Forgotten records

117 Posts
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Love Lost: Granados’ Goyescas
The late 19th century saw a glorification of Spanish culture under the general label of the Hispanidad. All sectors of Spanish culture were up for reappraisal and promotion. One of those was the celebration in 1897 of the 150th anniversary
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Playing With the Danube: Schulz-Evler’s Blue Danube Arabesques
One of the most famous of the waltzes written by Johann Strauss II was his An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314. By the Beautiful Blue Danube, or The Blue Danube Waltz as it’s more commonly known. It had its
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A New World for the Keyboard: Chabrier’s Bourrée fantasque
The composer Francis Poulenc loved the music of Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894), as did Debussy, saying once after a performance of Chabrier’s Ode à la musique ‘…I love this music so much that I want to hear it again.’ Chabrier was
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When Unfinished is Good Enough: Schubert’s Symphony No. 8
In December 1822, Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was awarded a Diploma of Honour from the Styrian Music Society in Graz. As a way of saying thank you, he sent two movements of a symphony he was working on, noting that it
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Returning to Virtuosity: Franck’s Symphonic Variations
César Franck (1822–1890) was a true international composer: he was born in Belgium, was a French citizen by choice, and may have even had a bit of German in his remote past. His musical skills were recognized early and exploited
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The Swiss Hero: Rossini’s William Tell Overture
The legend of the Swiss hero William Tell was the basis for Giaochino Rossini’s 1829 opera, Guillaume Tell, as through the hands of a play by Friedrich Schiller, Wilhelm Tell, and a libretto by Victor-Joseph Étienne de Jouy and L.
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Our Favourite Warhorse: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5
The powerful start to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony has meant various things over the centuries. During his time, according to his assistant, the music was taken to signal Fate knocking at the door. During the second world war, it was a
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Outdoor Music: Handel’s Water Music
When George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) first arrived in London in 1711, it was to oversee the staging of his new Italian opera Rinaldo. At the time, he was employed as the Kapellmeister in Hanover but was permitted to take 8
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