rite-of-spring

A fest of claviers and pagan rituals | CBW22

oana June 2, 2019 No Comments
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

Modest Mussorgsky by Ilia Repin

Handel, Vivaldi, Mussorgsky | CBW 16

oana April 21, 2019 No Comments
3. “Khovanshchina” Prelude: Dawn over the Moscow River by Modest Mussorgsky

What’s more fitting to start the day with than the image of a river at dawn? This work is the prelude to the Khovanshchina opera by Modest Mussorgsky, which sets to music the events surrounding the Moscow Uprising of 1682, in which Prince Ivan Khovansky rebelled against his sister, the regent Sofia Alekseyevna, the first woman to rule Russia.… Read more

Pianos, Trumpets and Prokofiev | CBW10

oana March 10, 2019 No Comments
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