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Fryderyk Chopin - Cello Sonata in G minor
Struttura Chopin wrote his Sonata for cello and piano in 1845, dedicating it to his friend, cellist Auguste Franchomme. A unique work for Chopin: among the few chamber works of the composer, this is the only one that belongs to the mature period. During this time, Chopin reveals the most pioneering and experimental aspect of his music. The piece is structured in four movements: Allegro…
Sergei Rachmaninov - Symphonic Dances
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) wrote Symphonic Dances in 1940, at the very end of his life. It is his final major composition, and his only piece written in its entirety while living in the United States. Origin of the work In America he was famous, rich, and busy as a pianist. The exile from Russia, which he left after the 1917 Revolution, never stopped hurting, leaving him in a state of…
Francis Poulenc - Concerto for organ, timpani and strings
Concerto for organ, timpani and strings by Francis Poulenc is not a typical baroque-sounding piece, even though it might sound like it at first. It’s actually a game-changer from the 20th century. Some context It was written in 1938. Poulenc (1899-1963) was a French composer, part of that quirky crew Les Six – modern, ironic, anti-Romantic. He usually wrote playful pieces, but for this piece he…
Ottorino Respighi - Pines of Rome
In 1923, Ottorino Respighi (1879 -1936) moved from Bologna to Rome. The Capital immediately struck him with its marvelous fountains and its characteristic pine trees with their distinctive umbrella shape. These visions inspired him to create a triptych (the Roman Trilogy) of symphonic poems dedicated to Rome: Fountains of Rome (1916), Pines of Rome (1924), and Roman Festivals (1928). Pines of…
Hindemith - Mathis der Maler
Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler: A Bold Symphony in Tough Times The Backstory In the early 1930s, Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) was one of the most important among the “new generation” of composers in Germany. But the rise of the Nazi regime changed everything. His modern musical style, his ideas, and even his personal life didn’t fit the new rules. His music wasn’t banned right away, but it was…
Smetana - String Quartet No. 1 "From My Life"
Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1 “From My Life” (1876), isn’t just music. It tells the story of his life, from youthful dreams to the devastating moment he lost his hearing. A change in Smetana’s life Bedřich Smetana (1824 -1884) was a well-known composer in his life. He gained a major name in Czech music with operas like The Bartered Bride. But in the 1870s, a disaster hit the composer’s life.…
Tchaikovsky - 6th Symphony Pathetique
Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, the Pathétique, was his last symphony. The composer died just nine days after conducting its premiere in 1893. Some believe the music hints at his own death. Others think the symphony hides a secret programme Tchaikovsky had never disclosed. Pathos One of the most emotional pieces in music history, the work was entitled “The Passionate Symphony”, that means…
Sergei Prokofiev - Scythian Suite
The Scythian Suite by Sergei Prokofiev is a wild, explosive orchestral work with a fascinating backstory. A rejected Ballet and a bold new direction In 1915, Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was a young and ambitious composer looking for his big break. He got the chance of a lifetime when Sergei Diaghilev, the mastermind behind the legendary Ballets Russes, invited him to write a ballet. The theme…
Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major
Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major is one of the most brilliant and original works in the 20th-century piano repertoire. It’s lively, colorful, and blends jazz influences with the European classical tradition, creating a unique mix that left its mark on music history. The idea and the context Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) began working on the Concerto in G in the late 1920s, after a trip to…
Stravinskij's Petruska
Igor Stravinskij’s Petruska is a masterpiece that everyone should hear at least once. The first five minutes are an exceptional example of Stravinsky’s absolute genius. The idea behind In 1910, Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) wanted to take a break during the composition of The Rite of Spring. He thought of a piece for orchestra in which the piano had a predominant role. He imagined it being…
What "classical music" is for me
If someone asked me to tell what “classical music” is, I would pick a passage from the Balakirev’s 1st Symphony. The way the clarinet opens the third movement, Andante, is a perfect example of classical music. The melody is just an excuse, here, to create beauty and wonder. Only eight measures The third movement of the 1st Symphony (1897) from Milij Alekseevič Balakirev (1836-1910) is an…
Concerto for Orchestra
The twentieth century brought to light a new musical form. Concerto for Orchestra has been explored by many composers, let’s explore works by Hindemith, Bartók and Petrassi.
The twentieth century brought to light a new musical form. Concerto for Orchestra has been explored by many composers, let’s explore works b
Brahms' Hungarian Dances
Brahms’ “Hungarian Dances” are some of the most fun and energetic pieces in classical music, and they come with a great backstory. Shocked by Hungarian folk music At that beginning of 1850s, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was touring as an accompanist with the Hungarian violinist Ede Reményi, who had fled Hungary as a political refugee. Reményi used to play traditional Hungarian tunes during their…
Debussy and the birth of Impressionism
In 1894, Claude Debussy (1862-1918) presented, almost unnoticed, a work that would alter the world’s perception of music. A work that will change the sound of French music for most of the next century. With Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, noted Pierre Boulez, ‘the art of music began to beat with a new pulse’. Impressionism: a new musical style The score of the Prélude is very…
György Ligeti - Atmosphères for Orchestra
Imagine a piece that begins with each instrument in the orchestra playing a different note. The resulting chromatic cluster covers more than five octaves. The conductor’s score spans two pages stacked vertically. This is György Ligeti’s Atmosphères for Orchestra. A bit of background György Ligeti (1923-2006) lost most of his family to the Holocaust. Then, he faced the oppression of living in…
Shostakovich - music under siege
The Leningrad premiere of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 was an act of courage and resistance against the brutal Nazi 1941-1944 siege of Leningrad. To make this performance happen, a massive effort was put in place from musicians, officials, and citizens, for battling the life-threatening conditions caused by the blockade. Context: The Siege of Leningrad The Nazi siege on Leningrad began in…
Louis Spohr - Symphony No. 6 "Historical Symphony"
Louis Spohr wrote a very unusual symphony, the 6th. While the first three movements are a tribute to the Baroque and Classical period, the fourth is a satirical parody of the “modern” composers. The background The german composer Louis Spohr (1784-1859) was highly regarded during his lifetime, although he his almost forgotten nowadays.He was a very popular and highly valued composer, having…