What's new ?This site is one of those that will never be complete. There will always be something else, gaps to be filled or fresh items to add. If you click on the yellow RSS button (bottom left under the navigation) you can be informed automatically of any updates. Feb 3, 2012 Mendelssohn 203 today
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Mendelssohn 203 today" Feb 3, 2012 February Anniversaries of Great Classical Composers
Jan 7, 2012 Rodrigo is our latest addition
Best known for 'Concerto de Aranjuez', one of the most popular pieces of 20th century classical music. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Rodrigo is our latest addition" Jan 2, 2012 Sir Michael Tippett & Mily Balakirev birthdays
Jan 1, 2012 January Anniversaries of Great Classical Composers
Dec 30, 2011 New page - St HILDEGARD of Bingen
Permalink -- click for full blog post "New page - St HILDEGARD of Bingen" Dec 11, 2011 Happy Birthday Hector!
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Happy Birthday Hector!" Oct 25, 2011 Bizet's birthday today
Here's the Happy Birthday theme in the style of Bizet and of Tchaikovsky Permalink -- click for full blog post "Bizet's birthday today" Oct 24, 2011 Dame Ethel Smyth - our first female composer!
Not only a brilliant composer but also a political activist involved in the suffagette movement. She was even jailed for smashing the windows of a leading politician! Permalink -- click for full blog post "Dame Ethel Smyth - our first female composer!" Oct 22, 2011 200th anniversary of Liszt's birth
Permalink -- click for full blog post "200th anniversary of Liszt's birth" Oct 12, 2011 Vaughan Williams birthday today
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Vaughan Williams birthday today" Oct 10, 2011 2012 Opera Calendar on Etsy
I uploaded my new 2012 Opera Calendar onto Etsy today. Looks good! Oct 2, 2011 October classical composer anniversaries
Permalink -- click for full blog post "October classical composer anniversaries" Sep 29, 2011 Gabriel Fauré - our latest addition
I have just added a page on Gabriel Fauré. Like Messiaen he was a 20th century French composer, organist and teacher. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Gabriel Fauré - our latest addition" Sep 26, 2011 Putting fun into classical music
Our new Video of the Week on our home page is a very entertaining 8 minutes by the MozART Group. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Putting fun into classical music" Sep 26, 2011 Gershwin - 113th birthday
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Gershwin - 113th birthday" Sep 4, 2011 Bruckner's Birthday today
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Bruckner's Birthday today" Sep 1, 2011 September Composer Anniversaries
Permalink -- click for full blog post "September Composer Anniversaries" Aug 17, 2011 Classical Composers Calendar - back to school!!
There is a September '11 to August '12 Great Composers Calendar now available at Etsy. I have posted a link on the Home page.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Classical Composers Calendar - back to school!!" Aug 4, 2011 August Classical Composr Anniversaries
Sorry late again!
Permalink -- click for full blog post "August Classical Composr Anniversaries" Aug 2, 2011 Pietro Mascagni RIP
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Pietro Mascagni RIP" Jul 31, 2011 New page - Olivier MESSIAEN
Permalink -- click for full blog post "New page - Olivier MESSIAEN" Jul 10, 2011 George Gershwin - our latest profile
Permalink -- click for full blog post "George Gershwin - our latest profile" Jul 7, 2011 Happy Birthday Gustav Mahler
It is also the centenary of the birth of Gian Carlo Menotti a talented Italo-American composer best known for his operas. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Happy Birthday Gustav Mahler" Jul 6, 2011 July Composer Anniversaries
Sorry, a bit late but here are the birthdays and death anniversaries for July:
Jul 4, 2011 Happy 4th July
Video of the week is a complete recording of Tchaikovsky's '1812 Overture' the finale of which is often played at 4th July fireworks displays, even though it has nothing to do with America and everything to do with commemorating Moscow's defense against Napoleon's armies. Sousa and 1812 on the Home page Permalink -- click for full blog post "Happy 4th July" Jun 1, 2011 June Composer AnniversariesIt's June already. So here is the June list of the main composer birthdays and death anniversaries.
May 29, 2011 Happy Birthday Isaac Albeniz!
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Happy Birthday Isaac Albeniz!" Apr 10, 2011 The Parallel Lives of Verdi and Wagner
Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Parallel Lives of Verdi and Wagner" Mar 22, 2011 Films about composers
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Films about composers" New! CommentsFeel free to leave a comment. Thank you. |
Joaquin Rodrigo (1901 - 1999) the Spanish composer, is the latest addition to the site.
Two birthdays today - the Englishman Sir Michael Tippett (1905) and the Russian Mily Balakirev (1837), leader of the 'Mighty Five'.
173 today - Happy Birthday George! 
Happy Birthday Franz!.
139 today. Happy Birthday Ralph.
Happy Birthday George!.
187 today. Happy Birthday.
Classical composer Pietro Mascagni died 66 years ago today. Considered a one hit wonder for his Cavalleria Rusticana he in fact created much much more music of quality which unfortunately doesn't get much exposure at all.
I have just added a page on Olivier Messiaen. He was a 20th century French composer, organist, teacher and ornithologist. He is known for incorporating birdsong into his compositions.
151 today. Congratulation.
As today is the 4th July I have made Sousa the composer of the week. 
Today is the birthday of Albeniz so I have put his 'Asturias' as Video of the Week on the Home page.
An interesting essay by Peter McKenzie-Brown on the similarities and differences in the lives of these two composers, born within months of each other.
I occasionally get asked if there is a movie about a particular composer.