Paul Dukas: L’apprenti sorcier Context Paul Dukas was born in Paris, 1865. In 1881, Dukas entered the Conservatoire de Paris, studying piano and composition. Whilst studying at the conservatoire Dukas became very close friends with Claude Debussy. Dukas thrived studying composition, however, much of his work within this period was Read more…
Ennio Morricone: The Ecstasy of Gold Context Ennio Morricone composed his highly popular soundtrack for the 1966 Western film, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and by 1968 the album was a big hit in the charts. Regarded as Morricone’s most successful film soundtrack, The Ecstasy of Gold is Read more…
Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question Conext Charles Ives was born in Connecticut, USA in 1874, and his father was a USA Army bandleader. Due to this day-to-day influence of music, Ives grew up surrounded by music. Ives undertook music lessons from a young age, and his tutors were encouraging for Ives Read more…
Camille Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals Context Camille Saint-Saëns wrote Carnival of the Animals whilst in a small Austrian village, and he always referred to it as ‘mais c’est si amusant!’ (‘Such fun!’). Interestingly, this piece was never published in Saint-Saëns’ lifetime as he didn’t want it to taint his ‘serious composer’ image, and Read more…
Howard Hanson: Symphony No. 6 Context Howard Hanson (1896-1981) was a popular American composer and conductor. Over his long career he won numerous prizes including a Pulitzer Prize in 1944 for his Fourth Symphony and the George Foster Peabody Award for ‘Outstanding Entertainment in Music in 1946. Hanson’s music is Read more…
Eric Coates: By The Sleepy Lagoon Context Known for being one of the forefront light music composers in the 20th Century, Eric Coates is fondly remembered for his romantic waltzes, powerful marches, and catchy melodies. Composed in 1930, By The Sleepy Lagoon is a short light orchestral work that accentuates Read more…
Gioachino Rossini: William Tell Overture Context Born in February 1792 into a family of musicians in Pesaro, Italy, Gioachino Rossini began to learn the piano from age eight. Rossini became a multi-instrumentalist at a young age, being competent at piano, cello and horn by his late teens. Rossini is most Read more…
Ennio Morricone: A Fistful of Dollars Titles Context The 1964 Spaghetti Western, A Fistful of Dollars saw a young Clint Eastwood star in his first leading role. Ennio Morricone was chosen to compose the music for the film based on his other similar works for Spaghetti Western films. The Main Read more…
Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.17 Context Johannes Brahms completed his 21 Hungarian Dances by 1879, and they still remain one his most popular collections of music. All of the dances are based on traditional Hungarian folk tunes and range from c.1 minute to 6 minutes in duration. Some of the Read more…
Leroy Anderson: Blue Tango Context Composed in 1951, Leroy Anderson’s’ Blue Tango is perhaps most well-known for being a popular song with original lyrics by Mitchell Parish. Anderson’s original orchestral version, however, is a hidden gem in the world of light orchestral music. Similar in style to other Anderson works Read more…