Scott Joplin: Weeping Willow Context Scott Joplin is remembered for being one of the most memorable ragtime composers of the turn-of-the-century during his lifetime (1868-1917). After Joplin’s death in 1917, ragtime music came out of the ‘mainstream’ line and started to form into the likes of jazz, big band swing Read more…
Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.3 Context Johannes Brahms completed his 21 Hungarian Dances by 1879, and they still remain one his most popular collections of music. All of the dances are based on traditional Hungarian folk tunes and range from c.1 minute to 6 minutes in duration. Some of the Read more…
Barrington Pheloung: Lewis Main Titles Context Australian composer Barrington Pheloung (1954-2019) is now best remembered for his music for Inspector Morse, Lewis, and Endeavour. Running from 2006-2015, Lewis was a sequel series to the much-beloved Inspector Morse series. Lewis sees D.I. Robert Lewis and his partner D.S. James Hathaway unfold Read more…
George Frideric Handel: Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive Messiah Part I 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 the Read more…
Peter Meechan: Fragile Oasis Context Peter Meechan’s Fragile Oasis for brass band was commissioned by Leyland band and Michael Bach. The work was first performed at the 2013 European Brass Band Championships, which were held in Oslo that year. The title of the work refers to: “A collective who Read more…
Scott Joplin: Maple Leaf Rag Context Scott Joplin is remembered for being one of the most memorable ragtime composers of the turn-of-the-century during his lifetime (1868-1917). After Joplin’s death in 1917, ragtime music came out of the ‘mainstream’ line and started to form into the likes of jazz, big band Read more…
Toru Takemitsu: Requiem for String Orchestra Context Toru Takemitsu was born in 1930 in Tokyo. At a very young age, Takemitsu was called into military service. However, during his time in the military, Takemitsu became aware of Western classical music. During the post-war U.S. occupation of Japan, Takemistu was taken ill for a long Read more…
Miriam Hyde: Piano Concerto No.1 Context Composed in 1933 when she was just 20 years old, Miriam Hyde’s Piano Concerto No.1 was structured from a similar work that was for two pianos. Hailing from Adelaide, Australia, Hyde moved to London in 1932 to study at the Royal College of Music. Read more…
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol Context During the latter half of the nineteenth century there was a trend of creating works of music inspired by traditional Spanish music. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol fits this trend perfectly. Composed in 1887, Capriccio Espagnol is a five-movement orchestral suite that explores Spanish rhythms, harmony Read more…
Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.2 Context Johannes Brahms completed his 21 Hungarian Dances by 1879, and they still remain one his most popular collections of music. All of the dances are based on traditional Hungarian folk tunes and range from c.1 minute to 6 minutes in duration. Some of the Read more…