Brilliant Classics

In the field of choral music Tchaikovsky is known as the first Russian composer to have composed cycles of the Liturgy and the Vespers, but his considerable output of secular choral music is less well-known, and a delightful surprise. These secular choruses are little jewels, written for various types of choir, with all the familiar qualities of...

Domenico Scarlatti, the sixth child of the celebrated composer Alessandro Scarlatti, was a prolific keyboard composer, and is best known today for his 555 sonatas for keyboard. Domenico was employed by various members of European royalty and nobility in Italy, Spain and Portugal throughout his career. His style was unusual and innovative, but very...

It was by chance in 1900 that Dvorák came by the libretto for Rusalka by the poet Jaroslav Kvapil. It hadbeen declined by two of Dvorak's pupils, Nedbal and Suk, as well as J.B. Foerster. Dvorák was delightedwith the libretto, and completed the score within a year. Rusalka was premiered in 1901 and has becomeDvorak's most popular opera. It was also...

Gabriel Faure composed his requiem in 1887/8 after a period of intense personal grief. His father had died in 1885, and his mother died two years later. The early version was scored for violas, cellos, organ, harp and timpani.A later version performed in 1888 had horns and trumpets added. A further development, he added a Libera me, and he made...

On this, the largest set ever compiled of one of the last century's most popular composers, we may not only renew our familiarity with the Concierto de Aranjuez, or perhaps with one of the other ever-melodious guitar concertos that sustain his reputation with audiences, but also discover chamber, instrumental, choral and especially vocal works...

John Cage (1912--92) is regarded as one of the most influential and controversial composers of the 20th century.It is not only his music that this reputation is based on -- his ideas were revolutionary, and he cast doubt on the supremacy of European art, and music when it was unchallenged and such views were considered heretic.Cage rejected the...