George Frideric Handel: Glory to God in the Highest 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…
Arthur Honegger: Concerto da camera Context Composed in 1948 after a commission from American patron Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, Concerto da camera is a concerto with the unusual combination of soloists. Using an English Horn (Cor Anglais) and flute as the soloists, and a string orchestra as the accompaniment, Concerto da Read more…
Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings Context Adagio for Strings (1936), was originally the second movement of Samuel Barber’s String Quartet in B minor (Op.11). However, at the end of the year Barber had rearranged the movement for a full string orchestra. The work was composed in a musical fruitful time for Barber, with his Read more…
Ann Southam: Webster’s Spin Context After years of writing electronic music, Canadian composer Ann Southam abandoned the tapes and tracks and focused on more classically-inclined pieces. Webster’s Spin, a composition for string orchestra, was composed in 1993 after a commission came from the CBC. The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra premiered the Read more…
Antonio Vivaldi: Flute Concerto No.1 La Tempesta di Mare (RV 433) Context Subtitled ‘The Storm at Sea’, Antonio Vivaldi’s First Flute Concerto was the start of his collection of six concertos for the instrument. Published c.1720s, the concerto was one of many concertos that Vivaldi wrote that brought the concerto Read more…
Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.8 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…
Hubert Parry: Elegy for Brahms Context Hubert Parry (1848-1918) was at the height of his fame by the start of the 20th century. He was held a Professorship at Oxford from 1900, as well as being knighted two years previous in 1898. It was during this mature period of Parry’s Read more…
Alexander Scriabin: Piano Concerto Context Composed when he was just 24 years old, Alexander Scriabin’s Piano Concerto was the first of his works to use an orchestra, as well as being the only concerto that he wrote. Although a majority of the concerto was composed in 1896, it wasn’t until Read more…
Emmanuel Chabrier: España Context Whilst touring around Spain between July and December of 1882, Emmanuel Chabrier took great interest in some of the traditional dances that he saw. He wrote in October of that year that he was to return home soon to compose an “extraordinary fantasia” which would be Read more…
Franz von Suppé: Light Cavalry Overture Context Franz von Suppé’s 1866 operetta Leichte Kavallerie has remained seldom performed since its premiere in Vienna in 1866. However, the overture to the operetta has remained Suppé’s most popular and most performed work. Often heard in concert halls, as well as in film Read more…