Fred J Allen: When the Stars Began to Fall Context Subtitled My Lord, What a Mornin’, Fred J. Allen’s arrangement of this anonymous spiritual song has become a staple in most wind orchestra bad rooms. Published in 1992, When the Stars Began to Fall was summed up by the composer Read more…
Bohuslav Martinů: String Sextet Context Bohuslav Martinů composed his String Sextet in under a week in May 1932. The sextet was popular and won awards, which surprised Martinů somewhat. Even though it was popular among Martinů’s contemporaries, the work itself was not published until 1947 – 14 years after it Read more…
Dora Pejačević: Two Piano Sketches Context Dora Pejačević was born in Budapest on 10th September 1885, and her family descended from the old Croatian noble Pejačević family. Her mother, Countess Lilla Vay de Vaya was a very competent pianist and she gave Pejačević her first piano lessons when she was a young girl. Read more…
William Grant Still: Wood Notes Context Inspired by William Grant Still’s love of nature and K. Mitchell Pilcher’s poetry, Wood Notes is a four-movement orchestral suite. Still’s classic American style is woven into the fabric of this suite, with warm melodies and rich textures creating a truly pleasing suite of Read more…
Howard Goodall: The Lord is my Shepherd Context Known for his choral music and his music for television, English composer Howard Goodall CBE is a household name. After studying music at Christ Church, Oxford, Goodall has since been a professional composer and broadcaster. His work for television includes theme tunes Read more…
Takashi Yoshimatsu: Saxophone Concerto ‘Cyber Bird’ Context Composed in 1994 for virtuoso saxophonist, Nobuya Sugawa, Takashi Yoshimatu’s Saxophone Concerto remains one of his most devilishly difficult works. Described as a ‘triple concerto’, Yoshimatsu’s concerto is subtitled Cyber Bird, which refers to, in the composer’s words, “an imaginary bird in the Read more…
Jean Sibelius: Karelia Suite Context Jean Sibelius’ Karelia Suite is a small collection of pieces that were in the much longer Karelia Music. The original version had its premiere in November 1893 and was commissioned by the Viipuri Students’ Association. Sibelius also conducted the Karelia Suite just ten days later. Read more…
Alphonse Hasselmans: La Source Context Translated into ‘The Well Spring’, Alphonse Hasselmans’ (1845-1912) La Source is one of the many works he composed for pedal harp. After studying harp performance composition in Strasbourg, Hasselmans went on to be a Professor of Harp at the Paris Conservatoire. Hasselmans played a major Read more…
Luigi Boccherini: String Quintet in E Major Context Luigi Boccherini composed his famous E major String Quintet in 1771, although it wasn’t officially published until 1775. During the 1770s, Boccherini largely exclusively wrote for the Font String Quartet, who had links to King Charles III of Spain and his brother, Read more…
Robert Schumann: Piano Concerto in A Minor Context Over the course of his lifetime Robert Schumann only composed one piano concerto. It was completed in 1845 and premiered in Dresden in December of the same year. Schumann’s wife, Clara Schumann, premiered the concerto. The work is dedicated to Ferdinand Hiller, Read more…