Baton Music

Although Franz Lehár became most known for his contribution to the operetta repertoire, he also composed a lot of marches. One of these is 'Piave induló' (Piave Marsch, Marche form the 106th Regiment)...

Moscow, Cheryomushki is an operetta in three acts by Dmitri Shostakovich. It is sometimes referred to as simply "Cheryomushki" which is a district in Moscow full of cheap subsidized housing built in 1...

As a composer, Johann Strauss Sr. is probably less well known than his son Johann Strauss Jr., but his 'Radeztky March' is still one of the most popular pieces in classical music. Besides this march h...

The Cavatina 'Quel guarda il cavaliere' is sung in the first act of Donizetti's opera Don Pasquale by the young Norina .She comments on a novel she is reading, but also dwells on her skills as a charm...

Johannes Brahms composed the Alt-Rhapsodie in September of 1869 as a wedding gift to the daughter of his close friend and confidant, Clara Schumann. The Alt-Rhapsodie is set to several verses of a poe...

Carmen' ist eine der bekanntesten Opern des gesamten Opernrepertoires. Als erste relistisch-naturalistische Oper war sie ein wichtiger Vorreiter der Versimo-Bewegung in der italienischen Oper des spät...

In a life spanning almost ninety-five years, Stolz wrote in excess of 2000 songs, dances and marches, as well as the music for more than 50 stage works, 60 films and 19 ice revues. In 1929 the German...

Giuseppe Giordani (1751-1798) was an Italian composer, mainly of opera. Giordani is mostly know for his popular aria 'Caro mio ben'. This song is even nowadays sung by many great singers, as well male...

Besides operettas Franz Lehár also wrote sonatas, symphonic poems, marches and a number of waltzes. The most popular of these waltzes is 'Gold und Silber' (Gold and Silver) which he composed for Princ...

The 'Piano Concerto No. 1' in B-flat minor, Op. 23, is one of the most popular of Tschaikowsky's compositions and among the best known of all piano concertos. The concerto follows the traditional form...

Vincenzo Bellini, was one of the three great composers of the belcanto-era. However, besides his opera's his instrumental output is limited. The Concerto for Oboe in E-flat major, most likely composed...

'Il Convegno' (in Italian 'the meeting' or the 'appointment') for two clarinets and piano was composed by Amilcare Ponchielli in 1857. 'Il Covegno' is in three sections, linked by cadenzas and other c...

La Traviata' tells the story of the young and beautiful courtesan Violetta who falls in love with Alfredo, an ordinary and poor young man. The aria 'E Strano' - how strange it is - is sung by Violetta...

Tosca' might be described as a thriller with political overtones it shows its hero and heroine, the singer Floria Tosca and the painter Mario Cavaradossi, caught up in and eventually destroyed by the...

Carmen' is probably the most famous opera in the whole opera-repertoire, although its premiere in 1875 was a great disappointment. The aria 'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle', also named the Habanera is...

Die lustige Witwe, composed by Franz Franz Lehar is one of the absolute highlights in the whole operetta-repertoire. The duet Lippen schweigen - Love unspoken - is a waltz in a very romantic mood sung...

Until nowadays, La Traviata is still one of the most successful opera's in the music-literature. Giuseppe Giuseppe Verdi composed this opera in 1853 and it belongs to the top of Giuseppe Verdi's middl...

Ludwig van Beethoven composed several military marches: 'Polonaise' (WoO21), 'Ecossaise' (WoO 22), 'Yorckscher March' (WoO 18), 'Military March' (WoO 19) 'Military March in D Major' (WoO 24) and the '...

Franz Schubert's 'Symphony No. 8' in B minor, D 759, commonly known as the 'Unvollendete' ('Unfinished Symphony'), is a composition that Schubert started in 1822 but left with only two movements - tho...

The Toy Symphony, (Kinder-Sinfonie) was also published as Sinfonia Berchtolsgadensis because it was written for instruments that were manufactured in the toy industry of Berchtensgaden that flourished...

At the end of his life Offenbach composed his opera 'Les contes d'Hoffman', but unfortunately he was not able to finish it. The plot tells the story of the poet Hoffmann telling three of his amorous a...

In 1869 Johann Strauss composed the polka francaise 'Im Krapfenwald'l' ('In Krapfen's Woods'). It was originally titled 'Im Pawlowsk Walde' when first performed in Pavlovsk (Russia). Reportedly, sever...

Russsian composer Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov is mainly known from the orchestral suite 'Caucasian Sketches' which includes the much-excerpted 'Pocession of the Sardar'. 'Turkish Fragments' is an orchest...

Cavalleria Rusticana is a tempestuous drama of adultery and revenge set in a remote Italian village. Its earthy passions, bold confrontational scenes and richly melodic score set a fashion for so-call...

The aria Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen is sung by Papageno near the very end of Mozart's opera Die Zauberflöte. He sighs for someone to love. (Baritone and Concert Band)