Alban Berg: Three Pieces for Orchestra Context Composed between 1913-15, Alban Berg’s Three Pieces for Orchestra were dedicated to his teacher at the time, Arnold Schoenberg. The premiere of the first two pieces of the suite were premiered in Berlin in June 1923, conducted by Anton Webern. The full suite Read more…
John Williams: Duel of the Fates Context The musical theme Duel of the Fates was first composed by John Williams for the first of the prequel trilogy – Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. First recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices, this legendary recording can be Read more…
Philip Glass: Etude No. 2 Context Philip Glass’ first set of Etudes were composed in the mid 1990s. In a recent interview about this set of works he commented saying: “The point of the etudes, originally, was to strengthen my piano playing and that actually worked. I actually got Read more…
Gustav Holst: A Moorside Suite Context Gustav Holst’s A Moorside Suite is the composer’s only work for brass band. Commissioned by the BBC and the National Brass Band Festival Committee in 1927, A Moorside Suite was used for the final of the 1928 National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, Read more…
George Frideric Handel: Thou Art Gone Up On High Messiah Part II Context George Frideric Handel’s Messiah has remained one of the composer’s most beloved works. Incredibly, Handel completed this 260-page oratorio in just 24 days during the summer of 1741. The scriptural text was compiled by Charles Jennens, with Read more…
Libby Larsen: A Lover’s Journey Context Commissioned by The King’s Singers, Libby Larsen’s six-part male vocal suite A Lover’s Journey tells the story of love. A Lover’s Journey is set into four separate songs, with Larsen using text from William Shakespeare and James Joyce. The work was premiered on Valentine’s Read more…
Richard Addinsell: Warsaw Concerto Context Richard Addinsell is now most remembered for his work on film music. He wrote music for films such as Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), Scrooge (1940) and Dangerous Moonlight (1941). He led the way in the popularity of ‘tabloid concertos’ – classical compositions for solo instruments Read more…
Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto for Two Trumpets in C Major Context Antonio Vivaldi’s Double Trumpet Concerto in C Major has stood the test of time and is still one of his most popular compositions. It has become somewhat of an enigma as we’re unsure when it was written, who it was Read more…
Franz Schubert: Overture in D Major “In the Italian Style” Context Composed in 1817, Franz Schubert’s Overture in D major (D.590) is one of seven orchestral overtures in this key. Composed of several tunes, and laden with Schubertian harmonic changes, this overture, in it’s directed “Italian Style” is a Schubert Read more…
Gerald Finzi: Eclogue Context Although largely remembered now as a choral composer, Gerald Finzi also wrote some breathtaking orchestral music. Eclogue is composed for a solo piano and string orchestra and was originally intended to be part of a grand piano concerto that Finzi wanted to write in the late Read more…