He wrote the groundbreaking scores for King Kong and A Summer Place, which means Max Steiner is more than awesome enough to be a Composer of the Week! b. May 10, 1888 in Vienna d. December 28, 1971 in Beverley Hills When he composed his first song at age 11, it was immediately apparent that… Continue reading Composer of the Week: Max Steiner
Tag: composers
Composer of the Week: Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy, a composer at the forefront of French Impressionism, wrote some awesome preludes and many other great Composer of the Week-worthy pieces! b. August 22, 1862 d. March 25, 1918 A prominent and very talented French composer at the turn of the 20th century, Claude Debussy’s iconic compositions bridged Late Romantic Era music with… Continue reading Composer of the Week: Claude Debussy
Composer of the Week: Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius rocks!! And that, my friends, is why he is our composer of the week. b. December 8, 1865 d. September 20, 1957 A national hero in Finland, Jean Sibelius (click here for pronunciation) was a late Romantic Era composer. He was most known for his seven symphonies, each one marking a new stage… Continue reading Composer of the Week: Jean Sibelius
Composer of the Week: William Grant Still
Because composers rule, we’re starting a new tradition of publishing a post honoring a different composer each week. First up is William Grant Still, an African-American composer and Salon97 fan favorite! b. May 11, 1895 in Woodville, Mississippi d. December 3, 1978 in Los Angeles, California The first African-American to conduct a major symphony orchestra… Continue reading Composer of the Week: William Grant Still
YouTube Choir
I found an amazing video on Mashable yesterday. American composer Eric Whitacre spliced 250 videos together to create a virtual choir. Below is the YouTube video performance of his work, Lux Aurumque. Breathtaking.
Sir Edward Elgar: Great Composer, Not-so-great Musician
I got a huge kick out of reading this article about Sir Edward Elgar, a fantastic composer whom I greatly admire. Turns out his facility for trombone playing wasn’t such a strength. As stated in a letter written by his pal Dora Penny: “On one occasion, he [Elgar] got up and fetched a trombone that… Continue reading Sir Edward Elgar: Great Composer, Not-so-great Musician
A New Charity
A charity is being established in honor of William Grant Still–a composer from Mississippi who always wanted to help children from his home state. Finally, his dream comes true.
Brian Wilson collaborates with George Gershwin?
I guess it’s never too late. Brian Wilson is completing a number of George Gershwin’s unfinished songs and planning to release them on an upcoming album.
Check Out Keeping Score. Easy! Free!
The second season of Keeping Score is in full swing! It’s a series of three one-hour specials chronicling the works (or a work) of some fantastic composers. This season’s composers are Hector Berlioz, Charles Ives, and Dmitri Shostakovich. The series is really cool and there are multiple PBS air times, so do check it out!… Continue reading Check Out Keeping Score. Easy! Free!