Tag Archives: Music

 From what I’ve read, Qigang Chen (b. 1951) is one of the most performed of contemporary composers…and to my knowledge, I had never heard his music before YouTube served up his single-movement piano concerto, Er Huang, via its sometimes incomprehensible … Continue reading →

 I suppose that I’m like many a classical music lover when it comes to Gustav Holst: aside from The Planets, I really don’t know much about him at all. I’m a bit better off than most, by virtue of having been … Continue reading →

 A very short work today! Less than three minutes, courtesy Soviet composer Dimitri Shostakovich. In 1943 Shostakovich entered a contest to write a new national anthem for the Soviet Union. Apparently he did not win, but he was able to … Continue reading →

 The operas of Giachino Rossini are staples of the operatic stage, and the overtures from those operas are staples of the concert world. But even within Rossini’s well-known work, some works are more well-known than others. William Tell and The … Continue reading →

 A contemporary work today, by Belize-born British composer Errollyn Wallen.Wallen’s family moved to London when she was just two, and it was there that she grew and matured into her professional life as a prolific composer and teacher. Of this … Continue reading →

 There’s a quote by composer Gustav Holst that strongly resonates with me: If nobody likes your work, you have to go on just for the sake of the work. And you’re in no danger of letting the public make you … Continue reading →