Judith Weir: Piano Concerto Context Judith Weir was born in 1954 in Cambridge, and at a young age she began learning the oboe. Weir in her youth performed regularly with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. She studied composition whilst at school with none other than John Tavener. From Read more…
Eric Ball: Torch of Freedom Context Eric Walter John Ball was born in Gloucestershire in October 1903 and was the eldest of 16 siblings. He learned to play the piano and organ and by 1919 Ball started to work in the Salvation Army musical instrument department in London. Ball is Read more…
Léo Delibes: Lakmé Prelude Context Léo Delibes’ three-act opera Lakmé is perhaps this French composer’s most well-known work. Composed between 1881-1882, Lakmé is based on Le Mariage de Loti by Pierre Loti, and Les babouches du Brahmane by Théodore Pavie. The Prelude to Lakmé is the first purely musical number Read more…
Jean Sibelius: Andante Festivo Context Originally scored for string quartet in 1922, Sibelius’ poignant work Andante Festivo is also known for its re-orchestration for string orchestra and timpani. For the purposes of references in this blog, I will be referring to the original string quartet version. Although now fondly remembered Read more…
Tor Aulin: Violin Concerto No.3 Context Although his output as a composer is small, Tor Aulin (1866-1914) wrote three fantastic violin concertos. After working as a conductor and professional violinist, Aulin composed his Third Violin Concerto in 1896. By this point in his life, Aulin had become physically ill and Read more…
Eric Fogg: Merok Context Although much of his music has been lost since his untimely death in 1939, Eric Fogg’s tone poem Merok has been the recipient of recent orchestral recordings. Composed in 1929, Merok is based on a Norwegian folk song that refers to a village in Norway at Read more…
Paul Mealor: De Profundis Context Paul Mealor was born in North Wales, 1975, and as a young child he studied composition with William Mathias. He attended the University of York, and studied under John Pickard and Nicola LeFanu. For fourteen years now, Mealor has taught composition at the University of Aberdeen. Mealor Read more…
Camille Saint-Saëns: Bassoon Sonata in G Context Saint-Saëns’ Bassoon Sonata in G was composed in 1921, and was one of the composer’s last works before his death later that year. Throughout his career, Saint-Saëns only composed three sonatas for solo wind instruments, the others being for oboe and clarinet. Although Read more…
Nancy Dalberg: String Quartet No.1 Context Nancy Dalberg (1881-1949) was a Danish composer. A trained pianist, Dalberg had dreams of attending the Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen, but sadly her father refused her this. After being treated for a medical complication in her arm, Dalberg took up composition instead. She took Read more…
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No.2 Context In 1901, Jean Sibelius left his home country and travelled to Italy and stayed in a mountain villa near Rapallo. Baron Axel Carpelan raised funds for Sibelius to take this trip, and it was in this villa that he started work on his Second Symphony. Read more…