Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101 by Johannes Brahms

Brahms completed this trio for piano, violin and cello in 1886 with the premiere performance being given in December the same year with Brahms on the piano. The work was composed while Brahms was on holiday in the town of Hofstetten in central Switzerland.

This trio is comprised of four movements:
I. Allegro energico
II. Presto non assai
III. Andante grazioso
IV. Allegro molto

Nocturne in B major, Op. 9, No. 3 by Frédéric Chopin

Chopin composed a group of three nocturnes, with the works being first published in 1832. The three pieces are dedicated to Belgian concert pianist Marie Pleyel.

Serenade in D major, Op. 36 by Vitezslav Novak

Czech composer Vitezslav Novak completed this serenade for orchestra in 1905 while working in Prague. The influence of French Impressionism can be noticed in this work, among other orchestral pieces the composer would write in the early 1900’s leading to an unusual combination of the distinctly Czech tonality of Novak’s music combined with the novel impressionism style.

This work is comprised of four movements:
I. Praeludium
II. Serenata
III. Notturno
IV. Allegro capriccioso

Rhapsody for saxophone and orchestra by Eric Coates

This rhapsody for saxophone and orchestra was completed in 1936, one of only two rhapsodies the composer would write. The work is noted for the unusual use of the saxophone as the soloist instrument, despite the fact the instrument was invented nearly a century prior to this composition.

This rhapsody is comprised of a single movement.

Symphony No. 1 in E♭ major, Op. 2 by Camille Saint-Saëns

Saint-Saëns completed this symphony in 1853 at the age of 17. While the composer would designate this work as his symphony No. 1, it was actually the second symphonic work Saint-Saëns completed, with his true first symphony being finished in 1850. The premiere performance of the symphony took place in December of 1853.

The author of the work remained anonymous at the time of the premiere, with the conducting commenting that he believed the composer to be German due to the significant size of the orchestra required to perform the symphony.

This piece is comprised of four movements:
I. Adagio – Allegro
II. Marche-Scherzo: Allegretto scherzando
III. Adagio
IV. Finale: Allegro maestoso

String Quartet in F major, Op. 41, No. 2 by Robert Schumann

German composer Robert Schumann completed a collection of three string quartets in 1842 as a birthday gift to his wife Clara. Despite Schumann commenting on how fond he was of the string quartet ensemble, he would not compose any works for this format until he was well into his musical career at age 32. Schumann would later say that his three string quartets were ‘my best work from earlier times’.

This quartet is comprised of four movements:
I. Allegro vivace
II. Andante, quasi Variazioni
III. Scherzo. Presto
IV. Allegro molto vivace

String Symphony No. 8 in D major by Felix Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn completed a set of 13 string symphonies by 1823 at the age of fourteen. The collection features several tributes to composers such as Haydn, Bach and Mozart. The majority of the collection is scored for string orchestra only, however a few of the symphonies contain instruments from other musical families.

This symphony is comprised of four movements:
I. Adagio e grave – Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Menuetto
IV. Allegro molto

Piano Concerto No. 15 in B♭ major, K. 450 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart completed this piano concerto in 1784 for a series of concerts in Vienna, primarily at the Trattnerhof and Burgtheater with Mozart himself playing the piano. This is considered to be the most difficult piano concerto Mozart composed as he would clarify in a letter to his father regarding his 15th and 16th piano concerto saying “I consider them both to be concertos which make one sweat, but the B flat one beats the one in D for difficulty”.

This concerto is comprised of three movements:
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro

First book of Préludes, No. 4: ‘Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir’ (The sounds and fragrances swirl through the evening air) by Claude Debussy

Debussy complete his first book of Préludes in 1910. Unlike previous notable collections of preludes by composers such as Bach and Chopin, this collection is not intended to display a composition in each of the tonal keys. Each work in this collection is given an artistic title, however this title is provided at the end of the manuscript as Debussy wanted the performer to experience the piece without being influenced by the name of the work.

Missa Papae Marcelli (Pope Marcellus Mass) by Giovanni Palestrina

Italian composer Giovanni Palestrina completed this Mass in 1562 in honour of Pope Marcellus II, who reigned as Pope in 1555, dying from a stroke only 9 days into his papacy. 1562 marked the year of the third session of the Council of Trent. This gathering was intended to unify the Catholic Church after the momentous Protestant Reformation, which is considered by some to have begun in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed the ‘Ninety-five Theses’ to a church door in Germany.

