Ottorino Respighi

Wikipedia (1879-1936) [Italian. Romantic.]
If you're just gonna listen to one: Notturno


Background

Respighi is another composer who was part of the Nationalist movement during the 19th century. His most enduring compositions are three orchestral pieces, together known as the "Roman Trilogy" -- Pines of Rome will be performed this weekend as part of the Seattle Symphony's first normal (non-gala) performance of the season...

- Fountains of Rome
- Pines of Rome
- Roman Festivals


Music for Soloist & Orchestra

Adagio con Variazione (cello)
Poema Autunnale (violin)


Other Orchestral Music

Symphonia Drammatica
La Boutique Fantasque

Part of Respighi's nationalism was a tendency to really love the sounds and works of the old Italian Baroque masters. He reused and reworked some of their pieces and themes into works of his own, some of which have a unique Romatic-infused Baroque style to them:

Birds
Ancient Dances & Airs - there are three suites of this music... Example: Suite 1, Movement 2

William Byrd

Wikipedia (1540-1623) [English. Renaissance.]
If you're just gonna listen to one: Ecco Virgo Concipet


Background

Like lots of people from more than five centuries ago, there's not a ton of historical information about William Byrd. What we do know is that he studied with Thomas Tallis, another of England's best-known Renaissance composers. We also know that he was a proud lifelong Catholic during one of the most violent period's of England's religious history, and this certainly cost him money and career advancement. Many of his most expressive compositions were written for the Latin rite, even though it was difficult for him to be a Catholic at that time. His numerous masses and motets and other sacred pieces form the main body of his work that exists today...

Mass for 4 Voices

Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus
Benedictus
Agnus Dei

Other Sacred Music

Ave Verum Corpus
Tristitia et Anxietas
Ave Maria

Byrd also wrote some music for keyboard/harpsichord and "consort music," which is the precursor to what we think of as chamber music.

Consort Music

Fantasia #2 in G minor (Viol)
Diliges Dominum

And here's a link to an NPR story showcasing Stile Antico, performing four Renaissance works, two of which were by Byrd.

Gustav Holst

Wikipedia (1874-1934) [Brittish. Romantic.]
If you're just gonna listen to one: Jupiter


Background

Gustav Holst was a composer whose acclaim did not come during his lifetime. While he was alive, his works were not performed much, except by the musicians at the girls' school in London, where he worked most of his professional life.

Some compositions that he created for those students are performed now (example: St Paul's Suite); but Holst is mostly known for one work: The Planets.

The Planets

Multiple movements of this work will be familiar to people (especially Jupiter), as it has become part of the standard orchestral repertoire.

• Mercury (the Winged Messenger)
• Venus (the Bringer of Peace)
• Mars (the Bringer of War)
• Jupiter (the Bringer of Jollity)
• Saturn (The Bringer of Old Age)
• Neptune (The Mystic)
• Uranus (The Magician)

Other Orchestral Music

Edgon Heath
Brook Green Suite

Niccolò Paganini

Wikipedia (1782-1840) [Italian. Classical.]
If you're just gonna listen to one: Sonata for Violin & Guitar (op. 2 no. 1)

Background

There's a lot of funky energy around Paganini - his story is the stuff of legends. Some accounts say that Paganini mutilated his hand in his youth, to give him a better reach when fingering on the violin. Other accounts of his life suggest that he might have had Marfan Syndrome, which can manifest in too-limber joints and very long limbs, and sometimes spider-like fingers.

However he came to them, he had fingers uniquely suited to playing the violin, and he was moved from teacher to teacher as a boy, searching for someone who could actually teach him something. He was a prodigy, and his technical abilities with stringed instruments eventually made him famous.

There was no music complicated enough to showcase his skills, though, so he composed his own music. His music is not thought of as highly interesting, but exists primarily to show of technical skills of the violinist.

Orchestral Music

Concerto No. 1 (Uto Ughi)
Concerto No. 2 (Ivry Gitlis)
Concerto No. 4 (Salvatore Accardo)

Caprices

Caprices 1, 5 & 24 (Itzhak Perlman)
Caprices 1-24 (Alexander Markov)

[The theme from Caprice 24 has been used by many composers to create other works, most notably: Variations on a Theme of Paganini (Brahms), Grandes études de Paganini (Liszt) & Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Rachmaninoff).]

