Walter Leigh: Concertino for Harpsichord & Strings Context After receiving tutelage from Harold Darke and Paul Hindemith during his time in education, Walter Leigh (1905-1942) wrote a number of works for a range of different ensembles and soloists. Still the most popular of his works today, Leigh’s Concertino for Harpsichord Read more…
Tania León: Batá Context Born in Havana, Cuba in 1943, Tania León began learning the piano at the young age of four years old. Twenty years on, she had earned her bachelors and master degrees in music from the Carlos Alfredo Peyrellade Conservatory. After this, she made the move to New Read more…
Leonard Bernstein: On the Town – Three Dance Episodes Context This suite of three dances is taken from the 1944 Broadway music, On the Town, which Leonard Bernstein wrote the music for. The story follows the adventures of three sailors who have 24 hours in New York. The show was Read more…
Alla Pavlova: Elegy for Piano and String Orchestra Context Ukrainian composer Alla Pavlova has studied at the Ippolitov-Ivanov Music Institute and the Gnesin Academy of Music in Moscow. Pavlova has resided in Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, and now the USA. She has composed a number of large-scale works for the orchestra Read more…
Joaquín Rodrigo: Fantasía para un gentilhombre Context Composed in 1954 for guitarist Andrés Segovia, Fantasía para un gentilhombre (Fantasia for a Gentleman) was premiered by Segovia and The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Enrique Jordá. Fantasía is Rodrigo’s second most popular work, after his beloved Concierto de Aranjuez. Read more…
Leonard Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story Context Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts on August 25th, 1918. The son of Ukrainian Jewish parents, Bernstein’s interest in music education was initially opposed by his father, who was a businessman in the area. His father’s attitude began to change Read more…
Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.1 Context Composed initially in 1891 when he was just 18 years old, Sergei Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto was heavily revised in 1917. After abandoning sketches of a concerto in C minor, Rachmaninov pursued the sketches of what we know to be the First Piano Concerto. Read more…
Harry Gregson-Williams: Fairytale Context Harry Gregson-Williams teamed up once more with John Powell to create the film score for the 2001 film, Shrek. This was the third DreamWorks collaboration for the pair, with them having composed the music for Antz and Chicken Run. Alongside the motion picture score, an album 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…
Amy Beach: Gaelic Symphony Context In 1896, Amy Beach premiered her First Symphony – Gaelic Symphony. This was a massive milestone in women’s music as Beach became the first American woman to compose and then further publish a symphony. In 1900 Beach was the soloist for the premiere of her Read more…