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

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

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