In John Dowland, Britten found a kindred spirit who shared his love for the beauty of the English language and a rare gift for illuminating poetry with music. And in Henry Purcell, he discovered both a shared affinity for the theater and a sense of musical structure and style ideally matched to his own.
Read MoreWritten for a concert featuring Nielsen’s Violin Sonata No. 1, Eiríksdóttir’s Flute Reel, Saariaho’s Tocar, and Grieg’s String Quartet No. 1.
Read MoreThis concerto was the most expansive and ambitious audiences had yet encountered.
Read MoreWhat do you do when your students openly question your curriculum? If you’re Ernest Bloch, you put your money where your mouth is.
Read MoreMozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major stands out as one of the composer’s most intimate and expressive works.
Read MoreHis two piano concerti— opus 21 in F minor and opus 11 in E minor— were the only pieces Chopin ever composed for orchestra.
Read MoreThe tragedies and triumphs of war have inspired composers to create some of their greatest work. In World War II, governments realized that artists could be more useful to the war effort in their trained discipline than as conscripted soldiers, and composers were encouraged to produce work supporting national morale and the education of the public.
Read MoreKhachaturian’s music is characterized most notably by the influence of folk music. Born to an ethnic Armenian family in Georgia, he grew up steeped in the region’s culture.
Read MoreAn academic analysis of the work written to accompany a lecture-recital.
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