Shylock Suite – Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

Gabriel Fauré, a French-born composer, first composed this piece in 1889 for an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”. When Fauré composed it the first time, it was written as incidental music, or music used in the background of a larger event, such as a play, movie, or other form of physical media. The orchestra was not very big, so Fauré later reprogrammed the six-movement piece to have a much larger concert orchestra, as well as adding a solo tenor to two of the movements, bridging the divide previously heard between the “background music” and a much more famous and iconic concert suite.

Chanson de Nuit, Op. 15, No. 1 – Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

At the time that this piece was composed, Edward Elgar was already a well-established composer in the eyes of the world. His pieces are still frequently played, especially his violin and cello concertos, as well as his renowned Enigma Variations. However, Elgar complained to a friend of his, AJ Jaeger, a Novello’s employee, that he wasn’t happy with his financial situation despite his ongoing compositional triumphs at the time. Granted, this was before he wrote the “Enigma Variations,” but Elgar still felt that he should be rewarded more financially for his work. Shortly thereafter, Elgar sent Jaeger a small piece for a violin and piano named “Evensong.” Jaeger believed that the French name sounded better, so he titled it “Chanson de Nuit” or “Song of the Night.” Elgar thought that this piece was nothing but filler or a buffer while he wrote more important works. That was not the case. Years later, in 1901, Elgar wrote to Jaeger again and provided him with orchestral arrangements of the piece, regarding it as one of his favorites that he had ever written. The piece evokes a sense of emotion and overwhelming sincerity that was previously unseen or unheard in music at the time. Unfortunately, despite its beautiful melody and wondrous imagery, the piece is often overlooked by its successor, “Chanson de Matin,” which was released alongside “Chanson de Nuit.” Elgar put more effort into writing the second “Chanson” suite, so it is often seen and heard more often than his first. However, “Chanson de Nuit” still stands strong as one of Elgar’s most recognizable and gorgeous orchestral works today.

Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, No. 8 – Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

Antonín Dvořák was born into a poor family in Bohemia, now known as the Czech Republic. Surrounded by music his whole life, his music career was almost inevitable. His musical virtuosity is evident in many of his pieces, as he possessed a fluent knowledge of technique and inspiration when writing his symphonies and concertos. His “Slavonic Dances” exhibit the same technical prowess as his other pieces. Dvořák originally wrote his 16 Slavonic dances for piano duet, arranging them for orchestra shortly after. The pieces themselves replicate the same kind of mood, emotional energy, and excitement of Slavonic folk music. The main opening section is repeated over and over again, later morphing the phrases to match the energy of the coda. This specific dance, number 8, is described as the “furiant”, which is a type of Bohemian dance that contrasts 2/4 and 3/4 throughout the piece, while also teetering between major and minor tonalities as well before finishing with a grand G major coda. The grandeur and triumphant energy of this piece, as it continues, solidify it as one of Dvořák’s most recognizable Slavonic dances.

L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2 – Georges Bizet (1838-1875)

Georges Bizet, another French composer, was incredibly prolific. His works are still played around the world today, the most popular being his Symphony in C Major. In 1872, Bizet was approached by Léon Carvalho, the director of the Theatre of Vaudeville at the time. Carvalho and Bizet had collaborated on multiple operas before this. He commissioned Bizet to write incidental music for a new play called “L’arsienne,” written by Alphonse Daudet. Bizet got to work, writing 27 varying pieces of music for the show. The most popular piece from the show was the suite that preceded this one, so Bizet was commissioned to compose a second suite to follow. The suite combines various aspects from the show, including the choral parts from the show itself, played by the orchestra, and incorporates two pieces of incidental music into the final movement. Throughout the four movements of the suite, the piece exhibits a level of tenderness and delicacy that was unprecedented for Bizet at the time. Much of his music before this was bombastic, loud, and tonally complex; however, this suite completely counteracts this aspect of his music, creating a pleasant and romantic atmosphere within the orchestra itself.

Norwegian Dances, Op. 35 – Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Edvard Grieg was the most prolific Scandinavian composer of his time, gaining fame and recognition for his grand compositions and large orchestrations, as well as a virtuosic sense of emotional contrast in his pieces. One of the biggest examples of this is his Norwegian Dances. Grieg first composed this piece in 1881 for piano with four hands. The piece showed complete contrast in dynamics and tone throughout the four-movement work, a common practice for Grieg. Ten years later, a man named Peter Verlag commissioned Czech composer and violinist Hans Sitt to arrange an orchestral version of Grieg’s virtuosic piece, going completely against Grieg’s will. Grieg wanted the orchestral arrangement to come from a French composer, believing that they would understand Grieg’s wishes and musical dichotomy better than anyone else. However, Grieg was pleasantly surprised by how accurately his music was captured. The piece evokes and mimics the tone and movement of common Norwegian dance patterns and rhythms, featuring a calmer section followed by an energetic and lively section, depending on which one initiated the movement. The differences in the music have cemented this as one of Grieg’s most popular pieces, showcasing the musical prowess of any orchestra.