![]() Recommended Recording: Frederick Delius English Masterworks (Aarhus Symphony Orchestra/Bo Holton)īorn in Broadheath, Worcestershire, Elgar is probably the most high profile of English composers. His works include Florida Suite, reflecting on his time spent at the plantation and A Village Romeo and Juliet, an opera based upon a short story written by Gottfried Keller named Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe (Romeo and Juliet of the Village). Between 18 he attended New York Conservatorium and then relocated to Paris, where he settled for 10 years. Shortly after, he settled in Danville, Virginia, teaching music. ![]() In 1884, he moved to Florida to run his father’s orange plantation, taking music lessons in his spare time. We named Samuel Coleridge-Taylor one of the most influential and best black composers ever Frederick Delius (1862-1934)īorn in Bradford, Frederick Delius is thought to be a key figure in reviving English music at the end of the 19th century – despite spending very little time in the country beyond his childhood. The Song of Hiawatha: how the cantata trilogy made Samuel Coleridge-Taylor a household name.The illegitimate son of Daniel Taylor, a Creole doctor from Sierra Leone who practised in Croydon, and Alice Martin rose from humble beginnings to become admired by Elgar, likened to Mahler in the US, and fêted as one of Britain’s top composers It might have been Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast that catapulted him to stardom but there was much more to the composer than that. ![]() Samuel Coleridge-Taylorwas much more than a one trick pony. Recommended Recording: Byrd – The Three Masses (Westminster Cathedral Choir/Martin Baker) His creation of the English Madrigal featured a solo voice accompanied by stringed instruments, instead of multiple voices. His most famous works include The Great Service, Ave verum and My Lady Nevell’s Virginal Book. ![]() He returned to London and stood as a gentleman of the Chapel Royal sharing responsibilities with Tallis. Byrd studied as a protégé under Thomas Tallisand later became an organist at Lincoln Cathedral in 1563. Read our reviews of the latest Britten recordingsįind out more about Britten and his works William Byrd (c1539-1623)īyrd was famed for developing the English madrigal, working in London at the same time as Shakespeare was making his name in the theatre scene. Recommended recording: Britten – The Complete Operas (Decca) His most famous works, and there are many, include the operas Billy Budd and Peter Grimes, the War Requiem and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. His massive legacy includes the founding of the Aldeburgh Festival and Snape Maltings concert hall, both near to his home. Recommended Recording: Birtwistle Complete String Quartets (Arditti Quartet)īorn in Lowestoft, Suffolk, Britten was at the very heart of 20th-century British music. His music does not follow conventional principles assigned to classical music and can be interpreted more like a drama rather than a particular musical structure. His most important works include The Mask of Orpheus, Silbury Air, The Shadow of Night for orchestra and The Minotaur which was premiered at The Royal Opera in 2008. In 1965, he sold his clarinets to devote his time towards composition and subsequently travelled to Princeton where he wrote his opera, Punch and Judy. Read our reviews of the latest Malcolm Arnold recordingsįind out more about Malcolm Arnold and his works here Harrison Birtwistle (b1934)īorn in Lancashire, Harrison Birtwistlestarted out as a clarinettist before switching to composition in his twenties, studying at the Royal Manchester College of Music (now Royal Northern College of Music). Recommended recording: Malcolm Arnold – Overtures (BBC Philharmonic/Rumon Gamba) He worked regularly with film director David Lean, and won an Oscar for his music for Lean’s Bridge on the River Kwai - which we named one of the best 20th-century British film scores Originally a trumpeter, he left performing behind to focus on composing and became one of the country’s most in-demand composers. Read our reviews of the latest Adès recordings Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006)īorn in Northampton, Arnold was a prolific composer across a variety of musical forms – from symphonies and opera to chamber works, ballet and film scores.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |