Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Born in 1840 inKamko-Votinsk,Russia; died in 1893 in St. Petersburg Capriccio Italien, Op. 45 When Tchaikovsky had finished with his Fourth Symphony, a work whose heavy psychological underpinnings of Fate deeply affected the composer’s nature, he was ready for a vacation. There were other issues that Tchaikovsky faced, of course, […]
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky b Kamko-Votinsk, Russia, May 7, 1840; d St. Petersburg, November 6, 1893 Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 1. Allegro moderato 2. Canzonetta (Andante) 3. Allegro vivacissimo One would never suspect that Tchaikovsky’s first and only violin concerto, with all its freshness and jubilance, was born like an extraordinarily beautifulPhoenix, emerging […]
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky b Kamko-Votinsk, Russia, May 7, 1840; dSt. Petersburg, November 6, 1893 Polonaise from Eugene Onegin Though we know Tchaikovsky best for his orchestral works, he longed to be championed as an opera composer. To this end his output was admirable, creating 11 operas. Of these, his three most successful were all […]
Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky (b Kamsko-Votkinsk, Vyatka province, 25 April 1840; d St Petersburg, 25 Oct. 1893) Andante Cantabile In 1871 Tchaikovsky found himself unappreciative of his pitiful professor’s salary from the Moscow Conservatory, so he hatched the idea to give a benefit concert (that is, to benefit himself) of his own chamber music. He immediately […]
Ralph Vaughan Williams (b Down Ampney, England, October 12, 1872; d London, August 26, 1958) The Lark Ascending for Violin and Orchestra This seminal work of the English composer was inspired by a poem by English poet George Meredith, and of course, by the exquisite beauty of the lark, those glorious birds that flit and […]
Ralph Vaughan Williams (b in Down Ampney, England, October 12, 1872; d in London, August 28, 1958) Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Paris and London have shared history with each other for many centuries. Often their cultural influences floated across the Channel, as Ralph Vaughan Williams did in 1908 to study with […]
Ralph Vaughan Williams (Born in Down Ampney, England, 1872; died in London, 1958) Serenade to Music Vaughan Williams composed this work in 1938 for a jubilee concert in honor of the British conductor Sir Henry Wood. Wood was best known for his introduction of the yearly musical celebration called the “Proms” which are […]
Antonio Vivaldi (b March 4, 1678 in Venice, Italy; d July 28, 1741 inVienna,Austria) The Four Seasons, Concertos for Violin, Op. 8, Nos. 1-4 I.“Spring” Concerto in E-major 1. Allegro 2. Largo e pianissimo sempre 3. Allegro II. “Summer” Concerto in G-minor 1. Allegro non molto 2. Adagio 3. Presto III. “Autumn” Concerto in […]
Moise Vainberg (1919-1996) Concerto for Flute and String Orchestra in D-minor, Opus 75 1. Allegro 2. Largo 3. Allegro comodo Russian composer Moise Vainberg, now just 10 years deceased, created an enormous catalog of works during his long life. A partial list would include 26 symphonies, 7 concertos, 17 string quartets, 28 sonatas for various […]
William Turner Walton (Born in Lancashire, Oldham, England in 1902; died in Forio d’Ischia, Italy in 1983) Viola Concerto 1. Andante comodo 2. Vivo, con molto preciso 3. Allegro moderato This masterful Viola Concerto was written by Walton in 1929 when he was 27. He had not quite achieved fame at this point, […]