Daily Hit of Music

As well as a pianist and conductor, Benjamin Britten was a leading composer of the mid-20th century, whose operas were considered the finest English operas since those of Henry Purcell (17th century). The prolific nature of Britten's operatic and vocal output makes it easy to forget that prior to the phenomenal success of his opera Peter Grimes  in 1945, he was primarily known as a composer of vividly orchestrated instrumental music.  His Violin Concerto was written from 1938 to 1939 and dedicated to Henry Boys, his former teacher at the Royal College of Music, London. It was premiered in New York, on 29 March 1940 by violinist Antonio Brosa with the New York Philharmonic conducted by John Barbirolli.  Listen to it here performed by Maxim Vengerov (violin) and conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich (for whom Britten wrote several cello works): DHM YouTube Playlist Benjamin Britten (November 22 1913, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England - December 4, 1976, Aldeburgh, Suffolk) Mstislav Rostropovi

The Portuguese phrase "Bossa Nova" translates as "new trend" and defines the Brazilian popular music that evolved in the late 1950s from a fusion of samba (a Brazilian dance and music) and cool jazz. The composer Antonio Carlos Jobim and the guitarist Jo ã o Gilberto may be considered the founders of this style. Instrumentation can be varied but is purposely simple, limited to a few rhythm instruments. In vocalized passages, the musical background becomes more subdued to allow the singer to improvise over the top. As a dance, the bossa nova differs little from the samba, requiring the same subtle body rhythm and two-step foot movement. Listen to Jobim's Garota de Ipanema (The Girl from Ipanema): DHM YouTube Playlist Listen to the same song as performed by Astrud Gilberto (singer and wife of Jo ã o as of 1959), Jo ã o Gilberto (guitar) and Stan Gertz (saxophone): DHM YouTube Playlist Another famous song is Mas que nada , written by Jorge Ben Jor, which has elemen

On the 28th June 1491, Henry VIII was born. He was King of England, married six times, initiated the English Reformation and appointed himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England. On top of this, the monarch also found the time to write some music.  Listen to O My Heart as performed by the Hilliard Ensemble: DHM YouTube Playlist All of the Tudor and Stewart monarchs were musical and took a personal interest in the professional performers at their courts. Some of these court musicians were well-known, such as Robert Fayrfax, organist of St Alban's Abbey and first doctor of music at Cambridge, who served under Henry VIII.  Henry VIII (28 June 1491 - 28 January 1547) Of his family, Henry VIII was probably the most musically gifted. He played numerous instruments: the lute, the organ, recorders, the flute, the harp and he had a good singing voice. He also owned an enormous collection of instruments: cornets, bagpipes, viols, lutes, flutes shawms (a double-reed woodwind instrumen

The composer Rebecca Clarke was born and raised in England, with a German mother and an American father.  Image source Rebecca Clarke (27 August 1886 - 13 October 1979) As well as being a composer, she was a highly regarded violist and contributed greatly to the viola repertoire, including a piece called "Morpheus". Morpheus is a god associated with sleep and dreams. In Ovid's Metamorphoses he is the son of Sleep, and he appears in dreams in human form.  Listen to this entrancing piece: DHM YouTube Playlist Clarke enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music in 1903, where she studied the violin. She was abruptly withdrawn from the institution in 1905, when her harmony teacher, Percy Miles, proposed marriage. In 1907 she began a composition course at the Royal College of Music, where she was Stanford's first female student. Again, she was unable to finish her studies, as her habitually cruel father suddenly banished her from the family home. To support herself, Clarke embar

The year 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth year (1770).  The Symphony No. 6 in F major, also known as the Pastoral Symphony (German: Pastorale) is a symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven and was completed in 1808. The symphony has five movements (rather than the typical four).  Listen to them here: I. "Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande" ( "Awakening of cheerful feelings on arrival in the countryside" ): DHM YouTube Playlist II. "Szene am Bach" ( "Scene by the brook" ): DHM YouTube Playlist III. "Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute" ( "Merry gathering of country folk" ): DHM YouTube Playlist IV. "Gewitter, Sturm" ("Thunder, Storm") & V. "Hirtengesang, Frohe und dankbare Gef ü hle nach dem Sturm" ( "Shepherd's song. Cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm" ): DHM YouTube Playlist Ludwig van Beethoven Born on the 15th or

