Dr Justin Wildridge

Both Liszt and Chopin were born at a time in musical history when the piano was already established as a popular instrument with composers and … Read more

If you have ever seen Baroque architecture and paintings you will have a good idea of how ornate its appearance is. The style emanated from … Read more

During the short period of time during which Mozart lived, he is thought to have completed six-hundred and twenty-six compositions. This includes forty-one symphonies, twenty-seven … Read more

To fully appreciate where this title emerged from it is useful to have a window back in time to the era in which Chopin was … Read more

My first encounter with this gentleman was as a postgraduate composition student. I was fascinated, and to a certain extent still am, with the composer … Read more

This article is dedicated to one of the unsung heroes of the French Baroque period of musical history. In his day, Rameau (1683-1764) was one … Read more

Bach English Suites are a collection of six suites ranging from BWV806-811. They represent some of the composers’ most meticulous and inspired writing crowning the … Read more

Hungarian born composer Béla Bartok (1881-1945), is perhaps best known for his cataloging and collecting of traditional Hungarian music, alongside his substantial contribution to the … Read more

There is sometimes a certain complacency that we could be accused of in the 21st Century. We tend to think of ourselves as technologically advanced … Read more

In the 21st Century, can we think of Classical music as the exclusive province of the elite social classes; or highly specialist academics so far … Read more

The term ‘nocturnal’ refers to things or events that are, for the most part, associated with the night. That in itself has a wealth of … Read more

For many years I have labored under the misapprehension that I had a fairly sound grasp of the different kinds of piano that there available … Read more

Sculpture and painter Picasso is more closely associated with the world of cubist art than the world of music. To the public, Picasso is credited … Read more

Composers being influenced by the wonders of nature is quite a common theme. The French composer Olivier Messiaen is well-known for using bird song in … Read more