Albert Roussel (5 April 1869 – 23 August 1937) initially embarked on a Naval career, but later changed direction in 1896 after meeting Vincent D’Indy and became one of the first pupils at the newly formed Schola Cantorum. He was a prolific composer, writing in many genres, and gradually became one of the leading figures…
Hugo Schlemüller (1872-1918) was a German cellist, composer and teacher. From 1902 he taught at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt and in 1910 founded his own publishing company. He composed many works for cello and several pieces in ‘Bass for beginners’ were adapted from his ‘The Very First Performance Pieces for the Young Cellist’.
German bassist Oswald Schwabe (1846 -1909) was Professor of Double Bass at Leipzig Royal Conservatoire and Principal Bass of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He studied with Emanuel Storch and was a successful teacher in his own right. Schwabe’s works for double bass include a book of Technical Studies alongside three short pieces for double bass…
(b.1945) John Rutter studied music at Clare College, Cambridge and first came to notice as a composer and arranger of Christmas carols and other choral pieces during those early years; today his compositions, including such concert-length works as Requiem, Magnificat, Mass of the Children, The Gift of Life, and Visions are performed around the world. John edits the Oxford Choral Classics…
Henry Purcell was an English composer of Baroque music, born around September 10, 1659, in Westminster, London, England. He passed away on November 21, 1695, in Marsham Street, London1. Purcell’s musical style was uniquely English, though it incorporated Italian and French elements. He is generally considered one of the greatest English opera composers and is…
Sarah Quartel is a Canadian composer, conductor, and educator known for her fresh and exciting approach to choral music. Her compositions are deeply inspired by the transformative relationships that can occur through making choral music, and she writes in a way that connects singer to singer, ensemble to conductor, and performer to audience. Her works…
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor, born on April 1, 1873, in Semyonovo, Russia, and he passed away on March 28, 1943, in Beverly Hills, California, USA. He is widely regarded as one of the finest pianists of his day and as a composer, one of the last great representatives…
Sergey Prokofiev was a 20th-century Russian (and Soviet) composer, born on April 23 (April 11, Old Style), 1891, in Sontsovka, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire. He passed away on March 5, 1953, in Moscow, Russia, U.S.S.R. Prokofiev was a prolific composer who wrote in a wide range of musical genres, including symphonies, concerti,…
Pietro Mascagni was an influential Italian composer born on December 7, 1863, in Livorno, Italy, and he passed away on August 2, 1945, in Rome, Italy. He is best known for his operas and is particularly celebrated for his 1890 masterpiece Cavalleria rusticana, which caused a sensation in opera history and initiated the Verismo movement…
