From the MEN-n-MUSIC Archives:January 1, 2003 Rhapsody in Blue play time 16:59 George Gershwin born September 26, 1898, Brooklyn, New York died July 11, 1937, Hollywood, California birth name: Jacob Gershvitz Rhapsody in Blue eludes convenient classification. Is it classical music with pop elements, or jazz with serious pretensions? Sometime in late 1923, the band [...]

From the MEN-n-MUSIC Archives:November 26, 2007 Andante and Presto, Op.17 play time 7:12 Josef Hofmann Born January 20, 1876 in Podgórze, Kraków, Poland Died February 16, 1957 in Los Angeles, California, USA The next time you are driving down the road and it begins to rain, think of Josef Hofmann, for he invented the windshield [...]

From the MEN-n-MUSIC Archives:August 8, 2005 La GiocondaThe Dance of the Hours play time 7:12 Amilcare Ponchielli Born August 31, 1834 in Paderno Fasolaro, Italy (renamed as Paderno Ponchielli, Italy) Died January 16, 1886 in Milan, Italy Ponchielli won a scholarship at the age of nine to study music at the Milan Conservatory, writing his [...]

From the MEN-n-MUSIC Archives:April 11, 2002 Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 163. Allegro moderato molto e marcato – Quasi Presto play time 9:41 Edvard Hagerup Grieg born June 15, 1843 – Bergen, Norway died September 4, 1907 – Bergen, Norway Edvard Grieg has come to represent the “Voice of Norway”, a position similar to [...]

From the MEN-n-MUSIC Archives:October 29, 2004 Symphony no.94, “Surprise”, in G Major1. Adagio cantabile – Vivace assai play time 8:34 Franz Josef Haydn born March 31, 1732 – Rohrau, Austria died May 31, 1809 – Vienna, Austria Like many in his day, Haydn was a survivor of smallpox, and his face was pitted with the [...]

From the MEN-n-MUSIC Archives:April 21, 2004 Escenas andaluzas1. Bolero play time 7:06 Tomás Bretón y Hernández Born December 29, 1850 in Salamanca, Spain Died December 2, 1923 in Madrid, Spain As a child, Bretón played violin in cafes. He later studied music in Madrid, Paris, Rome, and Vienna. His stay in Rome strongly influenced him [...]

From the MEN-n-MUSIC Archives:October 17, 2006 a special tribute to John Towner Williams play time 4:52 John Williams is the most popular and successful American composer of film scores. He has received 18 Grammys, two Emmys, and seven BAFTA Awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He has also received 45 Academy [...]

From the MEN-n-MUSIC Archives:October 15, 2001 Symphony No.6, op.68 “Pastoral” play time 28:23 Ludwig van Beethoven baptized December 17, 1770, Bonn, Germany died March 26, 1827, Vienna, Austria His love of nature and frequent walks in the countryside led to his composing the Symphony no.6 in F major, (“Pastoral” 1808) complete with musical images of [...]

From the MEN-n-MUSIC Archives:April 25, 2007 Ballade in G minor play time 9:02 Frédéric François Chopin born March 1, 1810 – Zelazowa Wola, Poland died October 17, 1849 – Paris, France birth name Fryderky Franciszek Szopen In the early 1830s Chopin’s music acquired passionate intensity with terrifying power that can rather easily suggest an inner [...]

From the MEN-n-MUSIC Archives:April 29, 2003 Warsaw Concerto play time 11:16 Richard Stewart Addinsell January 13, 1904 – November 14, 1977 London, England Addinsell has had the unfortunate fate of being eclipsed by a single piece of music. Say “Richard Addinsell” to people and they will ask, “Who?” But say “Warsaw Concerto” to them and [...]