inception trans-siberian orchestra
Classical music is art music produced or rooted in the traditions of Western music , including both liturgical ( religious ) and secular music . While a more accurate term is also used to refer to the period from ___MASK88___ to ___MASK3___ ( the Classical period ), this article is about the broad span of time from roughly the 11th century to the present day , which includes the Classical period and various other periods . The central norms of this tradition became codified between ___MASK83___ and 1900 , which is known as the common - practice period . The major time divisions of Western art music are as follows : European art music is largely distinguished from many other non - European and some popular musical forms by its system of staff notation , in use since about the 16th century . Western staff notation is used by composers to indicate to the performer the pitches ( e . g ., melodies , basslines , chords ), tempo , meter and rhythms for a piece of music . This can leave less room for practices such as improvisation and " ad libitum " ornamentation , which are frequently heard in non - European art music and in popular - music styles such as jazz and blues . Another difference is that whereas most popular styles adopt the song ( strophic ) form , classical music has been noted for its development of highly sophisticated forms of instrumental music such as the concerto , symphony , sonata , and mixed vocal and instrumental styles such as opera which , since they are written down , can sustain larger forms and attain a high level of complexity . John Winston Ono Lennon , ( born John Winston Lennon ; ___MASK78___ October 19408 December ___MASK1___ ) was an English singer and songwriter who co - founded the Beatles , the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music . With fellow member Paul McCartney , he formed a celebrated songwriting partnership . DVD ( an abbreviation of " digital versatile disc " or " digital video disc ") is a digital optical disc storage format invented and developed by Philips , Sony , Toshiba , and Panasonic in ___MASK27___ . The medium can store any kind of digital data and is widely used for software and other computer files as well as video programs watched using DVD players . DVDs offer higher storage capacity than compact discs while having the same dimensions . Christopher " Criss " Michael Oliva ( April 3 , ___MASK58___  October 17 , ___MASK47___ ) was an American musician who was the lead guitarist and co - founder of the band Savatage . Oliva was the youngest of four children , the next eldest being brother Jon Oliva , with whom he formed Savatage . John Alec Entwistle ( ___MASK78___ October ___MASK11___  27 June 2002 ) was an English singer , songwriter , composer , musician , film and music producer . In a music career that spanned more than 40 years , Entwistle was best known as the original bass guitarist for the English rock band the Who . He was the only member of the band to have formal musical training . He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Who in ___MASK31___ . Ludwig van Beethoven ( baptised ___MASK89___ December 177026 March ___MASK52___ ) was a German composer and pianist . A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music , he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers . His best - known compositions include 9 symphonies , 5 piano concertos , ___MASK68___ violin concerto , 32 piano sonatas , ___MASK49___ string quartets , his great Mass the " Missa solemnis ", and one opera , " Fidelio ". The Who are an English rock band that formed in ___MASK74___ . Their classic line - up consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey , guitarist and singer Pete Townshend , bass guitarist John Entwistle , and drummer Keith Moon . They are considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century , selling over ___MASK4___ million records worldwide and holding a reputation for their live shows and studio work . Melvin Jerome " Mel " Blanc ( May ___MASK65___ , ___MASK94___  July ___MASK41___ , 1989 ) was an American voice actor , actor , radio comedian , and recording artist . He began his 60 - plus - year career performing in radio , but is best remembered for his work in animation as the voices of Bugs Bunny , Daffy Duck , Porky Pig , Tweety Bird , Sylvester the Cat , Yosemite Sam , Foghorn Leghorn , Marvin the Martian , Pepé Le Pew , Speedy Gonzales , Wile E . Coyote , Road Runner , the Tasmanian Devil , and many of the other characters from the " Looney Tunes " and " Merrie Melodies " theatrical cartoons during the golden age of American animation . He was , in fact , the voice for all of the major male Warner Bros . cartoon characters except for Elmer Fudd , whose voice was provided by fellow radio actor Arthur Q . Bryan ( although Blanc later voiced Fudd , as well , after Bryan ' s death ). Alice Cooper ( born Vincent Damon Furnier ; February ___MASK85___ , 1948 ) is an American singer , songwriter , and actor whose career spans over five decades . With his distinctive raspy voice and a stage show that features guillotines , electric chairs , fake blood , deadly snakes , baby dolls , and dueling swords , Cooper is considered by music journalists and peers alike to be " The Godfather of Shock Rock ". He has drawn equally from horror films , vaudeville , and garage rock to pioneer a macabre and theatrical brand of rock designed to shock people . John Nicholas Oliva ( born July ___MASK5___ , ___MASK63___ ), known simply as Jon Oliva , is an American composer , multi - instrumentalist and singer . He is best known as the founder of and keyboardist and lead vocalist for Savatage . His younger brother was Criss Oliva , the lead guitarist and co - founder of Savatage . Since 1996 he has also been a music composer , musician and vocalist in Trans - Siberian Orchestra . Producer Paul O ' Neill who has worked with many of the rock world ' s biggest acts , refers to Oliva in numerous interviews as the single greatest vocalist / musician he has ever worked with . Impressed not only with his real four octave range , but his Mel Blanc - like gift of being able to morph the sound of his voice to any style , from John Lennon and Freddie Mercury , and clean to Joe Cocker - raspy . Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in Rockefeller Center in New York City . Its nickname is the " Showplace of the Nation ", and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city . Its interior was declared a city landmark in ___MASK12___ . It is notable as being the headquarters for the precision dance company , the Rockettes . Peter Dennis Blandford " Pete " Townshend ( born ___MASK67___ May ___MASK87___ ) is an English musician , singer , songwriter , and multi - instrumentalist , best known as the lead guitarist , backing vocalist , and main songwriter , for the rock band The Who . His career with the Who spans over 50 years , during which time the band grew to be considered one of the most influential bands of the 20th century . Savatage is an American heavy metal band founded by the Oliva brothers Jon and Criss in ___MASK26___ at Astro Skate in Tarpon Springs , Florida . The band was first called Avatar , and just prior to the release of their debut album " Sirens " in ___MASK25___ , they changed their name to Savatage . A space station , also known as an orbital station or an orbital space station , is a spacecraft capable of supporting crewmembers , which is designed to remain in space ( most commonly as an artificial satellite in low Earth orbit ) for an extended period of time and for other spacecraft to dock . A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by lack of major propulsion or landing systems . Instead , other vehicles transport people and cargo to and from the station . three space stations are in orbit : the International Space Station , which is permanently manned , China ' s Tiangong - ___MASK68___ ( defunct ) and Tiangong - 2 ( launched 15 September 2016 , not permanently manned ). Previous stations include the Almaz and Salyut series , Skylab , and most recently " Mir ". Christmas or Christmas Day ( meaning " Christ ' s Mass ") is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ , observed most commonly on December ___MASK43___ as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world . A feast central to the Christian liturgical year , it is prepared for by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide , which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night ; in some traditions , Christmastide includes an Octave . The traditional Christmas narrative , the Nativity of Jesus , delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem , in accordance with messianic prophecies ; when Joseph and Mary arrived in the city , the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born , with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then disseminated the message furthermore . Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world ' s nations , is celebrated religiously by the vast majority of Christians , as well as culturally by a number of non - Christian people , and is an integral part of the holiday season , while some Christian groups reject the celebration . In several countries , celebrating Christmas Eve on December ___MASK80___ has the main focus rather than December ___MASK43___ , with gift - giving and sharing a traditional meal with the family . The Lost Christmas Eve is the fourth album by the Trans - Siberian Orchestra . It was released on October ___MASK86___ , ___MASK16___ , and is the last album in their " Christmas trilogy ", with " Christmas Eve and Other Stories " ( ___MASK35___ ) and " The Christmas Attic " ( ___MASK66___ ) coming before it . All three albums , as well as their " The Ghosts of Christmas Eve " DVD , were featured in the " The Christmas Trilogy " box set . In 2012 Trans - Siberian Orchestra toured a live production of " The Lost Christmas Eve " for the first time and performed the Rock Opera in over 100 arena shows across North America . In late October 2013 , TSO released a narrated version of " The Lost Christmas Eve " much like they did in 2012 with " Beethoven ' s Last Night ". Trans - Siberian Orchestra ( TSO ) is an American progressive rock band founded in ___MASK35___ by producer , composer , and lyricist Paul O ' Neill , who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli ( both members of Savatage ) and keyboardist and co - producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team . The band gained in popularity when they began touring in ___MASK98___ after completing their second album , The Christmas Attic the year previous . In ___MASK91___ , the Washington Post referred to them as `` an arena - rock juggernaut '' and described their music as `` Pink Floyd meets Yes and The Who at Radio City Music Hall . '' TSO has sold more than 10 million concert tickets and over 10 million albums . The band has released a series of rock operas : Christmas Eve and Other Stories , The Christmas Attic , Beethoven ' s Last Night , The Lost Christmas Eve , their two - disc Night Castle and Letters From the Labyrinth . Trans - Siberian Orchestra is also known for their extensive charity work and elaborate concerts , which include a string section , a light show , lasers , `` enough pyro to be seen from the international space station '' , moving trusses , video screens , and effects synchronized to music . The International Space Station ( ISS ) is a space station , or a habitable artificial satellite , in low Earth orbit . Its first component launched into orbit in ___MASK66___ , and the ISS is now the largest artificial body in orbit and can often be seen with the naked eye from Earth . The ISS consists of pressurised modules , external trusses , solar arrays , and other components . ISS components have been launched by Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets , and American Space Shuttles . Beethoven ' s Last Night is a rock opera by the Trans - Siberian Orchestra , released in ___MASK10___ . The album tells the fictional story of Ludwig van Beethoven on the last night of his life , as the devil , Mephistopheles , comes to collect his soul . With the help of Fate and her son Twist , Beethoven unwittingly tricks the devil and is allowed to keep his soul which he had thought lost , but that the devil had no claim on . The album is a rock opera featuring many classical crossover rock songs which are clearly based on melodies from classical music , particularly Beethoven ' s works . It is the first Trans - Siberian Orchestra album that does not feature Christmas themes . The original cover art was created by Edgar Jerins , and re - issued cover art was created by Greg Hildebrandt . Night Castle is the fifth rock opera by the Trans - Siberian Orchestra ; a double CD that includes a sixty - page booklet illustrated by Greg Hildebrandt , it was released on October 28 , ___MASK8___ , debuting at # 5 on the Billboard charts and # ___MASK68___ on the rock music charts . It was certified gold in eight weeks and is currently a platinum album . The City of New York , often called New York City or simply New York , is the most populous city in the United States . With an estimated ___MASK21___ population of 8 , 550 , 405 distributed over a land area of just , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the United States . Located at the southern tip of the state of New York , the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area , one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world . A global power city , New York City exerts a significant impact upon commerce , finance , media , art , fashion , research , technology , education , and entertainment , its fast pace defining the term " New York minute ". Home to the headquarters of the United Nations , New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural and financial capital of the world . Roger Harry Daltrey , ( born ___MASK68___ March 1944 ) is an English singer and actor . In a career spanning more than 50 years , Daltrey came to prominence in the mid - 1960s as the founder and lead singer of the English rock band The Who , which released fourteen singles that entered the Top 10 charts in the United Kingdom during the 1960s , 1970s , and 1980s , including " I Can ' t Explain ", " My Generation ", " Substitute ", " I ' m a Boy ", " Happy Jack ", " Pictures of Lily ", " Pinball Wizard ", " Won ' t Get Fooled Again ", and " You Better You Bet ". Daltrey began his solo career in 1973 , while still a member of the Who . Since then , he has released eight studio albums , five compilation albums , and one live album . His solo hits include " Giving It All Away ", " Walking the Dog ", " Written on the Wind ", " Free Me ", " Without Your Love ", " Walking in My Sleep ", " After the Fire ", and " Under a Raging Moon ". In 2010 , he was ranked as number 61 on " Rolling Stone " s list of the 100 greatest singers of all time . Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of ___MASK67___ highrise commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st Streets in New York City . Commissioned by the Rockefeller family , it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan , spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue . It was declared a National Historic Landmark in ___MASK37___ . Megadeth is an American heavy thrash metal band from Los Angeles , California . Guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson formed the band in ___MASK25___ shortly after Mustaine ' s dismissal from Metallica . A pioneer of the American thrash metal scene , the band is credited as one of the genre ' s " big four " with Anthrax , Metallica and Slayer , responsible for thrash metal ' s development and popularization . Megadeth