Joly Braga Santos: String Quartet No.1 Context Remembered for being one of the leading Portugese composers during the 20th century, Joly Braga Santos (1924-1988) composed six symphonies and a collection of chamber works. After recently having a small surge of recordings made, Braga Santos’ music is rightfully receiving more attention. Read more…
Imogen Holst: String Quintet Context As the only child of British composer, Gustav Holst, Imogen Holst (1907-1984) is fondly remembered for being a popular composer, arranger, administrator, teacher and conductor. Her oeuvre is comprised of works for a number of different ensembles and genres, making her a rather diverse composer. Read more…
Einojuhani Rautavaara: A Requiem in Our Time Context Composed in 1953 when he was still a student at the Sibelius Academy, A Requiem of Our Time was the first of three works for brass ensemble that Rautavaara composed. The piece brought an international spotlight onto Rautavaara after he won the Read more…
George Frideric Handel: Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion 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…
Dulcie Holland: Fantasy Trio Context Composed in 1938 for a violin, cello and piano trio, Australian composer Dulcie Holland’s (1913-2000) Fantasy Trio is a real treat for the ears. Regarded as one of most significant composers of her time, Holland’s music spans from chamber to solo repertoire. Holland’s work as Read more…
Béla Bartók: Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion Context Composed for nine instruments (2x pianos, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, snare drum, triangle, tam-tam and xylophone), Béla Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion certainly packs a punch. Written in 1937 and premiered in 1938 by Bartók and his second wife 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…
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…
Bedřich Smetana: String Quartet No.1 “From My Life” Context Due to his decline in health in 1874, Bedřich Smetana began to lose his hearing, with him becoming completely deaf by the end of the year. Smetana thus had to forfeit his job as the Principal Conductor of the Provisional Theater Read more…
Karl Jenkins: Palladio Context Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins (CBE), was born on 17th February, 1944, in Penclawdd, Wales. He first received music training from his father, who was a choirmaster and chapel organist. Jenkins began to learn the oboe, and subsequently played in the National Youth Orchestra of Wales. Read more…