Archive for the ‘ Composers ’ Category

Finzi, Gerald

(b London, 14 July 1901; d Oxford, 27 Sept 1956). English composer. The son of a shipbroker, he was educated privately, and studied music with Ernest Farrar (1915-16) then, when Farrar joined the army, with Edward Bairstow at York (1917-22). [ READ MORE ]

Five Bagatelles, Op. 23

Gerald Finzi was an English composer known for his musical imagery. He experienced severe loss early in his life. His father passed away when he was very young; his revered music teacher was killed in France after joining the army; and his three elder brothers assed away, all before Finzi entered his twenties. It may [ READ MORE ]

Abîme des oiseaux

Third movement from Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps [ READ MORE ]

Clarinet Quintet in A, K.581

Mozart was in love with the sound of the clarinet. He wasn’t able to fully express on paper his adoration for the instrument until the last few years of his life when he met and befriended Anton Stadler. A close friend of Mozart’s and fellow Freemason, Stadler was one of the great clarinetists of Mozart’s [ READ MORE ]

Schumann, Robert

During Schumann’s lifetime, much political upheaval was experienced in his hometown of Dresden. In early 1849, fighting had begun. [ READ MORE ]