Sergei Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2 Context Around the time of the Russian Revolution in 1917, Sergei Prokofiev left the Soviet Union and lived abroad for the next 18 years or so. He returned in 1927 an outsider, and was regarded as a foreigner by the regime whilst on tour Read more…
Arturo Márquez: Danzón No. 2 Context Commissioned in 1994 by the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Danzón No. 2 is one of the most frequently performed pieces of Mexican contemporary classical music. Based on the Mexican partnered dance, the ‘danzon’ genre utilises syncopation, offbeats and pauses, where the dancers hold elegant positions before Read more…
Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 103 ‘Drumroll’ Context Joseph Haydn was born in 1732 in Rahrau, Austria, where he was brought up listening to and performing folk-music. As he grew up he showed musical talent, and his parents sent him away to be trained as a professional musician. After struggling as a Read more…
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No.9 (From the New World) Context Dvořák composed his last, and indeed most internationally popular, symphony in his first year of living in the United States of America. Dvořák’s career, financial situation and international recognition had all ideally lined up when he was commissioned to compose the symphony ‘for America’. Read more…
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 Context Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) composed his ever-popular Seventh Symphony between the years 1881-1883. It was then subject to further revisions in 1885. The premiere was given by the Gewandhaus Orchestra under the baton of Arthur Nikisch in Lepizig in December 1884. The symphony bought the Read more…
Vincent D’Indy: Symphonie Cévenole Context The French composer and pedagogue Vincent d’Indy (1851-1931) composed and published many works over his lifetime, although sadly now many of his works are seldom heard in concerts. One of the only works that does receive performances is Symphonie sur un chant montagnard français (‘Symphony Read more…
Sergei Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Variation 18) Context 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 Read more…
Ottorino Respighi: Pines of Rome Context Ottorino Respighi was born on July 9th, 1879 in Bologna, Italy. From a young age he was taught piano by his father, as he was working as a local music teacher in the area. Respighi later enrolled at the Liceo, where he studied violin, viola and composition Read more…
Edward Elgar: Romance for Bassoon Context Composed in 1910 for the principal bassoonist of the London Symphony Orchestra – Edwin F James – this work is from the Edward Elgar’s most creative periods. Romance for Bassoon was composed between two of Elgar’s largest works, the Violin Concerto (1910) and the Second Symphony (1911). In contrast to these Read more…
Elizabeth Maconchy: Nocturne for Orchestra Context Elizabeth Maconchy was born to Irish parents in Hertfordshire, 1907. After her birth, the family moved back to rural Ireland, where Maconchy began taking piano lessons. She started to compose her own music by age six and when she was in her late teens she enrolled Read more…