Jacobus Clemens, a.k.a. Clemens Non Papa, was likely born circa 1510 in Flanders. The addition of "non Papa" to his name, literally means "not the Pope", the pope in Rome at the time being Clement VII. However, the nickname could have also been a reflection of the composer's protestant sympathies.  Jacobus Clemens (c.1510 - 1556) Around the time of his birth, Michelangelo was starting work on the Sistine Chapel in Italy and in England, Henry VIII saw the completion of Hampton Court Palace. However, the centre of musical stylistic innovation was the Netherlands, dominating the scene throughout the renaissance. Clemens non Papa was one of the few successful Flemish musicians not to travel to Italy, spending most of his life in Flanders, working in towns such as Bruges, Dordrecht and Ypres. Also, unlike most other composers of that period, Clemens non Papa seems never to have been employed by the church, at least not on a permanent contract. Nevertheless, owing to

On the 24th of June, 1958, Nina Simone released her debut jazz album "Little Girl Blue".  Nina Simone (original name Eunice Waymon) February 21 1933, North Carolina, U.S. - April 21, 2003, Carry-le-Rouet, France) Listen to the track "Little Girl Blue" here (it starts with a tune you may recognise): DHM YouTube Playlist Nina Simone began playing the piano and organ as a girl. Her awareness of racism was acutely heightened at the age of 12, when she gave a piano recital in a library where even her own parents had to stand at the back, because they were black.  Simone was a student of classical music at the Julliard School of Music (New York City) and began performing as a pianist. Her vocal career began in 1954 in a nightclub, when the owner of the club threatened to fire her unless she sang too.  "I had travelled North to Philadelphia and a friend of mine told me of an engagement in Atlantic City. Well, he contacted the owner and successfully achieved that goal.

Maurice Ravel: "Kaddisch" from Deux Mélodies Hébraiques ( Two Hebrew Melodies ) The Kaddish, also spelled Qaddish, in Judaism, is a doxology (hymn of praise to God) that is usually recited in Aramaic in all synagogue services. The nucleus of the prayer is the phrase: Glorified and sanctified be God's great name throughout the world which He has created according to His will.  May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days. The congregation responds (this section being omitted from Ravel's version): May His great name be blessed forever to all eternity.  Originally, the Kaddish was recited in the rabbinical academies at the conclusion of public study or after the sermon of the preacher. In time it became a regular feature of the synagogue service. The prayer also expresses the plea for the quick realisation of the messianic age: and, because the resurrection of the dead is associated with the coming of the Messiah, the Kaddish eventually became the

And we're back with Fascinating Rhythm by George Gershwin!  We're offering you a few versions of this gem: The original, performed by Fred & Adele Astaire with Gershwin on piano: DHM YouTube Playlist Tommy Dorsey Orchestra:  DHM YouTube Playlist Jacob Collier's version:  DHM YouTube Playlist What is so fascinating? So, the first thing we need to understand is that the rhythm in this piece is "swung", meaning that "straight" quavers sound more like the top line (x), tripletised, so that the second note of each pair of swung quavers tucks in a quaver triplet before the next beat: See this for more on swung rhythms. "Swinging" rhythms is a standard way of performing jazz music. However, what's more "fascinating" about this chorus melody is how it subverts our expectations, especially by playing with unexpected rhythmic emphases.  Conventionally, such a melody might be written like this: two, 2-bar (sub)phrases in 4/4 time with r

Mélanie Bonis, born in a modest Parisian lower middle-class family,was a lively child, strong willed and very much inspired by her religious education (nothing predisposed her to a musical destiny, as such). She taught herself the piano, in a rather hostile family context, until the age of twelve, when her parents, influenced by one of their friends, Monsieur Maury, resigned themselves to give her a musical education. She started to compose and at the age of 16, she was introduced by Maury to the famous composer César Franck who gave her piano lessons and showed a great interest in her first compositions. A year later, he brought her to the Conservatoire (at that time situated in Montmartre). Mélanie Bonis at the age of 17, painting by Charles-Auguste Corbineau (1885) She attended the accompaniment, harmony and composition classes, sharing the benches with Debussy and Pierné. At the time, it was clear that musical composition could in no way be a profession for a woman, that a woman co

On this day in 1891, the American composer and lyricist, Cole Albert Porter, was born. He is regarded as one of the most sophisticated song-writers of all time.  Cole Porter (June 9 1891 - October 15, 1964) Porter was the grandson of a millionaire speculator, and the affluent circumstances of his life  likely contributed to the poise and urbanity of his musical style. He began violin study at the age of 6 and piano at the age of 8. As a student at Yale University, he composed about 300 songs. He later when on to study at Harvard Law School (1914) and Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Science, reading Music.  In 1917, after the U.S. entered World War I, Porter went to France (he was not, as later reported, in French military service.) He became something of a playboy, travelling around Europe and, though rather openly homosexual, married a wealthy older American divorcée and socialite, Linda Lee Thomas, on December 18, 1919. They spent the next two decades in lively partying and socia

