Roger Quilter: A Children’s Overture Context Roger Quilter was born in Hove, Sussex in 1877. In contrast to his older brothers, Roger was the quiet, shy sibling of the group. In the mid-1880s Quilter was sent to a new prep school in Farnborough, where he was able to nurture his love 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…
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…
Dmitri Kabalevsky: The Comedians Context Born in 1904 in Saint Petersburg, Kabalevsky was encouraged at a young age to focus on “important” subjects, such as maths and science (i.e not the arts). However, against his family’s wishes, Kabalevsky accepted an offer to study at Moscow Conservatory, where he studied composition. Read more…
Dana Suesse: Concerto in 3 Rhythms Context Dana Suesse was born in 1909 in Kansas City. There is not much information on Suesse’s earlier life, but we know that whilst she was still young she travelled around the Midwest Vaudeville circuit, performing both on the piano and as a dancer. Read more…
George Butterworth: The Banks of the Greenwillow Context George Butterworth was born in Paddington, 1885. Soon after his birth the Butterworth family moved to moved to Yorkshire. His mother was a singer, and she was his first major influence in the world of music. Butterworth began composing at an early Read more…
Ferde Grofé: Mississippi Suite Context Ferdinand Grofé was born in New York City in 1892, and was lucky enough to be born into a musical family. His father was a classical baritone singer, his mother a professional cellist. As well as this, his mother Elsa also taught Ferde the piano and Read more…
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet Overture-Fantasy Context Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy is a symphonic poem-like work that encapsulates the tragic love story between Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This piece of programme music went through three stages of being re-drafted and manipulated by Tchaikovsky until the version Read more…
Julius Fučík: Entrance of the Gladiators Context Julius Fučík was born in Prague in 1872, and this was a time where Prague was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Differently to many other composers of the time, Fučík began to learn to play the bassoon and percussion at an early age. As he began Read more…