In 1989, contemporary minimalist composer Philip Glass (b. 1937) released his album Solo Piano. The album has seven tracks: Metamorphosis I Metamorphosis II Metamorphosis III Metamorphosis IV Metamorphosis V Mad Rush Wichita Vortex Sutra Notice how the first five tracks all have the same name: Metamorphosis. Glass composed these particular pieces for a staging of […]
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Throughout his lifetime, American composer William Grant Still (1895-1978) wrote more than 150 works, including 8 operas and 5 symphonies. His love of music began at a young age. Still’s stepfather encouraged his exploration of classical music, while his grandmother sang African-American spirituals; as a result, Still’s distinctive compositional language combines these two seemingly separate […]
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Leoš Janáček (1854-1928), one of the most important Czech composers of the 20th century, was greatly inspired by folk music to create a unique musical voice. His piano cycle V mlhách (In the Mists) – composed in 1912 – shows off his incredibly coloristic, moody, and mature compositional style. In the Mists paints a mesmerizingly foggy […]
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Instead of focusing specifically on the piano concerto (a piece of music, typically in three movements, where a virtuosic solo piano is accompanied by an orchestra), I wanted to research piano-and-orchestra pieces by female composers that didn’t necessarily follow this mold. So here is a collection of unique compositions featuring piano and orchestra by some […]
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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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If you are an avid movie watcher, you probably know the names Hans Zimmer or John Williams. They are two of the most important film composers of our time, and with good reason; they have helped define film music as its own genre, one that tells the story of the movie (even outside of the […]
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I had the pleasure of hearing Lyric Fantasy (Lyrisk fantasi) for Orchestra, Op. 54 by Swedish composer Lars-Erik Larsson (1908-1986) for the first time on my local classical radio station the other day. I was immediately struck by its beauty: Background Even though Larsson was born to a nurse and a factory worker, he showed musical talent […]
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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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Debussy’s Images Book 1 (usually pronounced the French way: im-AHJ) is a gorgeous French Impressionist work for solo piano. It is the first set in a series of six solo piano pieces composed between 1901 and 1907: Background Debussy (1862-1918) was – and still is – known for his innovative music. During his life, the Romantic Era […]
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As I’ve been doing some research and score study for a new composition, I came across Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958). After listening to it on repeat this week, I thought I’d share it with you! Background Composed in 1910, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (also known as […]
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