Introduction: Grieg and Nationalism Edvard Grieg (1843-1907), one of Norway’s most famous composers, conveyed his love for his homeland through his music. This type of national pride in music is known as nationalism, where composers use musical ideas (themes/motifs, melodies, rhythms, harmonies, etc.) that are identified with a specific country, region, or ethnicity. Grieg’s music […]
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Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), also known as Saint Hildegard and the Sibyl of the Rhine (more on that later), was a Medieval nun of many talents. Not only was Hildegard a German Benedictine abbess – the female superior of a community of nuns – but she was also a composer, writer, philosopher, mystic, and one […]
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During the Romantic Era, women musicians did not generally perform in public. Especially not eleven-year-old girls. But that’s exactly what young Clara Schumann (née Wieck) did in 1830 after her father recognized her virtuosic abilities on the piano. Schumann grew up to be one of the most famous concert pianists of the time, constantly pushing […]
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I first came across Tony Anderson through his track Immanuel, a gorgeous combination of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and Carol of the Bells. The effortlessness of the music struck me right away. There’s an electric energy in Immanuel that I love, and that changed me as a musician. I still turn this piece on when I need some calming background music: […]
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One of my favorite things about our local classical radio station is that it always introduces me to new (sometimes obscure) works and composers. This leads me to today’s topic: Polish pianist and composer Zygmunt Stojowski (1870-1946). I heard one of his piano concertos on the radio and was hooked from the start of its […]
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Ola Gjeilo (pronounced Yay-lo) (b. 1978) is a 21st-century pianist and composer who has changed the face of contemporary choir music. His compositions whisk the listener away on a journey full of emotion and beauty. Gjeilo is one of my favorite modern choir composers, so let’s learn more about him and his music. About Ola […]
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After discussing the Romantic era last week, today I want to introduce you to English composer Cyril Scott (1879-1970). Essentially a “modern late-Romantic Impressionist” composer, Scott defined his musical style by combining contemporary trends with his own flare. Biography Born to a scholar father and amateur pianist mother, Cyril Scott showed musical talent at a […]
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Here is Grieg’s Melody, Op. 47 No. 3, a small gem of a piano piece hidden amongst his huge collection of Lyric Pieces: History One of the Romantic era’s leading musicians, Norwegian pianist and composer Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) helped shape the face of classical music. His use of Norwegian folk styling and themes in his […]
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Last week we discussed how minimalism became a musical movement in the mid-1900s. After decades of experimental music and a shift away from traditional melodic and harmonic ideas, a group of American composers aimed to return to the simple and – as a result – created minimalism. Today, let’s take a look at some* of […]
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Records tell us that Johann Sebastian Bach had 20 children over the course of his life (he did have two wives). But what most people don’t know is that he actually had a 21st child: His name was P.D.Q. Bach. Biography Born in Leipzig, Germany, on April 1, 1742, P.D.Q. was called a “pimple on the […]
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