Franz Waxman: Sunset Boulevard Prelude Context Sunset Boulevard is a 1950 film noir with music from German composer, Franz Waxman. The film score was the last thing to be added to the film, and Waxman took great care on how themes would represent different characters, in particular the character of Read more…
Ursula Mamlok: Constellations Context Born on February 1st, 1923, Ursula Mamlok was born in Berlin, Germany into a primarily Jewish family. Her biological father, Hans Meyer, died when she was a baby, but her mother remarried fairly soon after. Mamlok composed and performed as a child in Berlin, however, due Read more…
John Ireland: The Holy Boy Context John Ireland’s The Holy Boy has seen a huge transformation over the course of 30 years. The original version dates back from December 1913, and was part of Ireland’s Preludes for Piano. It was composed when Ireland was the organist at St Luke’s Church, Read more…
György Ligeti: Lontano Context György Ligeti was a pioneering Hungarian composer during the post-war era;. His seemingly avant-garde style led him to create some groundbreaking works during the 20th century. Lontano was composed in 1967, and was quite the standout at the time of creation. ‘Lontano’ is the Italian word Read more…
Joseph Haydn: Symphony No.19 Context Often known as the ‘Father of the Symphony’, Joseph Haydn’s legacy as a symphonist stays strong today. Haydn composed 104 symphonies over the course of his long and fruitful life, and we at Classicalexburns want to help you discover the stories and music behind all Read more…
George Frideric Handel: Hallelujah Chorus 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 the source being the King James Bible. Read more…
Francis Poulenc: Sextet for Wind Quintet & Piano Context Francis Poulenc’s Sextet for Wind Quintet & Piano was composed during his time as part of Les Six in c.1931-32. After a not-so satisfactory premiere in Paris, Poulenc heavily revised the work in 1939 stating that: “There were some good ideas 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…
Mikhail Glinka: Waltz Fantasy for Orchestra Context Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857) although seldom heard in concert halls today, was in fact an incredibly influential composer of his time. He is often regarded as one of the leading figures of Russian classical music, with his compositional style having an important influence on Read more…
Heino Eller: Videvik (‘Twilight’) Context Remembered largely for his orchestral works, Estonian composer Heino Eller is starting to receive the attention he very much deserves. Breakthrough recordings of some of his early orchestral works have begun to surface, showcasing the Estonian classical voice of the 20th century. Videvik was composed Read more…