Alexandra Pakhmutova: Trumpet Concerto Context Alexandra Pakhmutova was born in 1929 in Russia. She began learning the piano at a very young age and she showed much potential. World War II interrupted her studies, and in 1942 the Pakhmutova family were evacuated to Kazakstan. When the family moved back to Beketovka, Read more…
Francis Poulenc: Concerto for Organ, Timpani and Strings Context Francis Poulenc was born in Paris in 1899 into a wealthy, musical family. His father owned a pharmaceuticals business, and he had very close ties with Roman Catholicism. His mother came from a very artistic family. As his mother was musical, Poulenc Read more…
Manuel de Falla: Nights in the Gardens on Spain Biography & Context Manuel de Falla was born in 1876, in the southern Spanish city of Cádiz. He studied harmony and counterpoint from a young age, as well as learning the piano. By 1900, he and his family had moved to Madrid, Read more…
Alexander Arutunian: Trumpet Concerto Context Born in Yerevan, Alexander Arutunian (1920-2012) was soon recognised as an accomplished pianist and composer, and subsequently, he studied at the Conservatory of Yerevan. After deciding that a career as a composer was right for him, Arutunian joined the U.S.S.R’s Union of composers in 1939. This was, Read more…
Sergei Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Variation 18) Sergei Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is a concertante work (a large-scale work which uses both the symphonic and concerto forms throughout). It was composed in 1934, and is scored for solo piano and a full Romantic symphonic orchestra. As the title Read more…
John Rutter: The Beatles Concerto Although largely known for his choral and vocal works, John Rutter has also composed an interesting collection of orchestral works. His three movement concerto for two pianos: The Beatles Concerto, is based on various Beatles songs. The style of this work is reminiscent of the romantic and early 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…
Felix Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor is a thrilling three-movement work that has become a staple piece for violinists all around the world. In the midst of the ‘changeover’ between classicism and romanticism, this work sees Mendelssohn at his best, writing with firm Read more…
Béla Bartók – Concerto for Orchestra Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra is a five-movement piece of orchestral music that was written in 1943. Born in Hungary in 1881, Bartók is another composer who showed potential from a young age. Able to distinguish dance themes from a young age, his mother started teaching Read more…
Dearest readers, I apologise for the lack of blogs in the past month, I am still trying to find a golden balance with my work load. I feel like I am nearly there now, so hopefully blogs will return to being published more regularly. To celebrate the next Sheffield Philharmonic Read more…