Baton Music

While Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870) may not have retained the international celebrity of Gaetano Donizetti or Gioachino Rossini beyond his own lifetime, he composed as impressive a number of works as...

In 1904 Pleyel, the famous Parisian firm of instrument manufacturers, approached Debussy with a commission for a new test piece for chromatic harp, intended for use in the diploma examinations at the...

In 1904 Pleyel, the famous Parisian firm of instrument manufacturers, approached Debussy with a commission for a new test piece for chromatic harp, intended for use in the diploma examinations at the...

Die Oper "La Wally" von Alfredo Catalani ist vor allem für die Arie "Ebben? Ne andro lontana'. Er hatte diese Arie 1878 unabhängig als "Chanson GroÙnlandaise" komponiert und sie später in seine Oper a...

Alfredo Catalani's Opera "La Wally" is best known for its aria "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana". He had composed that aria independently as "Chanson Groënlandaise" in 1878 and later incorporated it into his...

Tschaikowsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36, was written between 1877 and 1878 and first performed at a Russian Musical Society concert in Saint Petersburg on February 1878 under Nikolai Rubinste...

Tschaikowsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36, was written between 1877 and 1878 and first performed at a Russian Musical Society concert in Saint Petersburg on February 1878 under Nikolai Rubinste...

Der Ring des Nibelungen' (The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic operas by German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883). The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the...

Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic operas by German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883). The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the...

Il Barbiere di Siviglia (1816) is one of the greatest of all comic operas.Based on an excellent play by Beaumarchais, The Barber of Seville delights audiences with its keenly sketched characters, melo...

As a contribution to the opera 'Armer Columbus' by German composer Erwin Dressel, Shostakovich composed two of his quirkiest and oddest early orchestral pieces. An energetic 'Entr'acte' in c minor (Al...

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...

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...

As a composer Franz Lehár started with contributions to the opera-genre but the great triumph of his first operetta 'Die lustige Witwe', (The merry widow), in 1905 made him clear that he had to gif hi...

As a composer Franz Lehár started with contributions to the opera-genre but the great triumph of his first operetta 'Die lustige Witwe', (The merry widow), in 1905 made him clear that he had to gif hi...

When Russian composer Joseph Schillinger met Leon Theremin (the inventor of the theremin) they collaborated resulting in a few of the first original pieces for the theremin. Among those pieces Schilli...

Johann Strauss wrote the "Russische Marsch-Fantasie" (Russian March Fantasy) for a tour to Russia in 1872. Because the tour was cancelled, the successful first performance of the march was held in Vie...

The Carnival of Venice is a popular Italian folk tune associated with the words "My hat, it has three corners." It was heard in Venice by the virtuoso violinist Nicolo Paganini and made famous in his...

Künstlerleben (Artist's Life) op. 316 is a waltz written by Johann Strauss jr. in 1867, following closely on the success of the popular "The Blue Danube" waltz. The waltz was presented at the "Hesperu...

Carmen' is probably the most famous opera in the whole opera-repertoire, although its premiere in 1875 was a great disappointment. The chorus 'Vivat! Vivat le Torero!' is sung in the second act of the...

Carmen is probably the most famous opera in the whole opera-repertoire, although its premiere in 1875 was a great disappointment. The chorus "Vivat! Vivat le Toréro!" is sung in the second act of the...