TDCM: September 9th - Alan Hoddinott

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Alun Hoddinott (1929-2008)

Bio

Hoddinott was born in Bargoed, Wales. He attended University College, Cardiff, and studied with Arthur Benjamin. He is one of the first Welsh composers to gain international notoriety, had a distinguished teaching career at University College, and was appointed CBE in 1983. He was commissioned for a number of prestigious events including the newly crowned King Charles III's wedding to Queen Consort Camilla. 

Music

Symphony No. 4

Quodlibet on Welsh Nursery Tunes for Orchestra

Triple Concerto

Clarinet Concerto No. 2

Dragon Fire

Nocturnes and Cadenzas for Cello and Orchestra

TDCM: September 8th - Hans Werner Henze

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Hans Werner Henze (1926-2012)

Bio

Henze was born in Westphalia. He was enrolled in the Hitler Youth and conscripted as a Radio Operator for the Germans in World War II. He spent most of his time in the war in a British POW camp. After the war, he studied at Heidelberg University and began composing. He was known for his use of serialism and twelve-tone composing and found most of his success on the stage in ballet and opera. 

Music

Symphony No. 10

Labyrinth

Ondine

Symphony No. 5 for Large Orchestra

Sinfonia 7

Violin Concerto No. 2

Symphony No. 8

TDCM: September 7th - Michael Haydn

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Michael Haydn (1737-1806)

Bio

Johann Michael Haydn was the younger brother of Joseph Haydn. He followed in his brother's footsteps to Vienna and was trained musically while singing at St. Stephen's Cathedral. The two composing brothers were close, and Joseph argued his brother was the more talented composer. He was not nearly as prolific as Joseph but still composed 41 Symphonies, scores of cantatas and oratorios, and chamber compositions. He was good enough that his 25th Symphony was mistakenly considered one of Mozart's. 

Music

Symphony No. 28 in C major

Symphony No. 18 in C major

Symphony No. 29 in D minor

Symphony No. 30 in D major

Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major

Organ Concerto in C

Requiem in B-flat major

TDCM: September 6th - Joseph Haydn

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Bio

Franz Joseph Haydn was born in Rohrau, Austria. His father was a politician, wheelwright, and folk musician. Haydn was trained as a singer and may have sung at Vivaldi's funeral as a 9-year-old. While freelancing as a composer he studied CPE Bach and named him a key influence in his development. Eventually, he gained enough notoriety to attract aristocratic patrons including Count Morzin, Prince Paul Anton, and Prince Nikolaus I - the latter two heads of the Esterházy court. Haydn and Mozart became friends in Vienna, he succeeded JC Bach in London as the premier composer, and then he met Beethoven in Bonn and tutored the young composer. He is known as the "Father of the Symphony" and the "Father of the String Quartet" and did as much to establish the concept of Classical music as any man before or since.

Music

Symphony No. 100 in G major "Military"

Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major

Symphony No. 83 "La Poule"

Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major

Symphony No. 94 in G major "Surprise"

Symphony No. 1 in D major

Symphony No. 20 in C major

Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor "Farewell"

The London Symphonies

TDCM: September 5th - Sir Hamilton Harty

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Sir Hamilton Harty (1879-1941)

Bio

Sir Herbert Hamilton Harty was born in Hillsborough, Ireland. Harty's father was a church musician and raised him on the viola and piano. He took a few church positions before studying with Michele Esposito who was teaching at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He moved to London and gained notoriety as an accompanist and conductor. He led several different Orchestras and premiered some of the great pieces of his time including Mahler's 9th, Shostakovich's 1st, and Mahler's 4th. He was knighted in 1925.

Music

An Irish Symphony

A John Field Suite for Orchestra

Concerto in B minor for Piano and Orchestra

The Children of Lir

Concerto in D minor for Violin and Orchestra

With the Wild Geese

Variations on a Dublin Air for Violin and Orchestra

TDCM: September 2nd - Roy Harris

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Roy Harris (1898-1979)

Bio

Roy Harris was born in Oklahoma and went West to study music at Cal-Berkeley. He learned from Arthur Bliss and Arthur Farwell and leveraged a relationship with Aaron Copland into an introduction to Nadia Boulanger. He and Howard Hanson worked together at the Eastman School of Music while Harris' compositions were championed by Serge Koussevitsky with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He taught at several of the premier American musical institutions including Juilliard.

Music

Symphony No. 1

Symphony No. 6 "Gettysburg Address"

Symphony No. 4 "Folk Song Symphony"

Symphony No. 3

Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra

Trio for Violin, Piano, and Cello

TDCM: September 1st - Howard Hanson

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Howard Hanson (1896-1981)

Bio

Howard Hanson was born in Wahoo, Nebraska. He attended Luther College in his hometown before moving to New York to attend the Institute of Musical Art which is known today as Juilliard School. He completed his studies at Northwestern and taught there briefly. He became the Dean of the Conservatory of Fine Arts at Pacific and then was selected by George Eastman to direct the Eastman School of Music. 

Music

Symphony No. 1 in E minor "Nordic"

Symphony No. 2 in D-flat major "Romantic"

Symphony No. 3

Symphony No. 4 "Requiem"

Symphony No. 5 "Sinfonia Sacra"