Thomas Tallis (c. 1505 – 1585) was an English composer who occupies a primary place in anthologies of English choral music, and is considered one of England's greatest composers. No contemporary portrait of Tallis survives: that painted by Gerard Vandergucht (above), dates from 150 years after Tallis died, and there is no reason to suppose … Continue reading Thomas Tallys : one of Englands’s greatest composers died #OnThisDay in 1585
Month: November 2015
Krzysztof Penderecki : Poland’s greatest living composer born #OnThisDay
I have spent decades searching for and discovering new sounds. At the same time, I have closely studied the forms, styles and harmonies of past eras. I have continued to adhere to both principles … my current creative output is a synthesis. Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki is a Polish composer and conductor. The Guardian has called … Continue reading Krzysztof Penderecki : Poland’s greatest living composer born #OnThisDay
Jacob Obrecht : Netherlands Renaissance composer born #OnThisDay
Jacob Obrecht (1457-1505)) was a South Netherlandish composer known mainly for his substantial output of Mass Ordinary settings in the late 15th century, as well as for his motets and songs. Like his close contemporary Josquin des Prez, Obrecht was born and trained in the North, and led a peripatetic career involving positions and patrons … Continue reading Jacob Obrecht : Netherlands Renaissance composer born #OnThisDay
Machaut’s Messe de Nostre Dame : an overview
Guillaume de Machaut is the most important poet and composer of the 14th century, with a lasting history of influence. His unique oeuvre, contained, thanks to the composer’s own efforts, in manuscripts that include only his works, stands in many respects for itself: in terms of its volume, its poetic and compositional formulation and quality, … Continue reading Machaut’s Messe de Nostre Dame : an overview
Piazzolla’s Angels
Of all Latin American composers, the most widely performed today in classical circles is surely Astor Piazzolla, who has achieved something resembling pop status within the past two decades. Born in Argentina, he grew up in New York City, where his family moved in 1925; there he learned to play the bandoneón, a concertina accordion … Continue reading Piazzolla’s Angels
Anna Thorvaldsdottir : composer whose work conjures entire environments of sound
Anna Thorvaldsdottir is an Icelandic composer whose work conjures entire environments of sound, surrounding the listener in a dark and forbidding landscape. Anna thinks sonically; her music comes from a deeply non-verbal place, and she has developed a brilliant workflow which allows these ideas to remain mostly whole and unmolested through her creative process. Anna … Continue reading Anna Thorvaldsdottir : composer whose work conjures entire environments of sound
Hildegard of Bingen : Re-Imagined
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) celebrated a big birthday in 1998. She would have been 900 years old. To mark the anniversary, one of Hildegard's dozens of individualistic compositions, the Ordo Virtutum, was recast by a team of New York artists appropriately named the Hildegurls: Eve Beglarian, Lisa Bielawa, Kitty Brazelton, and Elaine Kaplinsky. While this cannot be … Continue reading Hildegard of Bingen : Re-Imagined
Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano
“To hear composers take my work and take it seriously... it’s a thrill.” – Stephen Sondheim Liaisons is a landmark commissioning and concert project, conceived by acclaimed concert pianist Anthony de Mare, based on the songs of legendary musical theater composer Stephen Sondheim. Both an homage and a celebration, Liaisons makes the case for Sondheim … Continue reading Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano
Germaine Tailleferre : only female composer of “Les Six”
Germaine Tailleferre believed that a composition must be lacking in artistry if a listener couldn’t identify a composer’s style after three bars. A prolific composer in a wide range of genres, she forged a distinctive musical voice characterised by clarity, spontaneity and light-hearted charm. Germaine Tailleferre was born April 19. 1892 at Saint Maur Des … Continue reading Germaine Tailleferre : only female composer of “Les Six”
Elvira Nikolaisen : from Norwegian Pop to the Great American Songbook
Elvira Nikolaisen is a Norwegian singer-songwriter signed to Sony BMG. She released her debut single Love I Can’t Defend in December 2005, it reached the number 3 spot on the Norwegian singles chart. She followed up with her first album, Quiet Exit, and a second single, Egypt Song, in March 2006. The album peaked at #2 in the … Continue reading Elvira Nikolaisen : from Norwegian Pop to the Great American Songbook
Musica Kaleidoskopea 