TDCM: October 31st - Jean-Marie Leclair

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Jean-Marie Leclair (1697-1764)

Bio

Jean-Marie Lecalri I'ainé was born in Lyon. He studied violin in Turin and returned to Paris where his compositions gained the attendance of Louis XV. He served in his court and then was brought to Leeuwarden by the Princess of Orange. He then returned to Paris and served the Duke of Gramont for the rest of his life. He was a renowned Baroque composer and violinist.

Music

Violin Sonatas

Violin Concertos

Flute Sonatas

Six Sonatas for Two Violins

TDCM: October 28th - William Lawes

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

William Lawes (1602-1645)

Bio

William Lawes was born in Salisbury. Both his father and his uncle were successful musicians and he was apprenticed to composer John Coprario. Through that apprenticeship, they were given court appointments in Charles I's court in London. He was killed serving the Royalists during the English Civil War.

Music

Fantasia

The New Old Albion

Consort Sett in G minor

TDCM: October 27th - Orlande de Lassus

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Orlande de Lassus (1532-1594)

Bio

Orlande de Lassus was born in Mons during the Hapsburg era of the Netherlands. Historians say he was kidnapped on three separate occasions because of how beautiful his singing voice was. He traveled to Sicily, Milan, and Naples working as a singer and composer. He found success and returned to the low countries to work in the court of Albrecht V. He served the Duke and his successor Wilhelm V for the rest of his life. He is known for contributing to polyphonic choral music in the vein of Palestrina and Victoria.

Music

Motets and Chansonse

Psalmi Davidis Pœnitentiales

Masses for Five Voices, Infelix ego

Carmina chromatico

TDCM: October 26th - Constant Lambert

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Constant Lambert (1905-1951)

Bio

Leonard Constant Lambert was born near Horsham in West Sussex. He was prodigious and produced an orchestral work as a teenager. He studied under Ralph Vaughan Williams and others at the Royal College of Music. He endeavored to integrate Jazz ideas into his compositions. He was an accomplished artist in several avenues and served primarily as the director of the Royal Ballet in some capacity until his death. 

Music

Piano Sonata

Pomona

Horoscope

The Rio Grande

Dante Sonata

Romeo and Juliet

Concerto for piano and nine instruments

TDCM: October 25th - Édouard Lalo

 

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Édouard Lalo (1823-1892)

Bio

Édouard-Victoire-Antoine Lalo was born in Lille. He studied under Habeneck at the Paris Conservatoire and taught string lessons in Paris. He produced a few operas and a significant repertoire of string chamber music. His piano concerto was adapted by Jarre for the score to Lawrence of Arabia. 

Music

Symphony in G minor

Symphonie espagnole in D minor

Namouna, Rapsodies et Valse del a Cigarette from the ballet

Piano Concerto in F minor

Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor

Cello Concerto in D minor

Concerto russe for violin and orchestra

Concerto in F minor for piano and orchestra

TDCM: Review of the "K" Composers

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

List, Stats, Curiosities of the "K" Composers

1. Dmitry Kabalevsky
   
2. Aram Khachaturian
3. Oliver Knussen
4. Zoltán Kodály
5. Charles Koechlin
6. Erich Wolfgang Korngold
7. Karl Korte
8. Ernst Křenek
9. György Kurtág

Nationalities

American 3
Russian 2
Hungarian 2
English 1
French 1

Earliest

Composer - Charles Koechlin (1867-1950)
Composition - Kodály's Summer Evening (1906)

Latest
Composer - György Kurtág ( b. 1926 )
Composition - Korte's Elements: Fire (2013)

Total Compositions Sampled - 54

Top 5 Ranked "K" Composers

Ranked on a purely subjective personal enjoyment scale

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (10/10)

American, 1897-1957

Kings Row

Aram Khachaturian (10/10)

Russian, 1903-1978

Symphony No. 3 "Symphony-Poem"

Zoltán Kodály (10/10)

Hungarian, 1882-1967

Dances of Galánta

Dmitry Kabalevsky (9/10)

Russian, 1904-1987

Violin Concerto in C major

Charles Koechlin (7/10)

French, 1867-1950

Violin Sonata

TDCM: October 24th - György Kurtág

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

György Kurtág ( b.1926 )

Bio

György Kurtág was born in Lugoj, Romania. His parents were Hungarian and he moved to Budapest and became a Hungarian citizen in his 20s. He studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music but left Hungary after the 1956 uprising. He studied under Messiaen, Deutsch, and Milhaud in Paris. He has held several teaching posts and won several awards including the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, the John Cage Award, and just recently in 2020 the Rolf Schock Prize. 

Music

Officium breve, in memoriam Andreae Szervánszky

da Játékok

Double Concerto No. 2

Stele

12 Microludes for String Quartet

Quartetto per archi

TDCM: October 21st - Ernst Křenek

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Ernst Křenek (1900-1991)

Bio

Ernst Heinrich Křenek was born in Vienna. His father was a Czech soldier and he also was drafted into the military but remained in Vienna and studied music during his service. He was briefly married to Mahler's daughter, was forced out of Germany by the emerging Nazis, and eventually became an American citizen in 1945. He taught at a number of Universities including Vassar College, Hamline University in St. Paul, and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.  

