Alexander Krein: Jewish Sketches Context Born in Russia in 1883, Alexander Krein and his family were surrounded by Jewish traditions. His father, Abram Krein, moved from Lithuania to Russia in 1870 and was a well-known violinist. Krein was one of seven brothers, all of whom became musicians due to their Read more…
Grażyna Bacewicz: Concerto for String Orchestra Context Grażyna Bacewicz was Born in Łódź, Poland in 1909, Bacewicz was introduced to music at a young age by her father. She furthered her musical studies by enrolling at the Warsaw Conservatory, where she majored in piano, violin and composition. Afterwards she travelled Read more…
Bear McCreary: Godzilla Main Title Context The American film, TV and video game composer Bear McCreary (1979-) is one of the leaders in mainstream composition. He is best-known for his work on the new Battlestar Galactica (2004-09) TV series, as well as other popular shows such as The Walking Dead Read more…
Teresa Carreño: La Fausse Note Context Teresa Carreño was born in Venezuela 1853 into a musical family. She began piano lessons with her father and in 1862 her family emigrated to New York City. She was seen as a child prodigy when she was young, and after the move she Read more…
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A Context Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet was born from his love of the newly-found instrument. Written for the famous clarinettist Anton Stadler, the quintet showcased the ability of the clarinet and it became a marker for what was to become of the instrument. However, the Read more…
Yiruma: River Flows in You Context Yiruma, born Lee Ru-ma, is a South Korean-British composer and pianist. Born in 1978 in South Korea, Yiruma moved to England in 1988 to study at the prestigious Purcell School of Music, and then at King’s College London where he studied composition. Whilst studying Read more…
Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.18 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…
George Frideric Handel: But Thou didst not leave his soul 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 Read more…
Herbert Howells: Rhapsodic Quintet The Music Rhapsodic Quintet sketches date back to 1919, just after World War I. A landmark work for British chamber music, the quintet acts as a timestamp of times gone by, vividly creating its own epoch for the listener to delve into. Set into one flowing Read more…
Iannis Xenakis: Jonchaies Context Jonchaies was composed in 1977, alongside another one of Xenakis’ compositions, La Légende D’eer. The latter is a composition which is comprised of 7 tracks of electroacoustic tapes, and Jonchaies is scored for a large orchestra (specifically 109 musicians). The work is loosely based around a Read more…