plays in a technical style , featuring fast rhythm sections and complex arrangements . Themes of death , war , politics and religion are prominent in the group ' s lyrics . Freddie Mercury ( born Farrokh Bulsara ; ___MASK36___ September 1946  ___MASK80___ November 1991 ) was a British singer , songwriter and record producer , known as the lead vocalist and co - principal songwriter of the rock band Queen . He also became known for his flamboyant stage persona and four - octave vocal range . Mercury wrote and composed numerous hits for Queen ( including " Bohemian Rhapsody ", " Killer Queen ", " Somebody to Love ", " Don ' t Stop Me Now ", " Crazy Little Thing Called Love ", and " We Are the Champions "); occasionally served as a producer and guest musician ( piano or vocals ) for other artists ; and concurrently led a solo career while performing with Queen . Keith John Moon ( ___MASK62___  ___MASK81___ September 1978 ) was an English drummer who played with the English rock band the Who . He was noted for his unique style and his eccentric , often self - destructive behaviour . His drumming continues to be praised by critics and musicians . He was posthumously inducted into the " Modern Drummer " Hall of Fame in 1982 , becoming only the second rock drummer to be chosen , and in 2011 , Moon was voted the second - greatest drummer in history by a " Rolling Stone " readers ' poll . The Billboard " charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of singles or albums in the United States and elsewhere . The results are published in " Billboard " magazine . Billboard " biz , the online extension of the " Billboard " charts , provides additional weekly charts . There are also Year End charts . The charts may be dedicated to specific genre such as R & B , country or rock , or they may cover all genres . The charts can be ranked according to sales , streams or airplay , and for main song charts such as the Hot ___MASK4___ song chart , all three pools of data are used to compiled the charts . For the " Billboard " 200 album chart , streams and track sales are included in addition to album sales . Al Pitrelli ( born September 26 , ___MASK54___ ) is an American guitarist , best known for his work with the Trans - Siberian Orchestra , Megadeth , Alice Cooper , Joe Lynn Turner , Asia and Savatage . John Robert " Joe " Cocker , OBE ( ___MASK57___ May 1944  22 December ___MASK51___ ) was a British rock singer and musician . He was known for his gritty voice , spasmodic body movement in performance and definitive versions of popular songs . Joe Lynn Turner ( born Joseph Arthur Mark Linquito , August ___MASK60___ , ___MASK90___ ) is an American singer , known for his works with hard rock band Rainbow . During his career , Turner fronted pop rock band Fandango , had the short - lived collaboration for neoclassical metal guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen and Deep Purple . From the mid 1990s , he worked with various musical groups ( progressive rock band Mother ' s Army , funk rock duo Hughes Turner Project , AOR side project Sunstorm , etc .), while pursuing a solo career . He is currently the vocalist for Rated X , based on Mother ' s Army . Their album was released in ___MASK51___ . The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated by the U . S . National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ), as part of the Space Shuttle program . Its official program name was " Space Transportation System ( STS )", taken from a ___MASK34___ plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development . The first of four orbital test flights occurred in ___MASK97___ , leading to operational flights beginning in 1982 . Five complete Shuttle systems were built and used on a total of 135 missions from ___MASK97___ to 2011 , launched from the Kennedy Space Center ( KSC ) in Florida . Operational missions launched numerous satellites , interplanetary probes , and the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ); conducted science experiments in orbit ; and participated in construction and servicing of the International Space Station . The Shuttle fleet ' s total mission time was 1322 days , 19 hours , 21 minutes and 23 seconds . Progressive rock ( shortened as " prog "; sometimes " art rock ", " classical rock " or " symphonic rock ") is a broad subgenre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States throughout the mid to late 1960s . Initially termed " progressive pop ", the style was an outgrowth of psychedelic bands who abandoned standard pop traditions in favour of instrumentation and compositional techniques more frequently associated with jazz , folk or classical music . Additional elements contributed to its " progressive " label : lyrics were more poetic , technology was harnessed for new sounds , music approached the condition of " art ", and the studio , rather than the stage , became the focus of musical activity , which often involved creating music for listening , not dancing . Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County , Florida , United States . The population was 23 , 484 at the ___MASK28___ census . Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US . Downtown Tarpon has long been a focal point and is currently undergoing beautification .