Classical Instrumental Works for Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (1756-1791) Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 'Jupiter' was completed on August 10th, 1788. The last and longest of his symphonies, it is uncertain if the work was ever perf...

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (1756-1791) Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 'Jupiter' was completed on August 10th, 1788. The last and longest of his symphonies, it is uncertain if the work was ever perf...

Maurice Ravel's (1875-1937) La Valse, poème chorégraphique pour orchestre (a choreographic poem for orchestra), has a somewhat storied history that has resulted in numerous interpretations of the work...

Maurice Ravel's (1875-1937) La Valse, poème chorégraphique pour orchestre (a choreographic poem for orchestra), has a somewhat storied history that has resulted in numerous interpretations of the work...

First written in 1868 by a young Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908), this orchestral suite was originally titled his SYMPHONY No. 2 by the composer, though it was always a programmatic telling of the...

First written in 1868 by a young Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908), this orchestral suite was originally titled his SYMPHONY No. 2 by the composer, though it was always a programmatic telling of the...

The music for LA BOUTIQUE FANTASQUE (THE MAGIC TOY SHOP), a one act ballet about a love story between two can-can dancer dolls in a toy shop, is based on piano pieces that were a part of Rossini's Péc...

Originally composed and premiered in 1915 from a commission by the Finnish government in honor of his 50th birthday, Jean Sibelius' (1865-1957) SYMPHONY NO. 5 in E-flat, Op. 82 saw two revisions, one...

The Ride of the Valkyries refers to the beginning of act 3 of Die Walküre, the second of the four operas constituting Richard Wagner's (1813-1883) Der Ring des Nibelungen. As a separate piece, the "Ri...

The Ride of the Valkyries refers to the beginning of act 3 of Die Walküre, the second of the four operas constituting Richard Wagner's (1813-1883) Der Ring des Nibelungen. As a separate piece, the "Ri...

Writing it between 1914 and 1917, Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was initially inspired to compose THE PLANETS based on a conversation he had about astrology while on holiday in Spain with some friends in 1...

Written between 1914 and 1917, Gustav Holst was initially inspired to compose THE PLANETS based on a conversation he had about astrology while on holiday in Spain with some friends in 1913. Intrigued...

SUOR ANGELICA (SISTER ANGELICA) is a one-act opera by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924). The second opera in a trio known as IL TRITTICO (THE TRIPTYCH), each one dealing with the concealment of a death, the...

SUOR ANGELICA (SISTER ANGELICA) is a one-act opera by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924). The second opera in a trio known as IL TRITTICO (THE TRIPTYCH), each one dealing with the concealment of a death, the...

Spanish conductor and composer Gerónimo Giménez (1854-1923) was dedicated to writing zarzuelas, the populist Spanish genre of lyric-dramatic one-act operas popular at the end of the 19th century and b...

Unlike Bach and Chopin, Claude Debussy (1862-1918) wrote his twenty-four PRÉLUDES for solo piano without a clearly organized pattern of key relationships. They were written from December 1909 to April...

Following a disastrous concert tour of Germany in 1885-86, Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) withdrew to a small Austrian village, where he composed THE CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS (LE CARNAVAL DES ANIMAUX)...

Following a disastrous concert tour of Germany in 1885-86, Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) withdrew to a small Austrian village, where he composed THE CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS (LE CARNAVAL DES ANIMAUX)...

George Friderick Handel (1685-1759) wrote WATER MUSIC at the behest of King George I, who wanted to entertain his royal guests with music as they sailed by barge down the Thames River. The king and hi...

The song cycle LES NUITS D'ETE (SUMMER NIGHTS) is a setting of six poems by composer Hector Berlioz' (1803-1869) neighbor and friend, Théophile Gautier. The text deals in themes of love in all its fac...

The song cycle LES NUITS D'ETE (SUMMER NIGHTS) is a setting of six poems by composer Hector Berlioz' (1803-1869) neighbor and friend, Théophile Gautier. The text deals in themes of love in all its fac...

Le Tombeau de Couperin is a suite for solo piano by Maurice Ravel, composed between 1914 and 1917. The piece is in six movements, based on those of a traditional Baroque suite. Each movement is dedica...

In October of 1898, Edward Elgar returned home after a long day of teaching, ate dinner, then sat down at the piano to doodle on the keys. Elgar described what followed: “In a little while, soothed an...

In October of 1898, Edward Elgar returned home after a long day of teaching, ate dinner, then sat down at the piano to doodle on the keys. Elgar described what followed: “In a little while, soothed an...

Composed in 1911, PETITE SUITE is among Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's lighter works. With four contrasting movements, the suite is an appealing showcase of the composer's memorable melodic writing. Moveme...