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…
Sergei Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 Context Composed between 1906-1907, and premiered in 1908, the symphony was the Russian composer’s second attempt at writing for a full orchestra. Although now Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony is popular in concert halls, it was rather surprising that it was even composed. With how poorly the Read more…
Ursula Mamlok: Concerto for Oboe 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, Read more…
Gabriel Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine Context Gabriel Fauré was born in 1845 in the south of France, and was the fifth son of six children. Out of his siblings, Gabriel was the only to pursue a career in music, as his four brothers went into journalism, and his sister became Read more…
Johann Joachim Quantz: Flute Concerto No. 129 Context Born in Oberscheden, Germany in 1697, Johann Joachim Quantz was a prolific flautist, Baroque music composer and educator. It wasn’t until his early teens when Quantz began to study music formally, first with his uncle, and then with organist Johann Friedrich Kiesewetter. Read more…
Kaija Saariaho: Laterna Magica Context Kaija Saariaho was born on October 14th, 1952 in Helsinki. Her serious studies within music began with her enrolling into the Sibelius Academy. Her contemporaries include the likes of Paavo Heininen and Magnus Lindberg. She continued studying under Ferneyhough and Huber, whilst also attending summer Read more…
Takashi Yoshimatsu: White Landscapes Context Takashi Yoshimatsu was born in 1953 in Tokyo, Japan where he is regarded as one of Japan’s greatest Western classical composers. Interestingly, he did not learn music from a young age, in fact it wasn’t until his teens that he became interested in music at Read more…
Judith Weir: Stars, Night, Music and Light Context Judith Weir was born in 1954 in Cambridge, and at a young age she began learning the oboe. Weir in her youth performed regularly with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. She studied composition whilst at school with none other than John Read more…
Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique Context With its full title reading Symphonie Fantastique: Épisode de la vie d’un artiste en cinq parties (Fantastical Symphony: An Episode in the Life of an Artist, in Five Parts), the work lends itself to being autobiographical. The first performance was at the Paris Conservatoire in Read more…
Ola Gjeilo: Ubi Caritas Context Ola Gjeilo was born in 1978, in Sandvika, Norway. From an early age he was exposed to a range of different genres of music, but he took a special liking to both jazz and classical choral music. Gjeilo began playing piano, and gravitated towards jazz improvisation. Gjeilo mainly learned Read more…