Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Serbian Fantasy Context Composed and premiered in 1867, Nikolai Rimsly-Korsakov’s Serbian Fantasy was pursued after the idea came from peer, Mily Balakirev. Balakirev had requested a concert piece of pan-Slavonic music for a themed concert he had planned in 1867. Rimsky-Korsakov was asked to write this work late Read more…
Vítězslav Novák: Slovak Suite Context Composed in 1903 after Czech composer, Vítězslav Novák, visited bordering country Moravia in the early 1900s. Inspired by the Slovak folk tunes and the Moravian countryside, Novák began work on his orchestral suite. The music takes the listener through the lens of Novák’s travels as Read more…
Joseph Haydn: Symphony No.3 Context Often known as the ‘Father of the Symphony’, Joseph Haydn’s legacy as a symphonist stays strong today. Haydn composed 104 symphonies over the course of his long and fruitful life, and we at Classicalexburns want to help you discover the stories and music behind all Read more…
Frédéric Chopin: Fantasie-Impromptu Context Composed in 1834, but not published until after Frédéric Chopin’s death in 1855, Fantasie-Impromptu has remained one of the composer’s most popular works. It is not explicitly known why Chopin did not want any of his works to be posthumously published, especially with the popularity of Read more…
Tera de Marez Oyens: String Quartet Contrafactus Context Born in August 1932, Tera de Marez Oyens was a talented Dutch pianist composer who studied at the Amsterdam Conservatoire under Jan Odé. Oyens wrote a catalogue of over 200 works which mainly focused on song cycles and chamber music. However, during Read more…
George Frideric Handel: Glory to God in the Highest 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 Charles Jennens, with Read more…
Arthur Honegger: Concerto da camera Context Composed in 1948 after a commission from American patron Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, Concerto da camera is a concerto with the unusual combination of soloists. Using an English Horn (Cor Anglais) and flute as the soloists, and a string orchestra as the accompaniment, Concerto da Read more…
Frédéric Chopin: Rondo à la Krakowiak Context Composed in 1828 whilst Chopin was in Warsaw studying under Józef Elsner, Rondo à la Krakowiak was the composer’s second attempt at composing for an orchestra and piano. Dedicated to Princess Anna Zofia Sapieha, this work for solo piano and orchestra has remained Read more…
Heitor Villa-Lobos: String Quartet No.3 ‘The Popcorn Quartet’ Context Composed whilst Heitor Villa-Lobos visited Rio de Janeiro in 1916, the Third String Quartet was not premiered some years later in 1919. It wasn’t until many years later in 1933 that this quartet premiered in North America, with just one year Read more…
Antonio Vivaldi: Flute Concerto No.1 La Tempesta di Mare (RV 433) Context Subtitled ‘The Storm at Sea’, Antonio Vivaldi’s First Flute Concerto was the start of his collection of six concertos for the instrument. Published c.1720s, the concerto was one of many concertos that Vivaldi wrote that brought the concerto Read more…