Husband of Clara Schumann, previously featured on the blog, Robert Schumann was born on the 8th of June 1810. Listen to his gorgeous song, "Meine Rose"/ "My Rose"  recorded beautifully by Janet Baker and Paul Hamburger:  DHM YouTube Playlist Text: Meine Rose Nikolaus Lenau Dem holden Lenzgeschmeide, Der Rose, meiner Freude, Die schon gebeugt und blasser Vom heissen Strahl der Sonnen, Reich ich den Becher Wasser Aus dunklem, tiefen Bronnen. Du Rose meines Herzens! Vom stillen Strahl des Schmerzens Bist du gebeugt und blasser; Ich möchte dir zu Füssen, Wie dieser Blume Wasser, Still meine Seele giessen! Könnt ich dann auch nicht sehen Dich freudig auferstehen. My Rose English Translation ©  Richard Stokes To spring's fair jewel, To the rose, my delight, Already drooping and pale From the heat of the sun, I bring a beaker of water From the deep, dark well. Rose of my heart! You droop and pale From the silent shaft of pain; I would silently pour out My soul at your

On the 7th of June, 1958, the multi-talented musician, Prince, was born.  Amidst his output, his song "Purple Rain" is possibly his most famous. It was originally written as a country song, and was intended to be a collaboration with Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks. According to Nicks, when sent an instrumental version of the song, she was simply overwhelmed by the task of writing the lyrics. Prince then asked his backing band to try the song. They played for six hours by the end of which it was written. He describes his iconic song "Purple Rain" as follows: "When there's blood in the sky: red + blue = purple...purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting you faith/god guide you through the purple rain."   - Prince Listen to the original here: DHM YouTube Playlist Prince's symbol to replace his name: a combination of the male and female gender symbols Many artists have covered the song. Here's Jessi

On this day in 1903, the Soviet Armenian composer, Aram Khachaturian was born in Tiflis (what is now Tbilisi, Georgia). One of his most famous works is the ballet 'Gayane'. Listen to the beautiful Lullaby from the ballet, here:  DHM YouTube Playlist Aram Khachaturian June 6 1903 - May 1 1978) Khachaturian was trained at the Gnesin State Musical and Pedagogical Institute in Moscow and at the Moscow Conservatory and was a professor at both schools from 1951. As he grew older, he grew an appreciation of folk traditions - not only of Armenia, but also those of Georgia, Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan. Amongst other notable works, including the ballet 'Gayane', he composed the music for the Armenian national anthem, as well as film scores. Khachaturian's family was prominent in Soviet affairs; his wife, Nina Makarova, and his nephew, Karen Khachaturian, were also composers.  Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica

Esperanza Spalding , (born October 18, 1984,  Portland ,  Oregon , U.S.) is an American bassist, singer, and composer whose  talent and musical adventurousness brought her considerable success both within and beyond the world of  jazz .  Spalding grew up in a multilingual multiethnic household (her single mother was of Welsh, Hispanic, and Native American descent, and her father was African American). Inspired by seeing cellist   Yo-Yo Ma on television , she taught herself to play the violin at an early age. By the time she was five, she had earned a place in the local  community  orchestra, the Chamber Music Society of Oregon (take note of this name). Spalding performed with the group for the next 10 years, learning to play the upright   bass , which soon became her favoured instrument. During this time she branched out into other forms of music, including   blues ,   hip-hop , and   funk .  After dropping out of   high school   at age 16, she received a GED (alternative high school q

Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. was released on the 4th of June in 1984 and it became one of his defining albums. The album was met with positive reviews and massive commercial success. It produced seven top-10 hit singles and was promoted with a worldwide concert by Springsteen. It became one of the highest-selling records ever, having sold 30 million copies by 2012.  'Dancing In the Dark' is the 11th track on the album and was the last to be recorded. It was written overnight after record producer, Jon Landau, convinced Bruce that the album needed a single. According to Dave Marsh, Springsteen was not impressed, saying "Look", he snarled, "I've written seventy songs. You want another one, you write it." Springsteen came in the next day with the entire song written: DHM YouTube Playlist Bruce Springsteen Sources: Wikipedia 

DHM YouTube Playlist Good morn or evening friends Here's your friendly announcer I have serious news to pass on to every-body What I'm about to say Could mean the world's disaster Could change your joy and laughter to tears and pain It's that Love's in need of love today Don't delay Send yours in right away Hate's goin' round Breaking many hearts Stop it please Before it's gone too far The force of evil plans To make you its possession And it will if we let it Destroy ev-er-y-body We all must take Precautionary measures If love and peace you treasure Then you'll hear me when I say Oh that Love's in need of love today love's in need of love today Don't delay don't delay Send yours in right away right a-way Hate's goin' round hate's goin' round Breaking many hearts break-ing hearts Stop it please stop it please Before it's gone too far gone too far People you know that Love's in need of love today love's