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Composer of the Month

Blogs

Frédéric Chopin ‘Nocturne in Eb Major, Op.9, No.2’: The Famous Nocturne

Frédéric Chopin: Nocturne in Eb Major, Op.9, No.2 Context Frédéric Chopin composed the three nocturnes of Opus. 9 in 1832 and dedicated them to Madame Marie Pleyel. Although all three nocturnes are popular in solo piano repertory, number two is considered to be Chopin’s most famous and most performed work. Read more…

By Alex Burns, 2 days ago
Blogs

Frédéric Chopin ‘Fantasie-Impromptu’: Powerful Polyrhythms

Frédéric Chopin: Fantasie-Impromptu Context Composed in 1834, but not published until after Frédéric Chopin’s death in 1855, Fantasie-Impromptu has remained one of the composer’s most popular works. It is not explicitly known why Chopin did not want any of his works to be posthumously published, especially with the popularity of Read more…

By Alex Burns, 2 days ago
Blogs

Frédéric Chopin ‘Rondo à la Krakowiak’: A Traditional Dance

Frédéric Chopin: Rondo à la Krakowiak Context Composed in 1828 whilst Chopin was in Warsaw studying under Józef Elsner, Rondo à la Krakowiak was the composer’s second attempt at composing for an orchestra and piano. Dedicated to Princess Anna Zofia Sapieha, this work for solo piano and orchestra has remained Read more…

By Alex Burns, 1 week ago
Blogs

Frédéric Chopin ‘Piano Sonata No.3’: Devilishly Difficult Piano

Frédéric Chopin: Piano Sonata No.3 Context The last of the three piano sonatas that Frédéric Chopin composed has since been regarded as his most technically complex to perform. Composed in 1844 during his mature years, the sonata explores structures that were made popular by his German contemporaries. This weighty four-movement Read more…

By Alex Burns, 2 weeks2 weeks ago
Blogs

John Williams ‘Aunt Marge’s Waltz’: Just Deserts!

John Williams: Aunt Marge’s Waltz Context Featuring in the 2004 film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Aunt Marge’s Waltz is a comical orchestral underscore that accompanies one of the first scenes of the film. When Harry’s horrible aunt Marge visits the Dursely’s home, she goads Harry until he Read more…

By Alex Burns, 1 month1 month ago
Blogs

John Williams ‘Flying to Neverland’: Hold on Tight!

John Williams: Flying to Neverland Context John Williams was brought on board for Stephen Spielberg’s 1991 film, Hook, as it was originally intended to be a musical. After this idea was scrapped, Williams began working on the orchestral soundtrack. During the recording of the soundtrack, Williams conducted the orchestra. The Read more…

By Alex Burns, 1 month ago
Blogs

John Williams ‘Olympic Fanfare and Theme’: Cue Athletes

John Williams: Olympic Fanfare and Theme Context Commissioned by the Los Angeles Olympic Organising Committee for the 1984 Summer Olympics, John Williams had a big task on his hands. The premiere took place in July of 1984 at the Hollywood Bowl, which was then broadcast across the USA. Williams then Read more…

By Alex Burns, 1 month ago
Blogs

John Williams ‘Star Wars Main Title’: A Long Time Ago… 

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…

By Alex Burns, 2 months ago
Blogs

Edvard Grieg ‘Violin Sonata No.3’: Vivacious Violin

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…

By Alex Burns, 2 months2 months ago
Blogs

Edvard Grieg ‘In Autumn’: Seasonal Concert-Overture

Edvard Grieg: In Autumn Context Edvard Grieg composed his concert overture, In Autumn in 1865. The work is inspired by Autumn landscapes that Grieg enjoyed in his homelands. The overture takes the listener through a number of different sections, each showcasing a different highlight of Autumn. Although seldom heard in Read more…

By Alex Burns, 2 months ago

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  • Frédéric Chopin ‘Nocturne in Eb Major, Op.9, No.2’: The Famous Nocturne
  • Modest Mussorgsky ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’: A Grand Musical Illustration
  • George Walker ‘Concerto for Trombone’: Sliding to Success
  • Max Reger ‘Cello Sonata No.1’: Heroic Romanticism
  • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov ‘Serbian Fantasy’: Folk Dances

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