Talks on Western Classical Music

Stuart-Liff Collection Library: Thursday, 14th May at 4.00 pm

Elgar: Serenade for Strings

The second talk of the series by Dr. Cavas Bilimoria this month will focus on Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings. Written in March 1892, Elgar’s serenade was first performed by the Worcester Ladies’ Orchestral Class. Enduringly popular, it has a youthful charm backed by ingenious musical ‘machinations’ and textures. It is one of the first pieces with which Elgar, the perfectionist, professed himself ‘truly satisfied.’

Stuart-Liff Collection Library: Thursday, 4th June at 4.00 pm

Stravinsky: Petrushka

In this series of talks on Western classical music, Dr. Cavas Bilimoria takes listeners through musical concepts, the lives of composers and their famous works, interspersed with examples from recorded music.

The first talk this month will dive into Stravinsky’s Petrushka. Stravinsky composed a piece for piano and orchestra, with the piano representing a puppet endowed not only with life but also human emotions. He named it Petrushka. When Sergei Diaghilev saw the score, he was quick to perceive the dramatic possibilities of the work and persuaded Stravinsky to write a full-length ballet describing Petrushka’s adventures, tragedy and death. The result was a brilliant and charming creation, considered by many to be one of the most magical scores in all classical music.

Stuart-Liff Collection Library: Thursday, 18th June at 4.00 pm

Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings

The second talk of the series by Dr. Cavas Bilimoria this month will focus on Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. Although Tchaikovsky was a composer of Romantic music, his idol was Mozart. He often referred to Mozart as the ‘Christ of Music’. So, in September 1880, he decided to write a serenade for strings alone, as a tribute to Mozart who had himself written many beautiful serenades. While many of these were written for a small group of musicians, Tchaikovsky’s serenade requires a full string section to bring out the wonderful sonorities woven into the music. It remains one of his most loved and most performed pieces.

An NCPA Presentation

Entry free on a first come, first served basis.