Giacomo Puccini: Un bel dì vedremo Context Giacomo Puccini composed music for the opera Madama Butterfly between 1903-04. The libretto was by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. The premiere was held on 17th February 1904 at La Scala in Milan. The opera is based on John Luther Long’s short story Read more…
Louise Farrenc: Nonet in Eb Major Context Born in May 1804, French composer, pedagogue and concert pianist Louise Farrenc enjoyed a fruitful reputation during her lifetime. She learned under some of the best including Johann Nepomuk Hummel and Ignaz Moscheles.She also received composition lessons from Anton Reicha – a professor Read more…
Jean Sibelius: Finlandia Context During 1899 the political intensity in the Grand Duchy of Finland was becoming more serious. Opposition was met from Russian press, sparking a great divide in Finnish arts. Jean Sibelius was at this time acknowledged as the most popular and successful composer in Finland. Because of Read more…
Joseph Haydn: Piano Trio No.39 ‘Gypsy Rondo’ Context Composed in 1795, Joseph Haydn’s ‘Gypsy’ piano trio has remained one of his most popular chamber works. The nickname ‘Gypsy’ derives from the finale movement, which is a Rondo in a fiery Hungarian style. The trio was first published by Haydn’s English Read more…
Georg Philipp Telemann: Wassermusik Suite Context Georg Philipp Telemann composed his Wassermusik suite (full title Hamburger Ebb’ und Fluth) c. 1722 to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Hamburg Admiralty. The suite, which is split into 10 movements, represents Hamburg’s geographical location and uses water deities to represent Telemann’s desired Read more…
Leonard Bernstein: Wonderful Town Overture Context With lyrics by Comden and Green, Leonard Bernstein was asked to compose the music for the 1953 musical Wonderful Town. The story, based on the novel by Chodorov and Fields, follows two sisters who pursue a career in acting in New York City. As Read more…
Edvard Grieg: Holberg Suite Context Composed in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Dano-Norwegian playwright Ludvig Holberg, Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite exemplifies stereotypical 19th century dance forms. The suite was initially composed for piano, but a year after it was written, Grieg changed his mind Read more…
Robert Nathaniel Dett: The Chariot Jubilee Context Robert Nathaniel Dett composed The Chariot Jubilee in 1919 after a commission came from Howard Lyman and the Syracuse University Chorus. The Chariot Jubilee is thought to be the first ever symphonic work based solely on Negro spirituals. After the premiere the orchestral Read more…
Malcolm Arnold: Fantasy for Trumpet Context Malcolm Arnold was born in Northampton, England in October 1921. He took up playing the trumpet at age 12, and after studying and practising intensely for five years, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music. Whilst at RCM, Read more…
Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings Context Adagio for Strings (1936), was originally the second movement of Samuel Barber’s String Quartet in B minor (Op.11). However, at the end of the year Barber had rearranged the movement for a full string orchestra. The work was composed in a musical fruitful time for Barber, with his Read more…