A lullaby (‘berceuse’ in French, ‘wiegenlied’ in German) is traditionally a soothing song for infants, especially to help them to sleep. It is one of the loveliest of musical forms, with an emphasis on simple, gentle melodies and equally simple harmony. There are many traditional lullabies, but the form has also been widely adopted by classical composers, where it has sometimes been greatly expanded in scope, whilst not losing contact with its musical roots.
Here are some of the loveliest lullabies ever to have been written, complete with links to the sheet music.
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The unkind butt of many a musical joke, the viola sometimes gets a bad press. But we think it’s one of the loveliest instruments in the orchestra—in its upper range almost as brilliant as the violin, it’s lower range utterly distinct: veiled, melancholic and mysterious.
Its role in the centre of an ensemble means that it hasn’t attracted so much of the limelight as a solo instrument down the years, but there are, nevertheless, some really wonderful works written for it. Here are five of the best.
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From Freddie Mercury to Billy Joel, Brian Wilson to Kate Bush, any number of pop musicians have been inspired by classical music. Some, however, have taken their fascination to the next level by making covers of their favourite classical works.
Here are some of the most epic examples of pop music composers paying homage to great works of the classical canon.
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Down the centuries brass instruments have been the poor relation to strings and woodwind when it comes to ensemble music. Whilst there is a vast repertoire of chamber music for strings, and a fair amount that includes woodwind or is for woodwind specifically, many composers ignored the possibility of writing for brass ensemble, partly because for a long time brass instruments were plagued by technical limitations.
Despite this there are a handful of truly great ensemble works that were written for brass, or for precursors of modern brass instruments. Here are some of our favourites.
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Chopin’s funeral march (‘Marche funèbre’) forms the second part of his Piano Sonata No.2 in B♭minor, published in 1840. Though it is one of the most important works in the piano literature, it is also one of the most controversial— Robert Schumann describing it as ‘four of [the] maddest children under the same roof.’ Here is the story of what some consider to be Chopin’s most uneven masterpiece.
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Few pieces of classical music are as instantly recognisable as Johann Strauss II’s dazzling Blue Danube Waltz. Its mysterious shimmering opening and elegant main melody take us effortlessly into the carefree world of Viennese balls, where dazzlingly clad and carefree couples move gracefully over the dance floor.
The story behind this graceful waltz is not, however, as straightforward as its sparkling surface might suggest—the piece was actually written as a response to the horror of war and military defeat and, despite the familiarity of the orchestral version of this piece, it was originally conceived as a choral work.
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Chamber music is the most intimate of art forms. Ensembles are, by design, small enough to fit into a room (or ‘chamber’) making it suitable for smaller gatherings or simply a form of entertainment between musical friends.
Whilst much chamber music focuses on strings, the clarinet has also been a popular chamber music instrument since its invention in the early 18th century. It’s both mellow enough to blend in, but distinct enough to add to the overall colour of an ensemble.
Here are our picks of some of the greatest chamber works that include clarinet, some of which may be surprisingly familiar. You’ll also find some exclusive arrangements of these works, so you won’t need to form your own chamber ensemble to play them!
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The French horn is one of the loveliest, most noble of instruments—Robert Schumann called it ‘the soul of the orchestra’, Hector Berlioz, said that it ‘is the voice of the hero, the poet, and the lover.’ It’s no surprise then to find that composers have chosen to write solo work for this marvellous instrument. Here are our picks of the absolute best. Follow the links to find copies of the sheet music.
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There have been many films about the lives of great composers, including about Igor Stravinsky (Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky, 2010), Chopin (Impromptu, 1991); Beethoven (Immortal Beloved, 1994); and Tchaikovsky (The Music Lovers, 1970).
None, however, has quite matched ‘Amadeus’ (1984), Miloš Forman’s brilliant account of the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Told through the eyes of Mozart’s rival Antono Salieri, it paints a vivid, if not always accurate, picture of the composer’s life, accompanied by vibrant scenes of court and everyday life in Hapsburg Vienna.
Most gloriously of all, it is chock-full of music by Mozart. You will find most of this available here on 8notes and, using our exclusive arrangements, you can learn to play it on your own instrument (if you can’t find a version for your instrument, subscribers can request new versions at any time).
Here then is the ultimate guide to the music from this great film.
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Colonel Bogey is a name that conjures up images of a stern and moustachioed military figure, strong of bearing, leading his troops crisply on parade. But did such a figure provide the inspiration for Kenneth J. Alford's famous march? The answer is both ‘yes’ and ‘no’—like all good legends the truth is more complicated, and a lot more interesting…
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