Richard Wagner: The Flying Dutchman Overture Context Plagued by high tides, crashing waves and dramatic twists and turns, Richard Wagner’s overture to his 1843 opera The Flying Dutchman remains a concert hall favourite. This drama-filled story of the Flying Dutchman reaching for redemption through the love of a faithful woman Read more…
Amir Mahyar Tafreshipour: Persian Echoes Context Commissioned by the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 2006, Amir Mahyar Tafreshipour’s Persian Echoes for harp and orchestra was the first ever Iranian harp concerto. Persian Echoes brings together sounds from the East and West, incorporating traditional Persian music and folk melodies, with rich Western Read more…
Claude Debussy: Arabesque No.2 Context Composed between 1888-1891, Claude Debussy’s set of two arabesques were some of the composer’s earlier works. The first in particular has remained a popular piece amongst audiences and performers alike. Although composed when Debussy was in his mid-twenties, the arabesques are a mere hint of Read more…
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 22 Context Composed in Vienna in December 1785, Mozart’s 22nd piano concerto is part of his more sophisticated collection of works. Mozart had received great success from a series of piano concertos in Vienna since his arrival there in 1781. In early 1785, Mozart’s Read more…
George Enescu: Serenade Lointaine Context George Enescu composed his beautiful Serenade Lointaine for piano trio when he was only 21 years old. Although composed in 1903, the piece was never published, with it only in recent years being found and explored by a dedicated Enescu trio. There is very little Read more…
Emma Lou Diemer: Santa Barbara Overture Context Emma Lou Diemer (1927-) composed her popular Santa Barbara Overture in 1995 for Gisèle Ben-Dor and the Santa Barbara Symphony for their 1995-1996 season. The overture was premiered by the orchestra in 1996. The inspiration for this piece, as the title suggests, is Read more…
Jacques Offenbach: La Vie Parisienne Overture Context Jacques Offenbach’s famous comic operetta La Vie Parisienne was premiered initially as a five-act production at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in October 1866. Soon after Offenbach revised the operetta into the four-act version we now know (the original fourth movement was removed).The revised Read more…
Sergei Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2 Context Around the time of the Russian Revolution in 1917, Sergei Prokofiev left the Soviet Union and lived abroad for the next 18 years or so. He returned in 1927 an outsider, and was regarded as a foreigner by the regime whilst on tour Read more…
Nathan Jones: I Would Live in Your Love Context The lyrics from Nathan Jones’ choral work I Would Live in Your Love are taken from Sara Teasdale’s poem of the same name. The poem was originally featured in Teasdale’s collection of poetry Helen of Troy of Other Poems, which was Read more…
Claude Debussy: Arabesque No.1 Context Composed between 1888-1891, Claude Debussy’s set of two arabesques were some of the composer’s earlier works. The first in particular has remained a popular piece amongst audiences and performers alike. Although composed when Debussy was in his mid-twenties, the arabesques are a mere hint of Read more…