In the first drafts of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, there is a name that appeared as the subtitle before it was scribbled out and changed to ‘Eroica’. Originally Beethoven dedicated this symphony to his personal hero, a man who would soon instigate his own demise when he crowned himself Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte.
Mother Goose has been a staple in many a child’s life. Her tales of magic and adventure inspire wonder, and even in adulthood, her stories touch us. They certainly were of great importance to Maurice Ravel, who wrote a piano suite using several fairytales, and was so touched by them that he orchestrated them and then turned it into a ballet.
William Shakespeare’s beloved tragedy of two star-crossed lovers has been one of the most frequently adapted stories for musical purposes. Composers, such Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Gounod, Berlioz, and even Duke Ellington, have been touched by its heart-wrenching tale since its creation, and this episode gives you a look into the many musical reincarnations of Shakespeare’s young lovers, Romeo and Juliet.
British composer and orchestrator Dani Howard shares her brilliant story of becoming a composer whilst describing what it’s like to be a composer of New Music who is trying to reshape the genre and make it more accessible to audiences all around the world. Featured Piece: CoalescenceProvided to the podcast by the composer. Recorded by […]
Crowds filled the streets around the old Schwarzenberg Palace, desperate to hear Franz Joseph Haydn’s new oratorio, The Creation. The premiere was a private performance, and those allowed inside must have an invitation or they would be turned away. Inside, the audience would become so enthralled by Haydn’s music, that they could have sworn they saw light shoot out of the composers eyes and they would go about their daily lives for days thinking only about the performance with stars in their eyes.
Samuel Barber’s first major commission was an absolute success, but the journey to that success was more than rocky… it was a fiasco!
