Por Una Cabeza is the most celebrated tango by Argentine composer Carlos Gardel. Written in 1935 when Gardel was at the height of his composing powers and celebrity, it was even included in a film in which the composer himself starred. Though one of the most beloved examples of the tango form, however, the year of its composition would also prove to be one coloured by tragedy. Continue reading...
Christmas trees, the crib, turkey, endless shopping, Santa Claus and, of course, that song. Jingle Bells is the Christmas anthem par excellence. As comforting as a glass of mulled wine or a mince pie, it had, nevertheless, a rocky start before it became a beloved Christmas classic. We've gathered together some of the more intriguing pieces of trivia around this famous tune, see how many you've heard about. Continue reading...
Maurice Ravel’s Boléro is probably the composer’s most famous work and, for that matter, one of the most familiar in the orchestral repertoire. Beloved in its original form, it has also made its way into popular culture in pop covers, adverts, on the big and small screen and even as the music for a winning routine by a pair of British Olympic ice skaters... Continue reading...
Erik Satie (186–1925) wrote his celebrated Trois Gymnopédies in the 1880s whilst living and working in Montmartre, Paris. Unassuming though they may seem, these works were quietly radical, establishing him as one of the most important composers of his generation. Continue reading...
Greensleeves- one of the most familiar of all English folk songs, has long attracted stories about its origins. The most enduring of these is that it was written by King Henry VIII, the monarch notorious for his love of hunting, his six wives and his break with the Roman church. Continue reading...
House of the Rising Sun is one of the most famous examples of a folk song becoming a popular hit, the version by rock band The Animals now being considered a classic of the genre.
There is much more to this song, however, than their brilliant cover—the song has a long and fascinating history, and there are many other great versions of it to enjoy...
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Vivaldi's Four Seasons is not only the composer’s most celebrated work, it is one of his most revolutionary. Likely written around 1718–20 whilst a court composer in Mantua, Italy, the work is a collection of four concertos for violin, each of which represents a season of the year in the order Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. Collectively they are one of the first substantial examples of what musicologists call 'programme music.' Continue reading...
Scott Joplin is a name we associate with great ragtime pieces such as the Maple Leaf Rag,' Rose Leaf Rag and The Easy Winners. None are quite so well-loved, however, as his The Entertainer. Whilst the piece serves for many as an introduction to the music of this great composer, a little dig into its history also helps us to understand Joplin's wider importance in music history. Continue reading...
Air on the G String is one of Bach's most familiar and best loved pieces. A concert classic, it has also appeared countless times in film, television and advertising. We may feel, therefore, that we know this piece well, but the work's rich history includes some rather surprising facts....
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Like Beyoncé, Adele or Madonna, Beethoven's 5th Symphony is so familiar it's known simple by it's first name: 'The Fifth'. But here are 5 facts about the piece you may not know: Continue reading...
![King Charles III and Queen Camilla [source: Wikipedia]](/discover/thumbs/charles_camilla.jpg)
