George Frideric Handel: Their sound is gone out into all lands Messiah Part II 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 Read more…
Philip Glass: A Brief History of Time Titles Context Philip Glass composed the music for the 1991 biographical film, A Brief History of Time, which is based on the life and times of physicist Stephen Hawking. Directed by Errol Morris, Glass was an easy option as the two had collaborated Read more…
Hubert Parry: String Quartet No.1 Context Composed in 1867 at the tender age of 18, Hubert Parry’s First String Quartet was the composer’s first delve into the chamber music genre. Although largely remembered for his vocal music, Parry’s quartets are well worth a listen. The Music Set into three Read more…
Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.21 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…
Karol Szymanowski: Symphony No.2 Context Composed in 1909 when Karol Szymanowski was only 27 years old, his unconventional Second Symphony was influenced by the likes of Alexander Scriabin, Richard Strauss and Max Reger. This symphony gave Szymanowski his big European break, so to speak, with the Polish premiere taking place Read more…
Alban Berg: Three Pieces for Orchestra Context Composed between 1913-15, Alban Berg’s Three Pieces for Orchestra were dedicated to his teacher at the time, Arnold Schoenberg. The premiere of the first two pieces of the suite were premiered in Berlin in June 1923, conducted by Anton Webern. The full suite was premiered, in Read more…
George Frideric Handel: How Beautiful are the Feet Messiah Part II 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 Read more…
Camille Saint-Saëns: Havanaise Context Composed in 1887, Camille Saint-Saëns’ Havanaise is a staple concertante work for solo violin and orchestra. Originally intended for Cuban violinist Rafael Díaz Albertini, the French premiere actually saw Martin Pierre Marsick take to the stage to perform this thrilling work. The Music Set in Read more…
Philip Glass: Etude No.1 Context Philip Glass’ first set of Etudes were composed in the mid 1990s. In a recent interview about this set of works he commented saying: “The point of the etudes, originally, was to strengthen my piano playing and that actually worked. I actually got to Read more…
Ruth Gipps: Rhapsody for Clarinet and String Quartet Context By the time of her death in 1999, Ruth Gipps had an incredible oeuvre of music to represent her career throughout the 20th century. She initially studied oboe with Léon Goossens, piano with Arthur Alexander and composition with Gordon Jacob and Read more…