Ludwig van Beethoven: Egmont Overture The Egmont Overture is theopening of a set of incidental music that Beethoven was commissioned to write for a 1787 play of the same name by Johann Wolfgang van Goethe. The music was Read more…
Julia Gomelskaya: Memento Vitae Context Julia Gomelskaya was born on March 11, 1964 in Ukraine. At a young age she began engaging in music and this carried through to her later years where she began studying composition Read more…
Paul Dukas: L’apprenti sorcier (‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’) Context Paul Dukas was born in Paris, 1865. Unlike many other composers, Dukas didn’t show much incredible music talent when he started learning piano at age 5. It wasn’t until Read more…
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No.9 (From the New World) Context Dvořák composed his last, and indeed most internationally popular, symphony in his first year of living in the United States of America. Dvořák’s career, financial situation and international recognition Read more…
Aaron Copland: Letter from Home Context Aaron Copland (1900-1990), was born in Brooklyn, New York City into a Conservative Jewish family. Whilst growing up he, along with his other siblings, was offered music lessons. Copland became Read more…
Max Richter: Dream 13 (minus even) Dream 13 (minus even) is part of Max Richter’s latest album From Sleep. It aims to aid people establish a much more peaceful sleeping routine, and also a more peaceful thinking regime in the Read more…
Eric Whitacre: i carry your heart The Text Composed in 2016, Eric Whitacre’s choral work i carry your heart has become another popular piece in choral repertoire. Based on the E. E. Cummings (1894-1962) poem of the same Read more…
Ernest Bloch: Five Sketches in Sepia Context Born in Geneva in 1880, Ernest Bloch was surrounded by a non-musical family. However, by age ten Bloch started to take an interest in playing the violin and learning Read more…
Camille Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals Context Camille Saint-Saëns wrote Carnival of the Animals whilst in a small Austrian village, and he always referred to it as ‘mais c’est si amusant!’ (‘Such fun!’). Interestingly, this piece was never Read more…
Sheila Silver: Nocturne Context Sheila Silver is an American-born composer who grew up in Seattle. She began receiving piano lessons from the age of 5 and her love and passion for music grew and grew until Read more…