Programme NotesGerald Larner Archive

The Gerald Larner Programme Note Archive

Concert programme notes on the classical repertoire, written across five decades by the music critic Gerald Larner (1936–2018) — a free, searchable resource for performers, students and listeners.

5388 programme notes 3522 works 445 composers
The complete archive — entries are still being checked and refined

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A

Isabelle Aboulkerb. 1938Contemporary1 workFranz Abt1819–1885RomanticThomas Adèsb. 1971Contemporary3 worksMilton Ager1893–1979Modern1 workKalevi Ahob. 1949Contemporary1 workIsaac Albéniz1860–1909Late Romantic10 worksEugen d’Albert1864–1932Late Romantic1 workHugo Alfvén1872–1960Modern1 workWilliam Alwyn1905–1985Modern3 worksLeroy Anderson1908–1975Modern1 workGeorge Antheil1900–1959Modern1 workLuigi Arditi1822–1903Romantic2 worksAnton Arensky1861–1906Late Romantic2 worksMalcolm Arnold1921–2006Modern8 worksLera Auerbachb. 1973Contemporary3 worksGeorges Auric1899–1983ModernTzvi Avnib. 1927Contemporary1 work

B

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach1714–1788Classical4 worksJohann Sebastian Bach1685–1750Baroque67 worksAlfred Bachelet1864–1944Late Romanticin concert programmesAgathe Backer Grøndahl1847–1907Late Romantic1 workSimon Bainbridge1952–2021Contemporary1 workRichard Bakerb. 1972ContemporaryMily Balakirev1837–1910Romantic1 workMichael Balfe1808–1870Romantic1 workSamuel Barber1910–1981Modern17 worksJohn Barry1933–2011Modern1 workBéla Bartók1881–1945Modern54 worksAlison Bauldb. 1944Contemporary1 workArnold Bax1883–1953Modern3 worksAmy Beach1867–1944Late Romantic2 worksSally Beamishb. 1956Contemporary1 workLudwig van Beethoven1770–1827Classical118 worksVincenzo Bellini1801–1835Romantic3 worksJulius Benedict1804–1885Romanticin concert programmesGeorge Benjaminb. 1960Contemporary1 workRichard Rodney Bennett1936–2012Contemporary4 worksAlban Berg1885–1935Modern12 worksLuciano Berio1925–2003Contemporary3 worksLennox Berkeley1903–1989Modern3 worksHector Berlioz1803–1869Romantic34 worksLeonard Bernstein1918–1990Modern10 worksGiovanni BiettiContemporary1 workRonald Binge1910–1979Modern2 worksJudith Binghamb. 1952Contemporary1 workGeorges Bizet1838–1875Romantic27 worksArthur Bliss1891–1975Modern3 worksErnest Bloch1880–1959Modern4 worksJohn Blow1649–1708Baroque1 workLuigi Boccherini1743–1805Classical7 worksSylvie Bodorováb. 1954Contemporary1 workWilliam Bolcomb. 1938Contemporary2 worksCharles Bordes1863–1909Late Romanticin concert programmesAlexander Borodin1833–1887Romantic7 worksGiovanni Bottesini1821–1889Romantic1 workLili Boulanger1893–1918Modern18 worksNadia Boulanger1887–1979Modern1 workPierre Boulez1925–2016Contemporary1 workYork Bowen1884–1961Modern2 worksWilliam Boyce1711–1779BaroqueEugène Bozza1905–1991Modern1 workJohannes Brahms1833–1897Romantic84 worksJacques Brel1929–1978Modern2 worksFrank Bridge1879–1941Modern6 worksBenjamin Britten1913–1976Modern38 worksJames Francis Brownb. 1969Contemporary1 workDave Brubeck1920–2012Modern1 workMax Bruch1838–1920Romantic6 worksAnton Bruckner1824–1896Romantic8 worksAlan Bush1900–1995Modern1 workFerruccio Busoni1866–1924Modern7 worksGeorge Butterworth1885–1916Modern1 work