Chamber Music

Paganini wrote lots of chamber music, in many different instrument combinations, all of which could highlight his virtuosic capabilities (as a violin, viola, and guitar player -- he excelled at all of these instruments). Some examples:

Nel cuor più non mi sento (usually violin with violin & cello accompanying)
Cantabile (violin & guitar)

Aaron Copland

Wikipedia (1900-1990) [US. Modern.]
If you're just gonna listen to one: Clarinet Concerto (Benny Goodman)

Background

Aaron Copland actually set out to create an authentic American sound as a composer. For a Russian Jewish kid who grew up in New York, it's pretty astounding that he pretty much accomplished just that. (Particularly since much of the music he's best known for has a distinct connection in people's mind to the "wild west.")

Orchestral Music

Most of us know some of Copland's music. From the "Beef, it's what's for dinner" commercial music (Hoedown from Rodeo) to the music from Appalachian Spring and Fanfare for the Common Man, his music is all around in popular culture... Lots of his well-known music is incidental music for ballet, but it has entered the standard orchestral repertoire. [Ballet works include Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, Dance Panels, and Billy the Kid.]

Appalachian Spring, (original score; video of ballet)
Appalachian Spring (orchestral version)
Rodeo (the dance episodes)

Some of his lesser-known works are fantastic. Benny Goodman commissioned a Clarinet Concerto (Richard Stoltzman), which is kind of jazzy like Gershwin's piano concerto, but not overdone. He wrote one other concerto: Piano Concerto (Earl Wild).

Other interesting pieces


John Henry
Lincoln Portrait (orchestral music with spoken Lincoln quotes - here by Katherine Hepburn)
El Salón México

Chamber Music

Copland had a few distinct periods in the evolution of his composition style -- his chamber music tends to be more modern sounding. If you like that style of music, check out some of these:

Vitebsk (piano trio)
Sextet for Clarinet, Piano & Strings
Piano Quartet

Eric Whitacre

Wikipedia (1970-present) [US. Modern.]
If you're just gonna listen to one: A Boy and a Girl (Polyphony)
[Or two: Water Night (Polyphony) - this piece is broken into up to 14 voice parts at times... Well, actually just once, but it's a very lush chord about halfway through the song.]

Background

Eric Whitacre and I graduated from college in the same year. So he's youngish, at least compared to the other people I've written about in this blog. He's written music for wind ensembles (most recorded: Ghost Train), but it's his choral music that gets the most attention and performance.

Choral Music

Sleep (Polyphony)
Cloudburst (VocalEssence & St. Olaf Choir)
Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine (University of Santo Thomas Singers)
Nox Arumque (VocalEssence & St. Olaf Choir)

Whitacre is probably most known for his creation of the Virtual Choir. He has done three of his own compositions with virtual choirs, and the project has grown with each iteration. Here are the Virtual Choir renditions of those songs:

VC1: Lux Arumque - 185 voices, 12 countries
VC2: Sleep - 2,052 voices, 58 countries
VC3: Water Night - 3,746 voices, 73 countries

Whitacre was also featured in a TedTalk about his Virtual Choir project...

Duarte Lôbo

Wikipedia (1565-1646) [Portugese. Renaissance.]
If you're just gonna listen to one: Ars Nov

 Background

There's not much information on Lôbo (much of his biographical information and body of compositions was lost in a large earthquake in 1755); he was a very successful musician and composer during his time, holding the most prestigious musical position in Portugal. He was one of the leaders of the polyphonic style, and was influenced by the work of Palestrina.

There's not much else to say -- this music is so beautiful and relaxing, though, and speaks for itself.

Choral Music

Pater Peccavi
Audivi Vocem de Caelo

Lobo wrote two Requiems - one for six voices, and one for 8 voices.

Requiem (6v) Introitus | Kyrie
Missa Vox Clamantis: Kyrie & Gloria | Sanctus & Benedictus | Angus

The Tallis Scholars recorded the two pieces listed above back in 2002. There are few recordings of his music; this one is amazing.