Though not Elgar’s first well-received piece, Salut d’Amour ('Love's Greeting’) was undoubtedly his first viral hit. After its publication in 1889 the work became wildly popular amongst amateur and professional musicians alike, a process helped by its subsequent adaption for many instrumental combinations.
The story of the work is charming, though not with out a bitter edge—written as present for his fiancee, it was a gift that financially continued to give, though not in a way the composer might have hoped.
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Bizet’s 1875 opera ‘Carmen’ is perhaps the best-known, best loved opera in the repertoire. So it is surprising to reflect that this great work, with all its vivid and now famous musical numbers, had a controversial and difficult beginning, with its composer not living to witness its phenomenal popularity. Continue reading...
It’s sometimes said that ‘the devil has all the best tunes,’ but if we cast an eye back on the history of Western music, that is very far from being the case. Some of the most gorgeous music ever to have been written is religious. And of this the aria, a work for solo voice, is the purest, most distilled essence of this beauty.
We’ve rummaged through the whole of this history to bring you our picks of the very greatest religious arias, the only rule being that each composer can only be represented by one piece (with one sneaky exception at the end!).
This list is not just for singers; these pieces make great concert pieces on any instrument—follow the links to access our catalogue of exclusive arrangements!
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Brahms's 21 Hungarian Dances are amongst the most popular pieces he ever wrote. And of these, No.5 is the undoubted star of the set—fiery, rhythmically incisive and full of dramatic contrasts, it has become emblematic of the 'Hungarian Dance' style. It has also become popular though the many arrangements of it that have been made of it over the years, one of the biggest collections being here on 8notes (we have over 50 versions to chose from!).
The history of this particular dance is, however, controversial to say the least...
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There have been great concertos written for many instruments, but somehow the piano concerto feels like the biggest of the concerto beasts. Perhaps this is because of the epic carrying power of a modern concert grand piano, perhaps because so many composers have also been great pianists.
There are many candidates for the greatest piano concerto, so we have had to work hard to whittle them down to the very greatest. They’re all pretty difficult to play, but luckily here on 8notes you will find not only the complete works, but also special easier arrangements so you can experience playing the best parts from them. This includes versions for solo line instruments such as the flute, violin and trumpet, so you don’t even have to be a pianist to experience these marvellous works. Just follow the links in the descriptions below.
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Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee is notorious for being one of the most difficult solo works in the repertoire. In spite of, or more probably because of this, almost all musicians are eager to play it. It is the ultimate technical challenge; to conquer it is to prove that one has attained a certain type of mastery. Unsurprisingly, then, it is one of our most popular works on 8notes, with more than 30 versions to choose from. Continue reading...
The violin sonata literature is so deep and rich that it is often difficult enough to choose a favourite sonata by a particular composer, let alone the top ten of all time. Yet whilst any such list is debatable, it is possible to identify certain works that represent the apex of the genre, the most musically profound, technically challenging of their type. Taken as a whole, these works trace the expressive journey of the instrument over two centuries. Continue reading...
The very essence of elegance, lyricism and subtle melancholy, Gabriel Faure’s Sicilienne, Op.78 (1893) is a masterpiece of the French Romantic period. At just four minutes to perform and prioritising expressivity over virtuosity, it has become a very popular work amongst cello players of intermediate and higher levels. Despite this, Sicilienne actually started life as a theatre work, with even the cello version not being the final version of the piece. Continue reading...
The march is one of the most ancient of musical forms, its origins going back deep into antiquity. In the time of Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, music was used to accompany ceremonial and military movements, with drums, horns and pipes being used to coordinate the steps of soldiers and to inspire morale. Music was also important on the battlefield, with trumpet and horn-like instruments used to signal actions such as charge and retreat.
Whilst these uses didn’t form any kind of distinct musical repertoire that has survived, they set basic functions for the the march—for coordination, ceremony and motivation.
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If you want human emotion laid bare, opera is your art form - despair, longing, joy, love, it’s all there. And within an opera the purest expression of this is the aria, where a singer will reflect upon or drive forward the drama in a solo song.
In the hands of a great composer an aria is a perfect marriage of text and music, often producing music of the profoundest beauty. Great arias tend to be the most celebrated part of any opera, so much so that musicians often choose to perform them as stand-alone concert pieces.
Here is our choice of the most beautiful of these magnificent works. Follow the links to find sheet music for your instrument and to practise with our exclusive backing tracks.
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