C

John Cage1912–1992Modern1 workJoseph Canteloube1879–1957Modern7 worksAndré Caplet1878–1925Modern1 workEduardo di Capua1865–1917Late Romantic1 workElliott Carter1908–2012Modern1 workJohn CarterModern1 workPablo Casals1876–1973Modern1 workAlfredo Casella1883–1947Modern1 workGaspar Cassadó1897–1966Modern1 workMario Castelnuovo-Tedesco1895–1968Modern1 workEmmanuel Chabrier1841–1894Romantic22 worksCécile Chaminade1857–1944Late Romantic1 workErnest Chausson1855–1899Late Romantic18 worksLuigi Cherubini1760–1842Classical11 worksFrédéric Chopin1810–1849Romantic113 worksFrancesco Cilea1866–1950Modern1 workRebecca Clarke1886–1979Modern2 worksEric Coates1886–1957Modern4 worksSamuel Coleridge-Taylor1875–1912Late Romantic1 workHenri Collet1885–1951Modern1 workAaron Copland1900–1990Modern15 worksChick Corea1941–2021Contemporary1 workArcangelo Corelli1653–1713Baroque3 worksPeter Cornelius1824–1874Romantic2 worksFrançois Couperin1668–1733Baroque3 worksNoël Coward1899–1973Modern2 worksGeorge Crumb1929–2022Contemporary1 work

D

Marc-André Dalbavieb. 1961Contemporary1 workFranz Danzi1763–1826Classicalin concert programmesSir Peter Maxwell Davies1934–2016Contemporary1 workCarl Davis1936–2023Contemporary1 workBrett Deanb. 1961Contemporary2 worksClaude Debussy1862–1918Modern93 worksLéo Delibes1836–1891Romantic5 worksFrederick Delius1862–1934Late Romantic4 worksLuigi Denza1846–1922Late Romanticin concert programmesAnton Diabelli1781–1858Classicalin concert programmesStephen Dodgson1924–2013Contemporary1 workErnő Dohnányi1877–1960Modern5 worksGaetano Donizetti1797–1848Romanticin concert programmesFranz Doppler1821–1883Romantic1 workAntal Doráti1906–1988Modern1 workNico Dostal1895–1981Modern2 worksCelius Dougherty1902–1986Modern1 workMadeleine Dring1923–1977Modern1 workPaul Dukas1865–1935Late Romantic6 worksTan Dunb. 1957Contemporary1 workHenri Duparc1848–1933Late Romantic8 worksAuguste Durand1830–1909Romantic1 workMaurice Duruflé1902–1986Modern1 workHenri Dutilleux1916–2013Modern9 worksAntonín Dvořák1841–1904Late Romantic58 works

E

Roger Edens1905–1970Modern1 workHanns Eisler1898–1962Modern1 workSir Edward Elgar1857–1934Late Romantic17 worksBrian Eliasb. 1948ContemporaryLouis Emanuel1 workGeorge Enescu1881–1955Modern10 worksThierry Escaichb. 1965Contemporary1 work

F

Leo Fall1873–1925Modern1 workManuel de Falla1876–1946Modern14 worksGabriel Fauré1845–1924Late Romantic68 worksSamuil Feinberg1890–1962Modern1 workGerald Finzi1901–1956Modern3 worksJoseph-Hector Fiocco1703–1741Baroque1 workErnst Fischer1900–1975Modern1 workPavel Fischerb. 1965Contemporary1 workBernard Foccroulleb. 1953ContemporaryFordStephen Foster1826–1864Romantic2 worksJean Françaix1912–1997Modern5 worksCésar Franck1822–1890Romantic16 worksDave Frishberg1933–2021Contemporary1 workCarl Frühling1868–1937Late Romantic1 workGunnar de Frumerie1908–1987Modern1 workJulius Fučík1872–1916Late Romantic2 works