Music

Sinfonia No. 1

Sinfonia No. 2

Twelve Short Pieces for Piano

Dream Sequence

TDCM: October 20th - Karl Korte

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Karl Korte (1928-2022)

Bio

Karl Korte was born in Ossining, New York. He studied at Juilliard under Copland. He taught at Williams College in Massachusetts and at the University of Texas at Austin. He won several awards for his contributions to American contemporary classical music. 

Music

Elements: Fire

Pale Is This Good Prince

Southwest

Whistling Wind

TDCM: October 19th - Erich Wolfgang Korngold

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957)

Bio

Erich Wolfgang Korngold was born in Brünn, Austria-Hungary to a Jewish family. His father was a music critic and Erich was a child prodigy. He was playing advanced piano pieces at the age of 5 and began composing original pieces two years later. He impressed Mahler as a child and played for Emperor Franz Josef in Vienna. In his 40s, he was invited to Hollywood to begin scoring films. He found enormous success and eventually became a naturalized US citizen. He scored hits such as Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Sea Wolf, and Kings Row. He is considered the first internationally renowned composer to sign a deal with a film studio and scored 22 films winning 2 Oscars and being nominated for 2 others. 

Music

Kings Row OST

The Prince and the Pauper, selections

Sinfionietta in B major

Symphony in F-sharp major

Violin Concerto

Symphonic Serenade for string orchestra in B-flat major

TDCM: October 18th - Charles Koechlin

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Charles Koechlin (1867-1950)

Bio

Charles-Louis-Eugène Koechlin was born in Paris. He studied engineering initially but wasn't successful so instead turned to music and enrolled in the Paris Conservatory. He was a contemporary of Enescu and Hahn and they studied under Ravel and Fauré. He was very prolific and composed in an eclectic impressionist neoclassical style.

Music

Violin Sonata

Les Heures Persanes

La course de printemps

The Seven Stars' Symphony

Quartetto per archi No. 2

TDCM: October 17th - Zoltán Kodály

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967)

Bio

Zoltán Kodály was born in Hungary. He studied at the University of Budapest and the Hungarian Academy of Music. He was successful enough to travel to Paris for tutoring from Charles Widor. He returned to Hungary and began studying the local folk music. He and Bartók became friends and worked to support one another's careers. He wrote extensively on Hungarian folk music and on musical education and was a prolific composer.  

Music

Háry-János-Suite

Summer Evening

Concerto for Orchestra

Peacock Variations

Dances of Galánta

Sonata for Solo Cello

Nine Pieces for Piano

7 Pieces

TDCM: Review of the "J" Composers

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

List, Stats, Curiosities of the "J" Composers

1. Gordon Jacob
   
2. Leoš Janáček
3. Robert Johnson
4. Daniel Jones
5. Joseph Jongen
6. Wilfred Josephs
7. Josquin des Prez
8. John Joubert

Nationalities

English 3
American 1
Czech 1
Welsh 1
Belgian 1
French 1
South African 1

Earliest

Composer - Josquin des Prez (c1440-1521)
Composition - Jongen's Symphonie Concertante (1826)*

*earliest dated composition

Latest
Composer - Wilfred Josephs (1927-1997)
Composition - Jones' Symphony No. 13 (1992)

Total Compositions Sampled - 45

Top 5 Ranked "J" Composers

Ranked on a purely subjective personal enjoyment scale

Josquin des Prez (8/10)

French, c1440-1521

Missa L'Homme Armé

Leoš Janáček (8/10)

Czech, 1854-1928

Taras Bulba

Joseph Jongen (8/10)

Belgian, 1873-1953

Impressions d'ardennes for orchestra

Gordon Jacob (7/10)

English, 1895-1984

Symphony No. 1

Daniel Jones (7/10)

Welsh, 1912-1993

Symphony No. 10

TDCM: October 14th - Oliver Knussen

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Oliver Knussen (1952-2018)

Bio

Oliver Knussen was born in Glasgow to the principal double bass of the London Symphony Orchestra. Oliver was prodigious and began composing at age 6. He studied at Tanglewood and then was appointed the head of contemporary music activities at the conservatory. He is probably more well-known as a conductor than a composer, having held many prominent posts throughout the world.    

Music

Horn Concerto

Symphony No. 2

Symphony No. 3

Cleveland Pictures

Coursing

Where the Wild Things Are

TDCM: October 13th - Aram Khachaturian

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978)

Bio

Aram Ilyich Khachaturian was born in Tbilisi to Armenian parents. After the revolution, Khachaturian moved to Moscow and studied at the Gnessin Musical Institute and Moscow University. He excelled and was accepted into the Moscow Conservatory where he studied under Vasilenko. His music is centered around Armenian cultural elements and was initially denounced by Agitprop in the 40s. He was later restored to party graces and taught at both Gnessin and Moscow.  