One of the issues discussed at the Council of Trent (also known as the embodiment of the ‘Counter-Reformation) was the use of polyphonic music in the Church. The main area of concern regarding the use of polyphonic music for sacred purposes was that it potentially obscured the words of devotion. Had the council agreed to ban such music, the development of choral music may have become crippled in Europe as the Catholic church was one of the most influential patrons of the arts at that time.

The legend is that this Mass by Palestrina was considered so beautiful that the council could not agree to ban it from the Church.

This Mass is comprised of five sections:
I. Kyrie
II. Gloria
III. Credo
IV. Sanctus
V. Agnus Dei
VI. Benedictus

Oboe sonata in C minor, Op. 1, No. 8, HWV 366 by George Frideric Handel

Handel completed this sonata for oboe and harpsichord in 1712, but was not published until 1732. While Handel was already in England at the time, it was in 1712 that the composer decided to settle permanently in England due to the many Royal patrons that would commission his music.

This sonata is comprised of four movements:
I. Largo
II. Allegro
III. Adagio
IV. Allegro

Overture in D major to the comedy ‘Der Teufel als Hydraulicus’, D. 4 by Franz Schubert

In 1812, Schubert completed this overture to the comedy ‘Der Teufel als Hydraulicus (The Devil as Engineer) by German physician and playwright Johann Friedrich Ernst Albrecht. Schubert was only 15 at the time and being tutored by the Italian composer Antonio Salieri.

This overture is comprised of a single movement.

Le Chasseur maudit (The Accursed Huntsman) by César Franck

Belgian composer César Franck completed this symphonic poem for orchestra in 1882 with the premiere performance being given in March of 1883 in Paris. The work is based on the ballad ‘The Wild Hunter’ by German poet Gottfried August Bürger. The poem details the story of a Count of the Rhine valley who goes hunting on a Sunday in defiance of the sabbath. The Count is cursed for his actions and is hunted by demons for eternity in punishment for his deeds.

The work is comprised of a single movement.

String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59, No. 3 ‘Rasumovsky’ by Ludwig van Beethoven

In 1806, Beethoven was commissioned to compose three string quartets on behalf of Andrey Razumovsky, the Russian Ambassador to Vienna. All three works would be completed in 1806. In each quartet, Beethoven uses motifs from popular (for the early 1800’s) Russian songs. This collection of quartets would herald a change in the musical style of Beethoven, away from his shorter quartets emulating composers such as Mozart and Haydn and into his own iconic brand.

This quartet is comprised of four movements:
I. Andante con moto – Allegro vivace
II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto
III. Menuetto
IV. Allegro molto

The Water Goblin (Vodník), Op. 107, B. 195 by Antonín Dvořák

Dvořák completed this work, the second of his six symphonic poems for orchestra, in 1896. The work is based on a Czech folk poem Dvořák found in a collection published by the folklorist Karel Jaromír Erben. The structure of the music closely follows the narrative in the poem, with a specific theme for each of the main characters being heard in the same sequence that they are encountered in the story. The premiere performance for the Water Goblin was given in November of 1896 in London.

This work is comprised of a single movement.

Transcendental Étude No. 8 in C minor "Wilde Jagd” (Wild Hunt) by Franz Liszt

Liszt began composing a collection of Transcendental Études in 1826 at the age of 15, but would revise and add additional pieces to the collection up until their final publication in 1852. Liszt had intended to complete a collection of 24 Études to match the 24 major and minor keys, but was only able to complete the 12 Études in the neutral and flat signatures.

The works were intended to technically demanding pieces for both performance and technical development. Liszt dedicated the completed work to Carl Czerny, an Austrian composer and pianist who was also the piano teacher of Liszt.

The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I: Prelude and Fugue in B major, BWV. 868 by Johann Sebastian Bach

Bach wrote two books of preludes and fugues, each containing a prelude and fugue in all 24 keys. The first book was likely completed in 1722, and the second book completed in approximately 1742. The purpose of this collection was, according to Bach, “for profit and use of musical youth desirous of learning, and especially for the pastime of those already skilled in this study”.