G

Vincenzo Gabussi1800–1846Romanticin concert programmesNiels Gade1817–1890Romantic1 workJosé Pablo Moncayo1912–1958Modern1 workHarald Genzmer1909–2007Modernin concert programmesGeorge Gershwin1898–1937Modern11 worksAlberto Ginastera1916–1983Modern10 worksGiuseppe Giordani1751–1798Classical1 workEgberto Gismontib. 1947Contemporary1 workAlexander Glazunov1865–1936Late Romantic5 worksReinhold Glière1875–1956Modern1 workMikhail Glinka1804–1857Romantic5 worksChristoph Willibald Gluck1714–1787Classical1 workBenjamin Godard1849–1895Romantic1 workFélix Godefroid1818–1897Romantic1 workOsvaldo Golijovb. 1960Contemporary1 workCarlos Gomes1836–1896Romanticin concert programmesHenryk Górecki1933–2010Contemporary2 worksCharles Gounod1818–1893Romantic14 worksPercy Grainger1882–1961Modern5 worksEnrique Granados1867–1916Late Romantic12 worksJulian Grantb. 1960ContemporaryEdvard Grieg1843–1907Late Romantic23 worksCarlos Guastavino1912–2000Modern1 workSofia Gubaidulinab. 1931Contemporary1 workIvor Gurney1890–1937Modern2 works

H

Pavel Haas1899–1944Modern3 worksManos Hadjidakis1925–1994Contemporary1 workReynaldo Hahn1874–1947Modern8 worksGeorge Frideric Handel1685–1759Baroque16 worksJohn Harbisonb. 1938Contemporary1 workKarl Amadeus Hartmann1905–1963Modern2 worksAlphonse Hasselmans1845–1912Late Romantic1 workJoseph Haydn1732–1809Classical96 worksMichael Haydn1737–1806Classical1 workMichael Head1900–1976Modern1 workJake Heggieb. 1961Contemporary1 workVictor Herbert1859–1924Late Romantic1 workFerdinand Hérold1791–1833Romantic2 worksPeter Ludwig Hertel1817–1899Romantic1 workRichard Heuberger1850–1914Late Romantic1 workPaul Hindemith1895–1963Modern6 worksGustav Holst1874–1934Modern3 worksArthur Honegger1892–1955Modern9 worksStephen Houghb. 1961Contemporary1 workJohann Nepomuk Hummel1778–1837Classical1 workEngelbert Humperdinck1854–1921Late Romantic2 works

I

Jacques Ibert1890–1962Modern6 worksManuel Infante1883–1958Modern1 workJohn Ireland1879–1962Modern5 worksCharles Ives1874–1954Modern3 works

J

Leoš Janáček1854–1928Modern10 worksJoseph Joachim1831–1907Romantic1 workBetsy Jolasb. 1926Contemporary1 workAndré Jolivet1905–1974Modern4 worksJoseph Jongen1873–1953Modern1 workScott Joplin1868–1917Late Romantic2 works

K

Dmitry Kabalevsky1904–1987ModernViktor Kalabis1923–2006Contemporary2 worksJohann Wenzel Kalliwoda1801–1866Romantic1 workEmmerich Kálmán1882–1953Modern5 worksNikolai Kapustin1937–2020Contemporary1 workJerome Kern1885–1945Modern3 worksAram Khachaturian1903–1978Modern5 worksYrjö Kilpinen1892–1959Modern1 workOliver Knussen1952–2018Contemporary1 workSigurd von Koch1879–1919Modern3 worksZoltán Kodály1882–1967Modern6 worksCharles Koechlin1867–1950Modern4 worksKomitas1869–1935Late Romantic1 workErich Wolfgang Korngold1897–1957Modern6 worksJoseph Kosma1905–1969Modernin concert programmesHans Krása1899–1944Modern2 worksFritz Kreisler1875–1962Modern5 worksIsa Krejčí1904–1968Modern1 workErnst Krenek1900–1991Modern4 worksGyörgy Kurtágb. 1926Contemporary8 worksToivo Kuula1883–1918Modern2 works

