George Gershwin composed "Lullaby" in 1919 as a class assignment during his studies in classical music theory. Initially conceived at the piano, the piece was subsequently arranged for string quartet and became a favorite at private gatherings among...

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...

Arthur Bliss's "Music for Strings" is a vibrant and expressive work composed in 1935, showcasing the composer’s mastery of string writing. The piece was commissioned for the 1935 Salzburg Festival and is structured in three movements: Prelude,...

Irving Fine's Notturno for String Orchestra and Harp, composed in 1951, is a masterful work that blends elements of neoclassicism with a distinctly lyrical and emotional quality. The piece is characterized by its delicate textures and sophisticated...

Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus is a poignant and richly textured work for string orchestra and harp, composed in 1939. Drawing from the English folk melody “Dives and Lazarus,” which narrates the biblical...

“To orchestrate is like a thumbprint. I can’t understand having someone else do it. It would be like someone putting color to your paintings.” Musically precocious, Bernard Herrmann (b. 1911, New York City; d.1975, North Hollywood)...

In the words of the composer, The Sinfonietta was written on board the S.S. Christoforo Coloumbo en route from New York to Europe. I was going to Europe for a conducting tour which included an appearance with Radio Symphony Orchestra in Zurich,...

Herrmann, for all his Angst, was a New Yorker born and bred. His Sinfonietta was composed in 1936, just before his film career took off. It contains what Steven Smith, Herrmann's biographer, describes as ''a quality dissonant Interlude''. Many years...

REPRINT SERIES  Composed in 1965, the Divertimento was written on commission from conductor Karol Teutsch. It was also he, together with the National Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra led by him, who gave its premie re performance at a concert on 21...

REPRINT SERIES Also known as Suite for Strings P.41, it is divided in 6 movements: 1. Ciaccona, 2. Siciliana, 3. Giga, 4. Sarabanda, 5. Burlesca, 6. Rigaudon

REPRINT SERIES The best-known of all Benjamin’s light-music pieces, Jamaican Rumba was based on a tune he heard in the West Indies while examining there for the RCM. First composed for two pianos in 1937, as the second of Two Jamaican Pieces, it...

REPRINT SERIES Composed in 1913, this Suite for Strings is divided in 3 movements: 1. Tímida: Poco andante2. Misteriosa: Andantino3. Inquieta (Air de ballet): Poco allegretto Its expressive content and moderate technical demands make it...

While Sibelius’ composed music for many plays to great effect, with the brief melodramas Ett ensamt skidspår (A Lonely Ski Trail) and Grevinnans konterfej (The Countess’ Portrait) he also demonstrated his skill in writing for drama on a...

REPRINT SERIES  Concerto Grosso is a work for string orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Originally composed in 1950 for a performance by the Rural Schools Music Association conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, the piece is unique in that the orchestra...

This pretty work for String Orchestra has 3 movements: 1.Animé et Vigoureux - 2.Vif et Léger - 3.Décidé et Joyeux, and lasts approximately 11 minutes.

REPRINT SERIES The Concerto for String Orchestra (1948) is commonly regarded as Grażyna Bacewicz's opus magnum and even called her "Ninth Symphony". It is unquestionably one of the foremost works of 20th century Polish music. Written in 1948, the...

Highly passionate in character and rich in its melodic invention, Finzi’s writing here is characteristically open-hearted and approachable. From the stillness of the opening, the music unfolds, reaching a peak of intensity before returning to its...

REPRINT SERIES Apollo (originally Apollon musagète and variously known as Apollo musagetes, Apolo Musageta, and Apollo, Leader of the Muses) is a neoclassical ballet in two tableaux composed between 1927 and 1928 by Igor Stravinsky. It was...