Discovery Music | CBW 30

3. Symphony in G major, op. 11 no. 1 by Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges

This week includes only works by composers I’ve never heard of before, and we’re starting it with Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, an 18th century mixed-race, out of wedlock classical composer from the French colony of Guadalupe who was the conductor of the symphony orchestra in Paris.… Read more

Ethel_Smyth

Ethel Smith | CBW 27

Trio for piano, violin and cello in D minor by Ethel Smith

What do you do when your work is characterized as lacking feminine charm if it is too powerful and energetic, but less than the artistic standard of your male colleagues if it’s delicate and melodious? You get involved in the suffrage movement, you compose its anthem and even spend two months in jail for the cause (albeit, after doing some private property damage).… Read more

rite-of-spring

A fest of claviers and pagan rituals | CBW22

3. French Suite no. 5 in G major, BWV 816 by Johann Sebastian Bach

This is the fifth French suite written by Bach for harpsichord in the 1720s’. Their purpose was for teaching, being practice pieces which have some complexity without being over demanding at the same time. This is most likely the reason why they were never published by Bach, keeping them for his private use as they weren’t particularly intricate or meaningful enough to present them at court.… Read more

Roberto Alagna - Pagliacci

Tragedy, Beethoven and a Guitar | CBW21

3. Milonga by Jorge Cardoso

On third place we have the most famous work of the Argentinian guitarist and composer Jorge Cardoso, namely Milonga. Akin to its composer, who is also a teacher, a medical doctor and a researcher, Milonga stands for several things: it is a musical genre from Argentina and Uruguay, a dance similar to the tango, but faster and more relaxed in movements and a weekly event where people play and dance Argentinian tango, along with valses and milongas.… Read more

Theorbo

Lute trumps piano | CBW20

4. Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth) by Gustav Mahler
 The song of sorrow shall ring laughingly in your soul.
When the sorrow comes, blasted lie the gardens of the soul,
wither and perish joy and singing.
Dark is life, dark is death!
[…]
The heavens are ever blue and the Earth
shall stand sure, and blossom in the spring.
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Jussi Bjorling

War and Love | CBW 19

3. “Spitfire Prelude & Fugue” by William Walton

We start the week with a man that left no important legacy, being considered more often than not as old-fashioned in his style: Sir William Turner Walton. Why are we doing this? Because I have a soft spot for wartime music, which is precisely what Spitfire Prelude & Fugue is: the score of the film The First of the Few, directed by Lesley Howard.… Read more

3 Pianos and a Violin | CBW14

Honourable mention: “Symphony no. 3” by Henryk Górecki

Also known as the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, this work got Henryk Gorecki in the attention of the wide public, being before then known only to a restricted circle of 20th century modern music connoisseurs. Despite having sold over a million copies, it remains a controversial work, being loved by the public and rather dismissed by critics.… Read more

Bach, Bartók, Takemitsu, Frahm | CBW13

Honourable mention: “Ambre” by Nils Frahm

This week’s honourable mention can absolutely replace a sleeping pill, and I’m saying this in the best possible way.

IDAGIO  for: Luke Howard (piano)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7kfH_yBjy0
“Ambre” by Nils Frahm

3. “In the month of March” by Tōru Takemitsu

In third place we have a song by Tōru Takemitsu, one of the most important Japanese composers and the first one fully recognized in the west.… Read more

He came, he saw, he conquered | CBW11

Honourable mention: “O dolce mio tesoro” by Carlo Gesualdo

Aristocracy, murder, depression, self-flagellation, witch trials. This is the context of Carlo Gesualdo’s madrigals, one of the most experimental musical compositions of the Renaissance, not to be heard again until the 19th century. They are absolutely wonderful, as the voices complement each other beautifully, blending in a rich and warm sound.… Read more

Pianos, Trumpets and Prokofiev | CBW10

Honourable mention: “Concerto for two trumpets in C major, RV 537” by Antonio Vivaldi

We begin the week with one of the greatest names of the Baroque era, namely Antonio Vivaldi. He was a very prolific composer, having composed more than 500 concertos, several sacred works and over forty operas. Out of the 500, forty are for two instruments.… Read more