Wolfgang Birtel

'Alt Wiener Tanzweisen' [Old Viennesse dance tunes] are pretty miniatures, vibrant and catchy (the second one with a slightly elegiac colouring), but all have melodic charm and musical elegance. And w...

Originally composed for piano solo, Rubinstein's 'Melody' Op. 3/1 is the best-known work written by the Russian composer. Thanks to the simple, yet tender melody and its expressive harmony, the name o...

Maurice Ravel's melancholy popular 'Pavane for a Dead Princess' composed in 1899 was originally written for piano before he arranged it for orchestra in 1910. Though dedicated to a real princess, the...

A 'Last Night of the Proms' without this march - unthinkable! 'Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 1' with its middle section, the hymn-like 'Land of Hope and Glory' by Edward Elgar (1857-1934),...

The 19th century was not only the era of great forms, monumental symphonies and melodious sonatas, no, the Romantic composers proved to be versatile and highly imaginative on the field of little music...

A wedding without a famous wedding march - unimaginable! Wagner's 'Bridal Chorus' from 'Lohengrin' and Mendelssohn's 'Wedding March' from the incidental music of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' vie for th...

The music world became aware of Erik Satie (1866-1925) with a bang: when his ballet 'Parade' was premiered on May 18, 1817, it caused a scandal. The production, which also involved Sergei Djagilew wit...

Wer kennt es nicht, das Lied 'Guantanamera'? Auf eine Melodie des kubanischen Musikstils Guajira und einen Text des dortigen Nationalhelden José Martí zurückgehend, wurde sie von José Fernández Díaz i...

Wer kennt es nicht, das Lied 'Guantanamera'? Auf eine Melodie des kubanischen Musikstils Guajira und einen Text des dortigen Nationalhelden José Martí zurückgehend, wurde sie von José Fernández Díaz i...

Peter Ludwig ist als Pianist, Komponist, Arrangeur und Kabarettist ein bayrisches Multitalent. Er schreibt Filmmusik, Chansons, Kammermusik, Klaviermusik und vor allem: wunderschöne, inspirierte Tango...

La Cumparsita possibly is the best-known tango in the world.This arrangement for string quartet is sure to be the highlight of an entertaining evening or as an easy but thrilling concert encore.

The tremolo study 'Recuerdos de la Alhambra' composed in 1896 is, without doubt, the most famous piece by the Spanish composer and guitarist Francisco Tárrega, bringing back memories of the fortified...

Overcoming the boundaries between 'serious' and entertaining music was what mattered to the musician Eduard Pütz (1911-2000). His compositions therefore include stylistic features of jazz and pop musi...