Camille Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre Context Camille Saint-Saëns’ tone poem, Danse Macabre was composed in 1874. It started out as an art song for voice and piano, but was soon adapted as an orchestral work. The work is based on a poem by Henri Cazalis, which is based upon French superstition: Read more…
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade Context When he was a boy, Rimsky-Korsakov’s imagination was hungry for travel. He was confined in his small Russian town until he was a teenager. He received letters from his older brother, Voin, who was in the Far East serving in the Navy and he fell in Read more…
Grant Kirkhope: Mid Boss Mayhem Context Scottish video game composer Grant Kirkhope was exposed to music from a young age. Kirkhope taught himself the guitar and was classically trained as a trumpeter at the Royal Northern College of Music. Kirkhope was involved in many different jazz ensembles, including big bands Read more…
Paul Hindemith: Trombone Sonata Context Throughout his career Hindemith set out to compose at least one sonata for every instrument. His Trombone Sonata was composed in 1941, and is in four short movements. There is an indication that Hindemith initially composed three movements and then added the fourth later on, Read more…
Chen Yi: Ge Xu Context Chen Yi was born in Guanzhou, China in 1953. She was born into a talented family of both doctors and musicians, and so from a young age Yi began learning violin. Her siblings were known as child prodigies within musical performance, so Yi had a Read more…
Patrick Hawes: Fair Albion Context English composer Patrick Hawes is one of the countries leading composers. Having worked with some of the finest musicians, orchestras, conductors, record labels and radio stations, Hawes is a tour de force within English classical music. He held the position of Composer in Residence with Classic Read more…
Florence Price: Symphony No. 1 Context Born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1887, Florence Beatrice Smith Price received early musical training from her mother. Price went to study at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music, graduating in 1906 with a Soloist’s Diploma in Organ Performance, and a Teacher’s Diploma Read more…
Ronald Binge: Sailing By Context Composed in 1963 by British composer Ronald Binge, Sailing By is known by many as the theme before the late Shipping Forecast on BBC Radio 4. The piece is played every night at 12.45am, with the piece being used not only for its simplicity and Read more…
Carl Davis: Cranford Theme Context Carl Davis CBE (1936-) is an American-born conductor and composer. He has lived in the UK since the early 1960s. Perhaps best-known for his silent movie music, Davis is also celebrated for his television and film music. Notable television series that Davis worked on include 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…