L

Édouard Lalo1823–1892Romantic3 worksJoseph Lanner1801–1843Romantic3 worksJean-Marie Leclair1697–1764Baroque1 workErnesto Lecuona1895–1963Modern1 workFranz Lehár1870–1948Modern27 worksKenneth Leighton1929–1988Modern3 worksGuillaume Lekeu1870–1894Late Romantic2 worksRuggero Leoncavallo1857–1919Late Romantic2 worksIngvar Lidholm1921–2017ContemporaryGyörgy Ligeti1923–2006Contemporary6 worksPaul Lincke1866–1946Modern1 workFranz Liszt1811–1886Romantic80 worksFrank Loesser1910–1969Modern2 worksCarl Loewe1796–1869Romantic2 worksFrederick Loewe1901–1988Modern1 workHans Christian Lumbye1810–1874Romantic1 workPablo Luna1879–1942Modern1 workWitold Lutosławski1913–1994Modern8 worksAnatoly Lyadov1855–1914Late Romantic1 workSergei Lyapunov1859–1924Late Romantic

M

James MacMillanb. 1959Contemporary1 workLeevi Madetoja1887–1947Modern2 worksAlbéric Magnard1865–1914Late Romantic1 workGustav Mahler1860–1911Late Romantic23 worksHenning Mankell1868–1930Late Romantic1 workAngelo Mariani1821–1873Romanticin concert programmesFrank Martin1890–1974Modern4 worksBohuslav Martinů1890–1959Modern10 worksGiuseppe Martucci1856–1909Late Romantic1 workJoseph Marx1882–1964Modern1 workPietro Mascagni1863–1945Late Romantic1 workJules Massenet1842–1912Romantic7 worksIsao Matsushita1951–2018Contemporary1 workColin Matthewsb. 1946Contemporary2 worksDavid Matthewsb. 1943Contemporary1 workAndrés MaupointContemporary1 workNikolai Medtner1880–1951Modern2 worksErkki Melartin1875–1937Late Romantic1 workFelix Mendelssohn1809–1847Romantic50 worksFanny Mendelssohn1805–1847Romantic2 worksOskar Merikanto1868–1924Late Romantic1 workBenoît Mernierb. 1964ContemporaryAndré Messager1853–1929Late Romantic3 worksOlivier Messiaen1908–1992Modern20 worksDarius Milhaud1892–1974Modern10 worksCarl Millöcker1842–1899Romantic2 worksNathan Milstein1903–1992Modern1 workAkira Miyoshi1933–2013Contemporary1 workFederico Mompou1893–1987Modern3 worksClaudio Monteverdi1567–1643Baroque1 workVittorio Monti1868–1922Late Romantic1 workXavier Montsalvatge1912–2002Modern2 worksSalvador Moreno1916–1999Modern2 worksWolfgang Amadeus Mozart1756–1791Classical173 worksIsabel Mundryb. 1963Contemporary1 workThea Musgraveb. 1928Contemporary1 workModest Mussorgsky1839–1881Romantic12 worksJohn Mustob. 1954Contemporary1 workNikolai Myaskovsky1881–1950Modern1 work

N

Otto Nicolai1810–1849Romantic2 worksCarl Nielsen1865–1931Modern5 worksJoaquín Nin1879–1949Modern2 worksGustaf Nordqvist1886–1949ModernGösta Nystroem1890–1966Modern2 works

O

Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin1950–2018Contemporary1 workFernando Obradors1897–1945Modern5 worksSiegfried Ochs1858–1929Late Romantic1 workJacques Offenbach1819–1880Romantic13 works

