developed behavioral changes, as well as headaches, general paresis and seizures. Both Schumann and Wolf suffered from personality changes, persecutory delusions and general paresis. Joplin and Delius also had symptoms attributed to syphilis. Autopsy findings confirmed the diagnosis of Smetana, who developed dementia, deafness and auditory hallucinations with rapid progression. His tinnitus was musically represented in his first String Quartet. Neurosyphilis victimized several notorious composers. It can be argued that neurosyphilis was a major source of inspiration as well, being responsible for the genesis of musical masterpieces.

The Aesthetic Value of Performing Music

What is the intrinsic aesthetic value of performing, say, a Beethoven sonata that has already been performed and recorded many times before? The question is delineated by comparison to composing, on the one hand, and to listening, on the other. In answering it, special emphasis is put on various aspects of internalizing a musical masterpiece that refine and elevate the performer’s musical mind and personality to high standards she cannot attain otherwise. This has a bearing on the merits of an “intentionalistic” notion of performance vis-a-vis an “autonomous” one.

ДИАЛОГ МУЗЫКИ И ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ В ТВОРЧЕСТВЕ ОЛДОСА ХАКСЛИ

The article analyzes the musical symbolism in Aldous Huxley’s works in the context of the author’s worldview in its evolution. The “musical constituent” of Aldous Huxley’s works is reflected both in the abundance of musical appeals, references, allusions, direct descriptions of musical performances (in the ekphrasis-like way) and in the text structure of the novel Point Counter Point (1928) organized according to the musical principal of counterpoint. The music of Mozart (Quintet in G-minor), Beethoven (Missa Solemnis, Quartet in A-minor) and Bach (Suite in B-minor, Brandenburg Concerto No. 4) plays a peculiar symbolic role in Aldous Huxley’s works. In his earlier writings these musical masterpieces symbolize a possible alternative to the universal chaos and the absolute existential uncertainty, and in this quality Quintet in G-minor has an important sense-making function in Huxley’s Antic Hay (1923), transforming through the complicated interaction of meanings and associations into the universal anthropological conclusion about the humanity. The plot of the Point Counter Point’s is organized in many aspects as the motion from Bach’s music at the beginning of the novel to Beethoven’s music at the end. In Huxley’s later works, in particular, in his latest utopian novel Island (1962) the role of Bach’s music, namely Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, reveals itself more ambivalent. This music is concurrently a symbol of the highest perfection, a background for the universal horror, and to some extent even something blessing this universal horror in the name of culture (the march of insects to the accompaniment of Brandenburg Concerto No. 4). It is noteworthy that the musical masterpieces treated in this article are also mentioned in Huxley’s letters in the similar sense.

The Influence of Brain Lesion on Musical Masterpieces of Famous Composers

The changing of musical capabilities, after cerebrovascular or neurodegenerative lesions in neuropsychological literature, are referred, over all, to musicians affected by aphasia. Generally, authors examine the relationship between amusia and aphasia and the potential decays of musical general skills. Particularly uncommon is the investigation of pre-lesional versus post-lesional productions of music composers. The rare descriptions that we find in literature, tend to conclude that the postlesional productions maintain a good creativity level. In the following paper a group of researchers - neurologists, musicians and specialists in music composition- are comparing pre-lesional masterpieces of one composer manifesting cerebro-degenerative disease (Maurice Ravel) and four composers suffering cerebrovascular lesion (Benjamin Britten, Alfred Schnittke, Vissarion Shebalin, Franco Donatoni) with their postlesional compositional productions, applying an objective methodology. Their conclusions are that the examined composers employ, in their post-lesional masterpieces, simplified structures, or simple classic models, or reminiscences, influences and citations referred to their previous experience or related to harmonic traditional forms, in a less elaborate structure, frequently fragmented, static and repetitive. The compositional contextual character doesn’t change and maintains, in some way, a “poetry", but the application modality becomes more "technical". The Authors suggest that, in order to be objective in her analysis and conclusions, neuro-aesthetic requires the application of well-defined methodologies and scientific procedures.

Apollo's curse: neurological causes of motor impairments in musicians.

Performing music at a professional level is probably one of the most complex human accomplishments. Extremely fast and complex, temporo-spatially predefined movement patterns have to be learned, memorized, and retrieved with high reliability in order to meet the expectations of listeners. Performing music requires not only the integration of multimodal sensory and motor information, and its precise monitoring via auditory and kinesthetic feedback, but also emotional communicative skills, which provide a "speaking" rendition of a musical masterpiece. To acquire these specialized auditory-sensory-motor and emotional skills, musicians must undergo extensive training periods over many years, which start in early childhood and continue on through stages of increasing physical and strategic complexities. Performance anxiety, linked to high societal pressures such as the fear of failure and heightened self-demands, frequently accompanies these learning processes. Motor disturbances in musicians are common and include mild forms, such as temporary motor fatigue with short-term reduction of motor skills, painful overuse injuries following prolonged practice, anxiety-related motor failures during performances (choking under pressure), as well as more persistent losses of motor control, here termed "dynamic stereotypes" (DSs). Musician's dystonia (MD), which is characterized by the permanent loss of control of highly skilled movements when playing a musical instrument, is the gravest manifestation of dysfunctional motor programs, frequently linked to a genetic susceptibility to develop such motor disturbances. In this review chapter, we focus on different types of motor failures in musicians. We argue that motor failures in musicians develop along a continuum, starting with subtle transient degradations due to fatigue, overuse, or performance stress, which transform by and by into more permanent, still fluctuating motor degradations, the DSs, until a more irreversible condition, MD manifests. We will review the epidemiology and the principles of medical treatment of MD and discuss prevention strategies.