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Cesar Cui
The Mighty Handful The lives and music of Balakirev, Cui, Borodin, Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov examining how they came together and how their careers overlapped. In 1867 the critic Stasov wrote a review of the Pan-Slav concert organised by Mily Balakirev: “God grant that our Slavonic guests may never forget today’s concert; God grant that they…
Jan Sibelius
Nielsen and Sibelius This course involved comparing and contrasting the careers and music of two great Scandinavian contemporaries. Both were born in 1865, Sibelius gave up composing in 1931, the year of Nielsen’s death. The course was based round their magnificent symphonies but explored their whole contribution to C20th music. I ran this course at…
Viola Sonata
Viola players often complain that there is not enough music for them. Perhaps they would like to try this. First movement Viola sonata I First movement Second movement Viola sonata II Second movement Third movement Viola sonata III Third movement If you would like free copies of the sheet music for this work please contact…
Max Bruch
Brahms and Bruch This was a comparative study of the two greatest German instrumental and choral composers of their day whose reputations have not fared equally well. Johannes Brahms and Max Bruch were two of the most celebrated composers in late nineteenth century Germany. Bruch predicted that his fame would fade as Brahms’s grew. Although…
My Mag and Nunc
Written at Durham Cathedral Easter 1987 Magnificat Nunc Dimitis