We all know Bess’ song from Porgy and Bess: ‘Summertime, and the Livin’ is Easy’. We decided to do a survey of what other composers thought about summer and were surprised at the very different moods and modes composers used
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Famous Winners of the Prix de Rome and the Winning Compositions November 18th, 2018 The Most Famous Competition for French Arts Students There can be no doubt that the most famous competition for French arts students, offering winners a funded period of study in Rome, was the “Grand Prix de Rome”. Established in 1663 -
The Three H’s of Practicing November 18th, 2018 On the most basic level, we practice to get better, to become proficient, to ensure we never play a wrong note. However, productive practising should never just be mindless “note bashing”. As pianist and renowned teacher Seymour Bernstein says in -
Your Guide to Adoring Classical Music
Works for Large Ensemble November 17th, 2018What is classical music and why does it make some people tremble in their boots? “Do you like classical music?” I ask. Responses range from, “I don’t know anything about it!”, “I can’t sit still for that long…” and “I -
Schubert: String Quintet Op. 163, D 956
Premiered Today in 1850 November 17th, 2018In late September or early October 1828—two months before his death—Franz Schubert completed his C-major string quintet. He passed the work to his Leipzig publisher Heinrich Albert Probst on 2 October 1828, writing in the accompanying letter, “Among other things, -
International Inspiration: Grieg, Grainger, and Delius November 16th, 2018 We often forget the connections between composers. When you start to look at who knew who, particularly in the 20th century, connections are not only local but also international. The Australian composer Percy Grainger (1882-1961) knew the piano works of -
Fauré: Suite Bergamasques
Premiered Today in 1919 November 16th, 2018Towards the end of his life, Gabriel Fauré struggled with increasing frailty and deafness. In fact, sounds had become seriously distorted, with high and low notes “sounding painfully out of tune.” When Prince Albert I of Monaco approached Fauré in -
Moderato November 15th, 2018 Moderato (It.) ‘Moderate’, ‘restrained’, e.g. allegro moderato (‘a little slower than allegro ’). adv. & adj. Music (Abbr. mod.) In moderate tempo……. Used chiefly as a direction. ‘Moderato’ is one of those rather ambiguous musical terms, like andante (“at a -
Holst: The Planets
Premiered Today in 1920 November 15th, 2018The Planets, a set of seven self-contained orchestral “mood pictures” portraying Earth’s neighbors in the solar system, propelled Gustav Holst to international prominence. However, this sudden fame came with a hefty price tag. Holst had always wanted to be just