Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was an artist of great genius and was truly original in almost every aspect of composition. As an orchestrator, he was without peer; something that is evident in works such as the ballet Daphnis et Chloe and the ever-popular Bolero. His harmonic language was tonal, although he extended this traditional language through the use of the 9th, 11th, and 13th chords, a nuance which gave his pieces a distinctive French sensuality. Ravel was also an excellent pianist and his compositions for piano are extremely innovative.
    Ravel is the composer of the evocative Rapsodie espagnole (Spanish Rhapsody). Other orchestrations of original piano compositions include a version of the very well known Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Infanta), the Menuet antique, Alborada del gracioso from Miroirs and pieces from Le tombeau de Couperin. Ravel wrote two piano concertos, the first, completed in 1930, for the left hand only, commissioned by the pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who had lost his right arm in the war, and the second, completed in 1931, for both hands.
    “The Left Hand Major Piano Concerto”, was first played in 1932 in Paris by Marguerite Long. This concerto is reminiscent of the `Spanish Rhapsody`. It is divided into 3 parts. The first part, (Allegramente) is energeticly fast and is based on Spanish Folklore and dance themes. The second part (Adagio Assai) is more lyrical and slow, where the third part (Presto) is full of joy, and sounds as dynamic as the first part.
    As a boy Hector Berlioz (1803-1869), learnt the flute, guitar and harmony from treatises alone (he never studied the piano); his first compositions were romances and small chamber pieces.
    Hailed as an advanced composer, he also became known as a leading modern conductor. He produced literary works (notably the Mémoires) and many musical masterpieces - La damnation de Faust, the Te Deum, L’enfance du Christ, the vast epic Les troyens (1856-8; partly performed in 1863) and Béatrice et Bénédict (1860-62).
    A lofty idealist with a leaping imagination, Berlioz was subject to violent emotional changes from enthusiasm to misery; only his sharp wit saved him from morbid self-pity over the disappointments in his private and professional life. The intensity of his personality is inextricably woven into his music: all his works reflect something in himself, expressed through poetry, literature, religion or drama. `Le Carnaval Romain` has an energetic beginning, so the audience feels the folk melodies better. Berlioz also used the fervent Italian dance called `Saltarello` in order to establish the piece’s thematic harmony.
    Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) is arguably one of Britain has seen since Henry Purcell. Over the course of a long and extensive career, Vaughan Williams composed music notable for its power, nobility and expressiveness, representing the essence of ‘Englishness’.
    In his lifetime, Vaughan Williams eschewed all honours with the exception of the Order of Merit which was conferred upon him in 1938. He died in August 1958, his ashes are interred in Westminster Abbey, not far from Purcell. During a long and productive life, he was a prolific composer - hardly a musical genre was untouched or failed to be enriched by his work, which included nine symphonies, five operas, film music, ballet and stage music, several song cycles, church music and works for chorus and orchestra.
    The “R Major Symphony No.5”, a highly lyrical piece, is a romantic composition with 4 parts. The first part (Preludio) is quiet and peaceful, beginning with a pastoral theme. This main theme is repeated in the other parts of the symphony in various moods, rhythms and tunes.