George Frideric Handel: There Were Shepherds Abiding in the Field 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, Read more…
Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.7 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…
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Seasons February: Carnival 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…
John Williams: Star Wars Main Title Context Between 1977 and 2019 John Williams has composed the scores for nearly all of the Star Wars films. Much of the music is linked between the films, with perhaps the most famous being the Main Title. Originally recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra Read more…
Cécile Chaminade: Automne Context Cécile Chaminade was born in Paris, 1857. At a young age she started playing the piano, with her mother being her first teacher. She then learnt with Félix Le Couppey. As well as learning the piano, Chaminade also took an interest in learning the violin. She Read more…
John Tavener: The Lamb Context Known for his incredible catalogue of sacred vocal works, John Tavener has been described as “having a very rare gift of being able to bring an audience to a deep silence.” Although Tavener is largely celebrated for his choral works, he is also known for Read more…
Edvard Grieg: Violin Sonata No.3 Context Throughout his career, Edvard Grieg composed three violin sonatas. The first two he wrote relatively quickly, but the third took him much longer to piece together. Completed at the end of 1886, Grieg’s Violin Sonata No.3 has remained, by far, his most popular work Read more…
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Bassoon Concerto Context Composed in 1774, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto is a staple in bassoon repertory. Written when Mozart was just 18 years old, the concerto was the first he wrote for a woodwind instrument. The bassoon gained much popularity in the 16th century, with composers Read more…
George Frideric Handel: Pifa 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 the source being the King Read more…
Michael Giacchino: Ratatouille Main Theme Context Michael Giacchino returned to Pixar for the second time to compose the score for the 2007 film, Ratatouille. Giacchino had previously written the music for The Incredibles (2004) and went on to write the music for Up (2009). The score for Ratatouille was nominated Read more…