Gerald Finzi was born in London on July 14, 1901, and spent his early childhood in London. His father died when he was just seven and following the outbreak of the First World War Finzi moved with his mother to Harrogate, in Yorkshire. There Finzi was able to study composition with the composer Ernest Farrar … Continue reading Gerald Finzi : British composer
Author: f. d. leone
Songwriter.
Ensemble Gilles Binchois
Since 1979 Dominique Vellard has been the inspirational driving force behind the Ensemble Gilles Binchois : more than 35 years of research and performance that have led to the creation of some of the essential recordings, especially of music from the medieval and Renaissance periods. An outstanding catalogue of recordings devoted to the music of … Continue reading Ensemble Gilles Binchois
George Frederick Pinto : potentially the English Mozart
George Frederick Pinto was born in Lambeth, England on 25 Sept 1785 and died Chelsea [now in London], 23 March 1806. English composer of mixed ancestry. His father’s name was Samuel Saunders or Sanders, but he took his surname from his mother Julia Pinto, daughter of THOMAS PINTO and herself the composer of a published … Continue reading George Frederick Pinto : potentially the English Mozart
Andrzej Panufnik : Born in Warsaw on 24th September 1914
“In all my works, I attempt to achieve a true balance between feeling and intellect, heart and brain, impulse and design.” Andrzej Panufnik is one of the most important and original symphonic composers of the 2nd half of the 20th century. His output includes ten symphonies, with Centenary commissions from Sir Georg Solti for the Chicago … Continue reading Andrzej Panufnik : Born in Warsaw on 24th September 1914
Eberhard Weber at 75
This past January marked Eberhard Weber’s 75th birthday. His recordings for ECM in the early 1970s were in large part responsible for defining the ECM sound and Euro-Jazz in general. His style bridged jazz, classical, minimalism, chamber jazz and included some ambient elements. He regularly recorded with other ECM artists such Gary Burton (Ring, 1974; Passengers, … Continue reading Eberhard Weber at 75
Evan Ziporyn
Evan Ziporyn (b. 1959, Chicago) makes music at the crossroads between genres and cultures, east and west. He studied at Eastman, Yale & UC Berkeley with Joseph Schwantner, Martin Bresnick, & Gerard Grisey. He first traveled to Bali in 1981, studying with Madé Lebah, Colin McPhee's 1930s musical informant. He returned on a Fulbright in … Continue reading Evan Ziporyn
Gilles de Binchois : born 1400 – dies 20 September 1460
Binchois was a contemporary of Guilliame Dufay, and the leading composer at the court of Burgundy during the middle third of the fifteenth century. Binchois is remembered primarily for his secular chansons, for which composition he was known during his lifetime as at least the equal of Dufay. (Classical.net) In both his sacred and secular … Continue reading Gilles de Binchois : born 1400 – dies 20 September 1460
Who was Allan Pettersson?
He answered the question himself with his music, in particular in the Barefoot Songs, and also in interviews: “A voice crying in the wilderness that is nearly drowned by the noise of time”, was how he described himself. (Allan Pettersson Society in Sweden) This is a belated acknowledgement of Petterrson’s birthday, who was born on … Continue reading Who was Allan Pettersson?
Ten Years After the Levees Broke
I am from Louisiana. People from there usually have an ambivalent attitude about home; there is so much to love and celebrate, but also much that leaves a bad taste in our mouths. Local government is corrupt and often worse than ineffectual, an agent of hurt - all of which was laid bare during the … Continue reading Ten Years After the Levees Broke
Haflidi Hallgrímsson : 9/18/41
One of the most important figures in this flowering of Icelandic music is Haflidi Hallgrímsson, born in 1941 in the small town of Akureyri on the north coast of Iceland. He began playing the cello at the age of ten and studied in Reykjavik and at the Accademia Santa Cecilia in Rome. On returning from … Continue reading Haflidi Hallgrímsson : 9/18/41
Musica Kaleidoskopea 