Flute Concerto No. 2 “La notte" in G minor, Op. 10, RV. 439 by Antonio Vivaldi

Vivaldi completed a collection of six flute concertos at some point in 1728 and were first published the same year by Dutch publisher Michel-Charles Le Cène.

This concerto is comprised of six movements:
I. Largo
II. Presto (Fantasmi)
III. Largo
IV. Presto
V. Largo (Il sonno)
VI. Allegro

Pezzo capriccioso, Op. 62 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky completed this work for cello and orchestra in 1887 with the premiere performance being given in February of 1888 in Paris. The name is a joke from the composer, with the ‘capricious’ nature of the work coming from the way the main theme is not given the exposition normally expected in an orchestral work like this.

The sombre tone of the work likely stems from the difficulty Tchaikovsky was facing at that time in his life, with his close friend Nikolay Kondratyev suffering a slow and painful death due to syphilis.

This composition is comprised of a single movement.

Prelude No. 3 in G major, Op. 28 ‘Thou Art So Like a Flower’ by Frédéric Chopin

Chopin completed a collection of 24 preludes 1839 which were given the Opus number 28. The 24 preludes cover the complete collection of all major and minor keys. Chopin began work on this collection in 1835. It is thought that the work was inspired by the “Well Tempered Clavier” by J.S Bach as Chopin had a copy of this collection with him while composing the majority of these preludes in Mallorca.

Each work was given an epithet by the publisher with the consultation of Chopin.

The Wand of Youth Suite No. 2, Op. 1b by Sir Edward Elgar

In 1869 the boy Elgar composed some simple melodies for use in a play performed by the young members of the Elgar family. Elgar kept the music in a sketch book and in 1907 he adapted the work into two suites for orchestra. At the time of adapting these suites, Elgar was working at the Worcester City and Country Lunatic Asylum. The second suite was only completed in 1908.

Elgar gave the works the Opus No. 1 and 2 respectively in recognition of being the first of his musical works to be recorded.

This suite is comprised of seven movements:
I. March
II. The Little Bells (Scherzino)
III. Moths and Butterflies (Dance)
IV. Fountain Dance
V. The Tame Bear
VI. The Wild Bears

Caprice in E Minor, Op. 1, No. 3: Sostenuto/Presto/Sostenuto by Niccolò Paganini

Between the years of 1802 and 1817, Paganini would complete his collection of 24 ‘Caprices for Solo Violin’. Unlike previous collections for solo instrument such as J.S Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier, this collection is not intended to provide a composition in all 24 keys but rather to allow the performer to display a multitude of skills and techniques for the violin. The popularity of these ‘Caprices” have resulted in their adaption to multiple ensembles, and they remain a regular performance piece for soloists, chamber groups and orchestras.

The Solent by Ralph Vaughan Williams

This short work for orchestra was completed in 1903 by the 31-year-old Vaughan Williams. At this time Vaughan Williams had a fascination with the folk songs of rural Britain, and would collect several songs while travelling around England. This particular work is meant to serve as an ‘impression for orchestra’ or the section of water separating the Isle of Wight and Britain known as the ‘Solent’.

Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63 by Jean Sibelius

Sibelius completed this symphony in 1911 with the premiere performance being given in April the same year in Helsinki. Some musicologists have suggested the ominous tone of the work to be a representation of the tense atmosphere in Europe at the time, leading to the outbreak of WWI. A more likely explanation for the tone of this symphony is that in 1908 Sibelius had undergone surgery to remove a tumour from his throat, and the possibility of the cancer returning was a constant fear during the following 4-5 years.

This symphony is comprised of four movements:
I. Tempo molto moderato, quasi adagio
II. Allegro molto vivace
III. Il tempo largo
IV. Allegro

String Quartet No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff

Rachmaninoff completed this quartet in 1896. Much like the string quartet No. 1, it is likely this work was not performed during the composers’ lifetime. It would fall to a pair of professors at the Moscow Conservatory to publish the work in 1947.

This quartet is comprised of two movements:
I. Allegro moderato
II. Andante molto sostenuto