Music

Symphony No. 2 in E minor

Symphony No. 3 "Symphony-Poem"

The Valencian Widow Suite

The Battle of Stalingrad Suite

Sabre Dance

Violin Concerto in D minor

Piano Concerto in D-flat major

Ballet Suites

TDCM: October 12th - Dmitry Kabalevsky

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987)

Bio

Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky was born in St Petersburg. He studied at the Academic Music College in Moscow and then at the Moscow Conservatory. He worked with the Productive Collective of Student Composers as a student and before 30 was a lecturer at the Conservatory. He was very prolific and a notable member of the Soviet party. He was given a number of awards including the Lenin Prize, and the Hero of Socialist Labor. He was a contemporary of Prokofiev and Shostakovich but adhered more closely to socialist realism and thus endeared himself to the Party. 

Music

Symphony No. 1 in C-sharp minor

Symphony No. 4 in C minor

Symphony No. 2 in C minor

24 Preludes

Violin Concerto in C major

Fantasy in F minor by Schubert, Orch. by Kabalevsky

Cello Concerto No. 1 in G minor

Cello Concerto No. 2 in C minor

TDCM: October 11th - John Joubert

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

John Joubert (1927-2019)

Bio

John Pierre Herman Joubert was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He studied at Diocesan College and then at the South African College of Music. He was tutored by William Henry Bell and earned a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London. He taught at various schools around England and the Commonwealth, including a notable stay in New Zealand. He was a prominent composer into his 80s and produced a vast catalog.  

Music

Symphony No. 1

Symphony No .2

Violin Concerto

Piano Concerto

Gong, Tormented Sea

TDCM: October 10th - Josquin des Prez

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Josquin des Prez (c1440-1521)

Bio

Josquin Lebloitte dit des Prez was one of the most influential High Renaissance composers. Little is known of his life but his music was incredibly important to both his closer contemporaries and modern musical theorists. He is a central figure of the Franco-Flemish school and is probably the second most notable Renaissance composer behind Palestrina.   

Music

Motets & Chansons

Missa L'Homme Armé

Missa Gaudeamus & Motets a la Vierge

Musica Reservata

TDCM: October 7th - Wilfred Josephs

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Wilfred Josephs (1927-1997)

Bio

Wilfred Josephs was born in Gosforth to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. He studied music at Newcastle but instead became a dentist. He composed in his free time and won the La Scala which convinced him to compose full-time. He was prolific, composing for TV series, commissions, and the stage.    

Music

Aelian Dances for orchestra, based on Newcastle tunes

Symphony No. 5 "Pastorale"

Symphony No. 4

Symphony No. 3 "Philadelphia"

Piano Concerto No. 1

TDCM: October 6th - Joseph Jongen

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Joseph Jongen (1873-1953)

Bio

Joseph Marie Alphonse Nicolas Jongen was born in Liège and entered the hometown Conservatory at the incredible age of seven. He actively composed for nearly sixty years and taught at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He briefly lived in England during World War I but otherwise was a fixture in his home country of Belgium.  

Music

Symphonie Concertante

Impressions d'ardennes for orchestra

String Trio

Cinq pièces pour piano

String Quartet No. 2

Rhapsodie

TDCM: October 5th - Daniel Jones

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Daniel Jones (1912-1993)

Bio

Daniel Jenkyn Jones, OBE was born in Pembroke, Wales. He studied first at Swansea University and then at the Royal Academy of Music. He served in World War I as a cryptographer and decoder at Bletchley Park. Jones developed his own composition system called Complex Metres and wrote in tonal and serial techniques.  

Music

Symphony No. 2

Symphony No. 10

Symphony No. 8

Symphony No. 4

Symphony No. 13

Symphony No. 12

Symphony No. 5

TDCM: October 4th - Robert Johnson

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Robert Johnson (c1583-1633)

Bio

Robert Johnson was the son of the lutenist for Elizabeth I. Robert was taken in by a Baron as an apprentice in the same family that patronized John Dowland. Johnson learned composition and became a lutenist to James I. He remained in that role for James' reign and part of Charles I's before his death.  

Music

Lute Music

The Temporiser

Alman

TDCM: October 3rd - Leoš Janáček

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)

Bio

Janáček was born in Hukvaldy, Moravia in modern day Czechia. He showed skill as a child and studied at the Prague Organ School. He had little means and did his early composing on a drawing of a keyboard on a table. He enrolled in the Leipzig Conservatory but was turned down by Saint-Saëns before moving to the Vienna Conservatory. He focused on local folk music in his compositions and was influenced by his famous countrymen, Smetana and Dvořák. 

Music

In the Mists

On an overgrown path

String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters"

Taras Bulba

Idyll

Sinfonietta

Suite for String Orchestra

Piano Works