Composers Archive

The Violin Concerto by Johannes Brahms was first performed in Leipzig, Germany, on New Year’s Day 1879 by Joseph Joachim, the dedicatee, who composed the cadenza that is still played by many violinists today. Brahms …

The first movement of the Symphony #6 (‘Awakening of happy feelings on arrival in the country’) is followed by another long movement (‘Scene by the Brook’). This gives a hymn-like, feeling which is maintained by …

In 1791 Mozart had the sense that he was about to die. He was visited by a stranger who asked him to compose a Requiem for soloists, choir, and orchestra. There is a section of …

The Piano Concerto #1 by Tchaikovsky is a giant in the piano literature. Equally a giant is the beloved pianist Martha Argerich who performs this music for you today. Enjoy!

Mozart’s C major Viola Quintet is among the very greatest of his chamber music masterpieces. The possibilities of adding one extra voice to a string quartet clearly interested the composer in his late years, perhaps …