Erich Urbanner: Emotions Born on March 26th, 1936 in Austria, Erich Urbanner has had a fruitful career in music, specifically composition. Studying at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, between 1955-1961, Urbanner was able to work with a wealth of different composers. He studied conducting with Hans Swarowsky, piano with Read more…
Antonio Vivaldi: Le quattro stagioni 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 concerti was Read more…
Arnold Schoenberg: String Quartet No. 2 Born into a lower-middle class Jewish family in Vienna in 1874, Schoenberg was a mostly self-taught composer. He learnt counterpoint with composer and pedagogue, Alexander Von Zemlinsky and was also taken under the wing by Gustav Mahler. Schoenberg is perhaps most famous for his innovative Read more…
It is with a heavy heart that I write this blog for you all today. It has recently been announced that Icelandic composer, Jóhann Jóhannsson has passed away, age 48. He was perhaps best-known for his original film soundtrack for the 2016 blockbuster, The Theory of Everything. As well as film soundtracks, Jóhannsson Read more…
Welcome to Day ‘P’ of my Alphabet Challenge! After the intense and powerful forces of Carl Orff’s O Fortuna, this blog is taking it down a few notches to a serene and absolutely beautiful work by Estonian composer, Avro Pärt. Spiegel im Speigel is perhaps one of Pärt’s most well-known compositions, and I am looking forward Read more…
Day ‘N’ is upon us, dearest readers, and for this instalment of my alphabet challenge I shall be looking into contemporary composer, Patrick Nunn and his chamber work Escape Velocity – enjoy! Patrick Nunn was born in Kent, UK in 1969. He studied composition at Dartington College of Arts, Welsh College of Read more…
Good day, readers! Welcome to Day ‘K’ of my ever-exciting October Alphabet Challenge. So far we have explored a range of different composers, all with unique styles and works, and I’d like to add to that by discussing Soviet composer, Alexander Krein and his work for clarinet quintet – Jewish Sketches. Enjoy! Read more…
Welcome to Day ‘G’ of my October Alphabet Challenge! I have looked forward to this day as I have meant to write a blog about Sofia Gubaidulina for a long time! For this blog I shall be looking into her unique Duo Sonata for Two Bassoons. Sofia Gubaidulina was born and raised Read more…
Welcome to Day ‘C’ of my October Alphabet Challenge! A really exciting composer awaits us today in the form of Ruth Crawford Seeger. Again, it has been very difficult to choose which work of hers to write about, but I have decided to look into her Suite for Wind Quintet. Sit back Read more…
Dearest readers, I have a special treat for you today. I am writing this blog on my favourite composer – Mahler! Even though I am doing my Alphabet Challenge, I couldn’t help but write about this work for you all to listen to. Known as a master symphonist, this blog Read more…