Ernst Toch: Geographical Fugue Context Ernst Toch’s spoken chorus work Geographical Fugue has remained one of his most inspired pieces of music. Toch’s legacy lies in the 1920s when he lived in Berlin and began exploring the idea of using a spoken chorus. He composed a number of works to Read more…
George Frideric Handel: Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind Be Open’d Messiah Part I 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…
Ruth Gipps: Symphony No.4 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. A pupil of Gordon Jacob, Arthur Alexander and Ralph Vaughan Williams whilst at the Royal College of Music, Gipps multitasked as Read more…
Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.10 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…
Giuseppe Tartini: Devil’s Trill Violin Sonata Context Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770) was a Venetian violinist and composer. Born in Piran, Tartini was a part of an old aristocratic family. His parent’s had intended him to become a friar, which is why he received the musical training that he did from a young Read more…
Einojuhani Rautavaara: A Requiem in Our Time Context Composed in 1953 when he was still a student at the Sibelius Academy, A Requiem of Our Time was the first of three works for brass ensemble that Rautavaara composed. The piece brought an international spotlight onto Rautavaara after he won the Read more…
Pavel Chesnokov: Salvation is Created Context Known for his some 500 choral works composed during his career, Russian composer Pavel Chesnokov is perhaps best-known for his sacred choral work Salvation is Created. Composed in 1912 as the fifth of his Ten Communion Hymns, Salvation is Created was one of the Read more…
Ruth Gipps: Song for Orchestra 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. A pupil of Gordon Jacob, Arthur Alexander and Ralph Vaughan Williams whilst at the Royal College of Music, Gipps multitasked Read more…
Eugène Bozza: Aria Context Although a trained violinist himself, it was his incredible archive of works for wind instruments that has kept Eugène Bozza’s flame alive today. Aria, which was originally composed for alto saxophone and piano, has remained one of the composer’s most-performed solo works. Composed in 1936, Aria Read more…
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Seasons April: Snowdrop Context Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed his twelve character pieces for piano, The Seasons, at the same time that he was writing his popular ballet, Swan Lake. Each piece in The Seasons depicts a different month of the year in Russia. Although originally composed Read more…