Rued Langgaard: Symphony No. 1 “Klippepastoraler” Context Rued Langgaard was born in 1893 to a pair of highly musical parents. His father, Siegfriend Langgaard was a known composer and highly skilled chamber musician, and his mother Emma Langgaard was also a highly skilled pianist. It was his mother who introduced Read more…
Pablo de Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen Context As one of the most famous violin virtuosos of the 19th century, Pablo de Sarasate was also a keen composer for the instrument too. His perennially popular Zigeunerweisen was composed and published in 1878. Inspired by folk tunes from Rome, Zigeunerweisen has pleased audiences and Read more…
Claude Debussy: Prélude á l’Aprés-midi d’un faune Context Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un faune is a symphonic poem that was premiered in Paris 1894, conducted by Swiss conductor Gustave Doret. Translated, the title reads “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” and it was based on Stéphane Mallarmé’s poem l’Après-midi d’un Read more…
Nikolai Myakovsky: Symphony No.10 Context The aptly named “Father of the Soviet Symphony”, Nikolai Myakovsky, composed 27 symphonies in total. The tenth, composed between 1926-27, Myakovsky was inspired by Alexander Pushkin’s poem The Bronze Horseman. The story tells of a man whose fiancé is drowned by the 1824 River Neva Read more…
Jean Sibelius: Finlandia Context During 1899 the political intensity in the Grand Duchy of Finland was becoming more serious. Opposition was met from Russian press, sparking a great divide in Finnish arts. Jean Sibelius was at this time acknowledged as the most popular and successful composer in Finland. Because of Read more…
Georg Philipp Telemann: Wassermusik Suite Context Georg Philipp Telemann composed his Wassermusik suite (full title Hamburger Ebb’ und Fluth) c. 1722 to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Hamburg Admiralty. The suite, which is split into 10 movements, represents Hamburg’s geographical location and uses water deities to represent Telemann’s desired Read more…
Leonard Bernstein: Wonderful Town Overture Context With lyrics by Comden and Green, Leonard Bernstein was asked to compose the music for the 1953 musical Wonderful Town. The story, based on the novel by Chodorov and Fields, follows two sisters who pursue a career in acting in New York City. As Read more…
Edvard Grieg: Holberg Suite Context Composed in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Dano-Norwegian playwright Ludvig Holberg, Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite exemplifies stereotypical 19th century dance forms. The suite was initially composed for piano, but a year after it was written, Grieg changed his mind Read more…
Robert Nathaniel Dett: The Chariot Jubilee Context Robert Nathaniel Dett composed The Chariot Jubilee in 1919 after a commission came from Howard Lyman and the Syracuse University Chorus. The Chariot Jubilee is thought to be the first ever symphonic work based solely on Negro spirituals. After the premiere the orchestral 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…