Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte ("Pavane for a Dead Princess") was originally composed for solo piano in 1899 but was later orchestrated in 1910, giving the piece a richer, more atmospheric quality. In the orchestral version, Ravel...

Five Fragments, Op. 42 is a suite for small orchestra composed on June 9, 1935, by Dmitri Shostakovich. It was the only work, apart from film music, that he composed that year. He approached it as preparatory work for the composition of the final version...

REPRINT SERIES Bloch's Concerto Symphonique for Piano and Orchestra, composed in 1932, is a dramatic and ambitious work that blends elements of symphonic grandeur with the virtuosic demands of the piano. The concerto reflects Bloch’s deep...

Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin Suite M.68a was originally composed as a piano suite between 1914 and 1917 and later transcribed for orchestra. The piece pays homage to the French Baroque composer François Couperin, blending Baroque dance forms...

REPRINT SERIES  Ravel's L'Aurore (The Dawn), composed in 1905, is a choral work for tenor, mixed chorus, and orchestra, originally created as part of his bid for the prestigious Prix de Rome. Set to a French text by Édouard Guinand, the...

Roberto Gerhard's Symphony No. 3, composed in 1960, is a striking example of his transition from late romanticism to more modernist, experimental approaches. The symphony was written during a period of personal and professional transformation for...

REPRINT SERIES Alan Rawsthorne's Concertante Pastorale is a charming and lyrical orchestral piece that showcases his distinctive blend of pastoral serenity and intricate harmonic textures. Written in a single movement, the work features flowing melodic...

REPRINT SERIES  On Wenlock Edge is a song cycle originally composed for tenor, piano, and string quartet in 1909, which Vaughan Williams later orchestrated for tenor and full orchestra. Based on six poems from A. E. Housman’s A Shropshire...

Bruno Maderna's Introduzione e Passacaglia is a striking orchestral work that showcases his deep engagement with serial techniques and expressive freedom. Composed in 1953, the piece reflects Maderna’s affinity for both rigorous structural...

Sibelius' Valse Triste, Op. 44, No. 1, is a hauntingly beautiful waltz originally composed in 1903 as part of the incidental music for his brother-in-law Arvid Järnefelt’s play Kuolema ("Death"). The piece captures a dreamlike and melancholic...

REPRINT SERIES Martinů’s Concertino for Piano Trio and String Orchestra, H. 232, was composed in just under two weeks in August 1933 and premiered in Basel on October 16, 1936. The work is structured in four movements: Allegro (con brio),...

Ravel's Rapsodie Espagnole is a vibrant orchestral work composed in 1907–1908, showcasing his deep fascination with Spanish music and rhythms. Although Ravel was French, his Basque heritage greatly influenced his affinity for Spanish sounds, which...

Arthur Bliss's Miracle in the Gorbals is a one-act ballet that premiered in London on October 26, 1944. Set in the slums of Glasgow, the ballet tells a dramatic and symbolic story of redemption and sacrifice. The scenario was written by Michael Benthall,...

Gerald Finzi’s orchestration of Let Us Garlands Bring, Op. 18, enhances the song cycle’s lyrical beauty with a richer, more expansive texture. Originally composed for baritone and piano, Finzi later arranged it for baritone and string...

REPRINT SERIES Grażyna Bacewicz’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1966) is a vibrant and rhythmically dynamic work that blends neoclassicism with modernist elements. The two pianos engage in energetic interplay, sometimes cooperating and...

Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Three Portraits from The England of Elizabeth is a suite derived from his music for the 1955 documentary film The England of Elizabeth. This orchestral work, structured in three movements, captures the spirit and historical...

REPRINT SERIES Alan Rawsthorne’s Elegiac Rhapsody for String Orchestra was composed in 1964 as a tribute to Constant Lambert, who had died in 1951. The piece reflects Rawsthorne’s distinctive style, characterized by structural clarity and...

Gerald Finzi’s Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, Op. 35, is a choral work composed in 1950 for a two-part chorus and chamber orchestra. The text is taken from the biblical book Ecclesiasticus (Sirach 44), a passage that honors great figures from...