Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.4 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: For Behold, Darkness 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 Read more…
Scott Joplin: Treemonisha Overture Context Scott Joplin is remembered for being one of the most memorable ragtime composers of the turn-of-the-century during his lifetime (1868-1917). After Joplin’s death in 1917, ragtime music came out of the ‘mainstream’ line and started to form into the likes of jazz, big band swing Read more…
Miles Goodman: Overture to The Muppet Christmas Carol Context The Muppet Christmas Carol is a popular musical version of the festive tale, produced by Jim Henson Productions and Disney. Premiered in 1992, the film has seen much success, and is still referred to as one of the greatest Christmas films Read more…
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Christmas Eve Introduction Context Composed between 1894-95, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Christmas Eve is an opera in four acts. Based on Nikolai Gogol’s short story with the same name, Rimsky-Korsakov wanted to add his traditional folk spin on this popular tale. The opera premiered in December 1895 at the Mariinsky Read more…
Edvard Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No.1 Context Grieg was simultaneously nationalistic and cosmopolitan in his approach to composition and that was due to his extensive travelling around Europe throughout his lifetime (1843-1907). Grieg believed that his music represented the beauty and rural truths of the Norwegian landscape, but at the same time Read more…
Eric Whitacre: Little Tree Context Composed in 1996, Little Tree is a festive choral work by American composer, Eric Whitacre. The commission came from San Francisco Symphony Chorus conductor, Vance George, who was looking for a new work to perform at their annual Christmas Concert. George was looking for a Read more…
Vincenzo Bellini: Sinfonia from Norma Context Vincenzo Bellini’s most popular opera, Norma was first premiered in December of 1831. With a libretto by Alexandre Soumet, Norma became a leading example of the bel canto genre. Many of Bellini’s other works have been disregarded, yet Norma remains a true staple in Read more…
Scott Joplin: The Entertainer Context Scott Joplin is remembered for being one of the most memorable ragtime composers of the turn-of-the-century during his lifetime (1868-1917). After Joplin’s death in 1917, ragtime music came out of the ‘mainstream’ line and started to form into the likes of jazz, big band swing Read more…
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Rondo for Piano and Orchestra Context Supposedly composed in 1782, around the same time as some of his popular late concertos, Rondo for Piano and Orchestra is a lively work that showcases the composer’s flair for melodic writing. There is still much speculation as to why this Read more…