The Carnival of the Animals (Le carnaval des animaux) is a humorous musical suite of fourteen movements by the French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The work was written for private performance by an ad hoc ensemble of two pianos and other instruments.
Chopin’s Waltz No 9 in A-flat major, Op. 69, No. 1, is called The Farewell Waltz or Valse de l’adieu. The waltz was originally written as a farewell piece to Maria Wodzińska, to whom Frédéric Chopin was once engaged.
Franz Liszt‘s Transcendental Etude No. 4 in D minor, Mazeppa, is the fourth Transcendental Étude, published in 1852. This complex and virtuosic staple of the Romantic Era repertoire was inspired by Victor Hugo‘s …
Two videos of Maurizio Pollini playing Frédéric Chopin’s last and dramatic Prelude No 24 in D minor. The first video is from 2002, Pollini is 60 years old, the second seems to be around 1960.
Rachmaninov’s Prelude No. 5 in G Minor, Op. 23, was completed in 1901. It was included in his Opus 23 set of ten preludes, despite having been written two years …
Introduction and Polonaise brillante in C Major, Op. 3, is a composition for cello and piano by Frédéric Chopin. It was one of Chopin’s first published compositions.
The third Prelude, in G major, returns to volatility. It belongs to the category of ‘etudal’ preludes, characterised by a quick tempo, lightness and mobility. It develops a single textural idea.
Asturias (Leyenda) is a musical work written by the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz. Famous played at guitar, it was originally written for the piano and set in the key of G minor.
Scriabin’s etude in c-sharp minor was written in 1887, when the composer was just 15 years old. It was the first of the Three Pieces, Op. 2, and was one …
