Paris is one of the most popular cities in all of Europe. With a rich history and a strong culture, tourists from around the world flock to Paris to get a sample of rich Parisian culture. Below are three Parisian art museums that should be included in any trip to Paris:

1. Centre Georges Pompidou- Perhaps one of the most iconic structures in Paris, Centre Georges Pompidou is a very modern building with color- coded mechanical systems made visual purposely by the architects that created the building. This museum houses art from the 18th century to current times with works from Matisse, Chagall, and Picasso.

2. Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris- If you are looking for more modern art work, Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris is your place! This museum has a large collection of 20th century avant- garde art, including pieces by Picasso and Kandinsky. An interesting piece of art work at Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville is Raoul Dufy’s, “La Fee Electrice”, which pays homage to electricity!

3. Musee du Louvre- Musee du Louvre is yet another internationally recognized museum in Paris. This museum has the world’s most plentiful collection of brilliant art and antiques. Formally a royal palace, this museum also happens to be the world’s largest museum. With the arrival of Leonardo da Vinci and his famous portrait, “Mona Lisa”, the transition from royal palace to all- encompassing museum began. Musee du Louvre was officially opened as a museum in the 1600s but was not open to the public until 1793. Whenever tourists visit Musee du Louvre, they especially enjoy Le Jardin des Tuileries. This nearby garden is an extension of the Musee du Louvre, providing a beautiful floral garden with marble statues. This museum has reasonable admission prices, but admission is free on the first Sunday of the month.

Obviously, it is possible to devote an entire trip to discovering Parisian art museums. If your itinerary includes many other destinations like most European travel itineraries do, make sure to stop by at least one of the fabulous museums listed above. The experience will enrich your mind as well as your trip.

Classical music is governed by some known conventions that have its roots in a variety of forms, genres, styles and historical periods. These features together go in defining the term ‘classical music.’ Music rated as classical has always made its thumping presence felt. With the evolution of the popular music forms, the dominance of the classical form has not diminished. In-fact, it further magnified with new forms and codes.

There are several factors that define Classical Music. These can be classified under the following heads:-

Instrumentation – This is one way of classifying the classical genre of music. Different instruments are brought to use for creating the symphony that make it classical. Various string instruments
like violin, string, woodwind instruments, brass instruments and other diverse percussion are commonly used to give this form of music a unique style. However, nowadays electronic instruments like electric guitars are occasionally brought to use.

Form and Technical Execution – The classical form generally take the form of a song, symphony, dance music, chamber suite, symphony, concerto, electronic music and more. The composition of this form of music requires expertise as a lot of complexities are involved in arriving at a balance between its emotional content and the music that accompanies it. The Classical Guitar Music is one such example of complex composition.

Complexity – The complexities involved in making of classical works are not just confined to instruments and beats. But a lot of it lies in the development, modulation, musical phrases and even length and variations of tones. A perfect combination of all these features results in the development of a perfect symphony of music. In-fact, the large scale classical works are built from smaller units of musical compositions.

Society – The classical forms of music maintains a repute of being a choice of the upper-level society. The music has never been popular among the working class. However, it is not compulsory as most of the classical musicians fall in the middle class range.

Timeline – This form of music passed through several stages. It has its roots ingrained in medieval times, even dating back to ancient Greeks. The form has evolved a lot in the present age. It still has major time divisions like the Medieval (476 – 1400) and Renaissance (1400 – 1600). Then there is the common practice period that includes Baroque (1600 – 1750), Classical (1730 – 1820) and Romantic Periods (1895 – 1910). The modern contemporary period includes 20th Century Classical (1900 – 2000) and contemporary classical (1975 to current).

The form of music which is preserved as classical is primarily a written musical tradition. These written works are then given expression in the form of recordings, oral transformations and musical notes. Music plays an effective role in transmitting classical notations. The written instructions, however, do not have explicit instructions. But, music does help to build the mood of a classical masterpiece. It helps in better understanding of the masterpieces.

A great influence of the classical form of music lies in its cultural durability. It is interesting to note its evolution from past to the present form. The form has taken materials from popular music and folk music. Yet it retained its originality and showed up as updated versions of the classical masterpieces.