P

Giovanni Pacini1796–1867Romanticin concert programmesNiccolò Paganini1782–1840Romantic8 worksÉmile Paladilhe1844–1926Late Romantic1 workSimon ParkinArvo Pärtb. 1935Contemporary1 workAntonio Pasculli1842–1924Late Romantic1 workPaul Pattersonb. 1947Contemporary2 worksJiří Pauer1919–2007Modern1 workGoffredo Petrassi1904–2003Modern1 workHans Pfitzner1869–1949Modern1 workAstor Piazzolla1921–1992Modern8 worksGabriel Pierné1863–1937Late Romantic4 worksPoldowski1879–1932Modernin concert programmesManuel Ponce1882–1948Modern1 workAmilcare Ponchielli1834–1886Romantic3 worksDavid Popper1843–1913Romantic1 workCole Porter1891–1964Modern4 worksFrancis Poulenc1899–1963Modern65 worksAndré Previn1929–2019Modern3 worksSergei Prokofiev1891–1953Modern38 worksJohn Psathasb. 1966Contemporary1 workGiacomo Puccini1858–1924Late Romantic11 worksHenry Purcell1659–1695Baroque6 works

Q

Roger Quilter1877–1953Modern2 works

R

Sergei Rachmaninov1873–1943Late Romantic36 worksTure Rangström1884–1947Modern1 workEinojuhani Rautavaara1928–2016Contemporary1 workMaurice Ravel1875–1937Modern66 worksAlan Rawsthorne1905–1971Modern1 workMax Reger1873–1916Modern1 workCarl Reinecke1824–1910Romantic1 workOttorino Respighi1879–1936Modern21 worksEmil Nikolaus von Reznicek1860–1945Late Romantic1 workAlan Ridout1934–1996Contemporary1 workWolfgang Rihm1952–2024Contemporary1 workNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov1844–1908Romantic12 worksJeremy Dale Roberts1934–2017ContemporaryJoaquín Rodrigo1901–1999Modern5 worksRoger Roger1911–1995Modern1 workNed Rorem1923–2022Contemporary1 workManuel Rosenthal1904–2003Modern3 worksGioachino Rossini1792–1868Romantic21 worksNino Rota1911–1979Modern4 worksAlbert Roussel1869–1937Modern7 worksAnton Rubinstein1829–1894Romantic

S

Bent Sørensenb. 1958Contemporary1 workCamille Saint-Saëns1835–1921Romantic34 worksAntonio Salieri1750–1825Classical3 worksCarlos Salzedo1885–1961Modern1 workPablo de Sarasate1844–1908Romantic4 worksErik Satie1866–1925Modern11 worksDomenico Scarlatti1685–1757Baroque10 worksPierre Schaeffer1910–1995Modern1 workAlfred Schnittke1934–1998Contemporary6 worksArnold Schoenberg1874–1951Modern14 worksFranz Schreker1878–1934Modern1 workFranz Schubert1797–1828Romantic111 worksErwin Schulhoff1894–1942Modern3 worksRobert Schumann1810–1856Romantic90 worksClara Schumann1819–1896Romantic3 worksAlexander Scriabin1872–1915Modern8 worksTibor Serly1901–1978Modern1 workGiovanni Sgambati1841–1914Late Romantic1 workRodion Shchedrinb. 1932Contemporary2 worksBright Shengb. 1955Contemporary1 workDmitri Shostakovich1906–1975Modern37 worksJean Sibelius1865–1957Late Romantic26 worksRudolf Sieczyński1879–1952Modern1 workMoisés Simons1889–1945Modern2 worksChristian Sinding1856–1941Late Romantic1 workBedřich Smetana1824–1884Romantic11 worksJohn Philip Sousa1854–1932Late Romantic2 worksLouis Spohr1784–1859Romantic2 worksCarl Stamitz1745–1801Classical2 worksCharles Villiers Stanford1852–1924Late Romanticin concert programmesWilhelm Stenhammar1871–1927Modern3 worksJosef Antonín Štěpán1726–1797Classical1 workKarlheinz Stockhausen1928–2007Contemporary1 workRobert Stolz1880–1975Modern4 worksOscar Straus1870–1954Modern2 worksEduard Strauss1835–1916Romantic4 worksJohann Strauss I1804–1849Romantic7 worksJohann Strauss II1825–1899Romantic67 worksJosef Strauss1827–1870Romantic20 worksRichard Strauss1864–1949Modern55 worksIgor Stravinsky1882–1971Modern41 worksJosef Suk1874–1935Modern6 worksArthur Sullivan1842–1900Romantic4 worksFranz von Suppé1819–1895Romantic6 worksJohan Svendsen1840–1911Romantic1 workJoseph Szulc1875–1956Modern1 workKarol Szymanowski1882–1937Modern10 works

