Sofia Gubaidulina: Duo for Two Bassoons Context Sofia Gubaidulina was born and raised in the Kazan region of the (former) Soviet Union. Whilst growing up she was influenced by both Eastern and Western cultures due to her father being a Muslim, and her mother a Russian Orthodox. Whilst starting her Read more…
Malcolm Arnold: Three Sea Shanties Context Composed in 1943 for Wind Quintet, Malcolm Arnold’s Three Sea Shanties are full of character and exciting twists and turns. Set into three movements, each little ditty pays homage to a different sea shanty. The three short movements offer a playful take on these Read more…
Ben Gaunt: Empty Hand, Peaceful Mind Context Ben Gaunt studied at the Royal Northern College of Music for a BMus degree, to which he then stayed on and studied Composition for his Master’s degree. Gaunt has recently completed his PhD in Composition at The University of Sheffield, whilst studying under Read more…
Ernest Chausson: Piano Quartet in A Context A student of Jules Massenet, French Romantic composer Ernest Chausson wrote a number of highly-regarded works before his untimely death at age 44. Amongst these works is his Op.30, a Piano Quartet in A major, which encapsulates the Romantic stylings of the time, Read more…
Dobrinka Tabakova: Whispered Lullaby Context Dobrinka Tabakova was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria to a music-loving family in 1980. At age 11, Tabakova moved to London and has since stayed there. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department, specialising in composition, piano and conducting. From there, Tabakova earned Read more…
Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No.8 Context Out of all fourteen string quartets that Dmitri Shostakovich composed, the eighth is the only to be composed outside of his homeland of Russia. Composed in 1960 whilst Shostakovich was visiting the former Communist State of East Germany, the eighth string quartet has also Read more…
Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons Context Antonio Vivaldi composed his ever-popular collection of violin concerti The Four Seasons around the year 1721. The conception of what we can now deduce as an early form of programme music was revolutionary in the Baroque period. It has been speculated that the music from each Read more…
Richard Peaslee: Nightsongs Context Richard Peaslee was born in New York City in 1930. He studied composition at Yale University, and began to specialise in big band music. With Peaslee’s breadth of knowledge, his style has been described as eclectic due to his use of jazz, folk, electronic and instrumental Read more…
Pauline Oliveros: A Love Song Context Born in May 1932 in Texas, Pauline Oliveros began participating in music at a very young age. In the 1940s, she received her mother’s accordion, as they were a fairly popular instrument in America at the time. Whilst at school she also learned to Read more…
Ennio Morricone: Gabriel’s Oboe Context Ennio Morricone’s work Gabriel’s Oboe is chiefly known for being the main theme of the 1986 film The Mission. The film is a period drama about the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in South America. The film starred big names such as Robert De Niro, Read more…