Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.1 Context Composed initially in 1891 when he was just 18 years old, Sergei Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto was heavily revised in 1917. After abandoning sketches of a concerto in C minor, Rachmaninov pursued the sketches of what we know to be the First Piano Concerto. Read more…
Michael Tippett: String Quartet No.1 Context Three out of the five string quartets that Michael Tippett (1905-1998) composed during his lifetime were written in a ten-year period between 1935-45. A 30 year gap between the third and fourth scuppered the composer’s initial plan of writing four quartets during one period. Read more…
Harry Gregson-Williams: Fairytale Context Harry Gregson-Williams teamed up once more with John Powell to create the film score for the 2001 film, Shrek. This was the third DreamWorks collaboration for the pair, with them having composed the music for Antz and Chicken Run. Alongside the motion picture score, an album Read more…
Franz von Suppé: Light Cavalry Overture Context Franz von Suppé’s 1866 operetta Leichte Kavallerie has remained seldom performed since its premiere in Vienna in 1866. However, the overture to the operetta has remained Suppé’s most popular and most performed work. Often heard in concert halls, as well as in film Read more…
Max Reger: Cello Sonata No.1 Context German composer Max Reger composed his First Cello Sonata in 1892 whilst in Wiesbaden. The piece was dedicated to cellist Oskar Brückner who also premiered the work a year later in 1893 in Wiesbaden, with the composer at the piano. The sonata has been Read more…
Amy Beach: Gaelic Symphony Context In 1896, Amy Beach premiered her First Symphony – Gaelic Symphony. This was a massive milestone in women’s music as Beach became the first American woman to compose and then further publish a symphony. In 1900 Beach was the soloist for the premiere of her Read more…
Leonard Bernstein: Overture to Candide Context Leonard Bernstein composed the music for the operetta Candide in 1955-56. The operetta is based on the 1759 novella of the same name by Voltaire. The premiere was unsuccessful and after some revisions and creative changes, Candide has become a very popular show. The Read more…
Engelbert Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel Overture Context Engelbert Humperdinck was born in Germany in 1854. He began taking piano lessons at a very young age, and by age seven he had already composed his first work. Humperdinck came from a largely non-musical family, who, in turn, didn’t support his music Read more…
Morton Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium Context Morton Lauridsen is known today as one of the leading choral composers, due to his extensive collection of works, recordings and awards he’s picked up along the way. By far the most popular piece to come from Lauridsen’s pen is his setting of O Magnum Mysterium. Morton Read more…
William Grant Still: Lyric Quartet Context Known for being one of the forefront African-American composers of the 20th century, William Grant Still’s legacy lives on today. Still was the first American composer to have an opera produced by the New York City Opera, the first African-American composer to conduct a Read more…