T

Paul Taffanel1844–1908Romantic1 workTōru Takemitsu1930–1996Contemporary2 worksOtar Taktakishvili1924–1989Contemporary1 workSergei Taneyev1856–1915Late Romantic4 worksGiuseppe Tartini1692–1770Baroquein concert programmesPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky1840–1893Romantic52 worksAlexander Tcherepnin1899–1977Modern1 workGeorg Philipp Telemann1681–1767Baroque1 workClaude Terrasse1867–1923Late Romantic1 workThomas1 workMichael Tippett1905–1998Modern3 worksJoan Towerb. 1938Contemporary1 workGeoffrey Toye1889–1942Modern1 workJoaquín Turina1882–1949Modern8 worksMark-Anthony Turnageb. 1960Contemporary1 workGeirr Tveitt1908–1981Modern1 work

V

Ritchie Valens1941–1959Modern1 workEdgard Varèse1883–1965Modern2 worksRalph Vaughan Williams1872–1958Modern6 worksGiuseppe Verdi1813–1901Romantic16 worksJosé Vianna da Motta1868–1948Late Romantic2 worksPauline Viardot1821–1910Romantic1 workLouis Vierne1870–1937Late Romantic2 worksHenri Vieuxtemps1820–1881Romantic2 worksHeitor Villa-Lobos1887–1959Modern9 worksTomaso Antonio Vitali1663–1745Baroque1 workJāzeps Vītols1863–1948Late Romantic1 workAntonio Vivaldi1678–1741Baroque6 worksPancho Vladigerov1899–1978Modern1 work

W

Richard Wagner1813–1883Romantic16 worksÉmile Waldteufel1837–1915Romantic3 worksRolf Wallinb. 1957Contemporary1 workBruno Walter1876–1962Modern1 workWilliam Walton1902–1983Modern12 worksPeter Warlock1894–1930Modern4 worksHarry Warren1893–1981Modern1 workHuw Watkinsb. 1976Contemporary2 worksFranz Waxman1906–1967Modern1 workCarl Maria von Weber1786–1826Romantic23 worksAnton Webern1883–1945Modern13 worksKurt Weill1900–1950Modern2 worksLeó Weiner1885–1960Modern1 workJudith Weirb. 1954Contemporary3 worksMaude Valérie White1855–1937Late Romantic1 workJohn White1936–2024ContemporaryCharles-Marie Widor1844–1937Late Romantic1 workHenryk Wieniawski1835–1880Romantic1 workCharles Williams1893–1978Modern1 workHugo Wolf1860–1903Late Romantic19 worksErmanno Wolf-Ferrari1876–1948Modern3 works

Y

Victor Young1900–1956Modern1 workEugène Ysaÿe1858–1931Late Romantic7 worksMaurice Yvain1891–1965Modernin concert programmes

Z

Riccardo Zandonai1883–1944Modern1 workCarl Zeller1842–1898Romantic3 worksAlexander von Zemlinsky1871–1942Modern5 worksCarl Michael Ziehrer1843–1922Late Romantic1 workEfrem Zimbalist1889–1985Modern1 workJohann Rudolf Zumsteeg1760–1802Classical1 work

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