Classical Music Brain Droppings
Program Notes
Program Notes
Mary Louise Curtis : Happy Birthday Variations
Dec 16th
Born August 6, 1876 in Boston, Massachusetts. Died January 4, 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Curtis with Samuel Barber
Mary Louise Curtis founded the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 1924. She was the daughter of the publishing magnate Cyrus H. K. Curtis, the founder and editor More >
Beethoven : Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Dec 14th
Baptized December 17, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. Died March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria.
Portrait of Beethoven in 1804 by Mähler
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67Composed in 1808. First Performance: December 22, 1808 conducted by Beethoven at the Theater-an-der-Wien in Vienna. Instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 More >
Britten: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
Dec 14th
Born November 22, 1913 in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. Died December 4, 1976 in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England.
Benjamin Britten
The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Opus 34 Variations and Fugue on a Theme of PurcellComposed: 1945. First Performance: October 15, 1946 with Sir Malcolm Sargent conducting the Liverpool Philharmonic More >
Vivaldi: Winter from the Four Seasons
Dec 14th
Born March 4, 1678 in Venice, Italy. Died July 28, 1741 in Vienna, Austria.
The only authentic image of Vivaldi
Winter from the Four Seasons, Opus 8, Number 4Published: 1725. Instrumentation: Solo violin, strings, and continuo. Duration: ~9 min.
Antonio Vivaldi received his early musical training from his father Giovanni, who More >


