Ludwig van Beethoven: The Creatures of Prometheus Overture Context The Creatures of Prometheus is a ballet composed in 1801 by Ludwig van Beethoven. The ballet premiered in March 1801 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, and received its US premiere in 1808. The ballet is the only one that Beethoven wrote. Read more…
Frédéric Chopin: Raindrop Prelude Context Frédéric Chopin’s Prelude Op.28, No.15, also known as the Raindrop Prelude is part of the composer’s 24 preludes. This particular prelude is the longest in the set, lasting between 5-7 minutes. A large proportion of the Op.28 collection was composed during Chopin and George Sand’s Read more…
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture Context Composed in 1880 to commemorate the successful Russian defence against Napoleon in 1812, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture has become one of his most popular works. Premiered in August 1882, the 1812 Overture received a rapturous reception due to the work’s epic finale section Read more…
John Barry: The John Dunbar Theme Context Born in 1933 as John Barry Prendergast, the budding young musician worked closely with film from a young age. His father owned a cinema in York, and it was here that his love for film music was born. Barry undertook his national service Read more…
Interview with Violinist Fenella Humphreys Ahead of her exciting Beethoven 250 concert in Sheffield with the Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra next month, I caught up with violinist Fenella Humphreys to talk all things Beethoven 250 and playing the violin: 1) When did you start playing the violin? What drew you to Read more…
Philip Glass: Morning Passages Context Composed as part of the award-winning soundtrack for the 2002 film The Hours, Philip Glass’ Morning Passages is a hypnotic work for solo piano. Glass’ soundtrack won a BAFTA for ‘Best Film Music, alongside receiving nominations for an Academy Award for ‘Best Original Score’, a Read more…
Arwel Hughes: Fantasia in A Minor Context Arwell Hughes (1909-1988) was born near Wrexham, North Wales. He attended the Royal College of Music, where he studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams. Hughes worked as a professional organist and conductor, leading the way in premiering new works by Welsh composers. He often Read more…
Philip Wilby: Paganini Variations Context Commissioned by the BBC in 1991 for their ‘Band of the Year’ event, Paganini Variations was first recorded by Grimethorpe Colliery Band in the same year. In recent years Paganini Variations has been set for the Championship section in the 2011 Brass Band Regional Contest. Read more…
Ruth Schönthal: String Quartet No.3 ‘In Memorium Holocaust’ Context Composed in 1997, Ruth Schönthal’s String Quartet No.3 is subtitled ‘In Memroiam Holocaust’. For many years Schönthal had avoided this topic in her music as she didn’t want to trivialise the Holocaust. In a 1999 interview she claimed that other composers Read more…
Ralph Vaughan Williams: English Folk Song Suite Context As well as appreciating British landscapes and heritage, Ralph Vaughan Williams was also sentimental about Britain’s musical history. Military bands were on the rise again, and thus in 1923, Vaughan Williams composed his English Folk Song Suite for them. Although popular in Read more…