Thomas Pitts

About Thomas Pitts

https://musicoftheday.co.uk

Posts by Thomas Pitts:

12 December

December 12th

Thomas Pitts England, Europe, Music Baranowski, February

Alex Baranowski December 1983

Margot

Alex Baranowski
By Marc Brenner, supplied by the composer.

Alex Baranowski is a composer from London who creates music for films, TV, theatre, and ballet.

He wrote the music for The Kitchen (Netflix), working with Grammy-winning artist Labrinth, and for The Windermere Children, a film about child survivors of the Holocaust. He also composed music for Midas Man, a film about the Beatles’ manager, and Brides, which premiered at Sundance in 2025.

For TV, Alex wrote music for HBO’s Rain Dogs and BBC’s Staged, starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen. He also worked on Locked In (Netflix) and True Things, which won an award for Best Original Score.

Alex has created music for theatre too. He was nominated for a Tony Award for The Cripple of Inishmaan and worked with Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle on Frankenstein at the National Theatre.

He has also composed music for ballet. His piece Legacy Variations was performed by the Dutch National Ballet, and his ballet version of Nineteen Eighty-Four won a major award after a sold-out run at Sadler’s Wells.

Alex’s music has been used in BBC Two’s famous TV idents, and he has worked on adverts for big brands like H&M and Coca-Cola. In 2024, he helped create a short film featuring the BFG for Sainsbury’s Christmas advert.

He has also worked with famous musicians, including The XX, Jungle, and Peter Hook from Joy Division. His music has been performed by violinists Daniel Hope and Angèle Dubeau, and by Jess Gillam, a BBC Young Musician of the Year winner.

21 June

June 21st

Thomas Pitts Music Hovhaness

Alan Hovhaness 8 March 1911 - 21 June 2000

Sonata for Harp, Op. 127: II. Lento misterioso

Alan Hovhaness
by Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37902548

Alan Hovhaness was an American composer. He was one of the most prolific 20th-century composers, with his official catalogue comprising 67 numbered symphonies (surviving manuscripts indicate over 70) and 434 opus numbers. The true number is well over 500 surviving works since many opus numbers comprise two or more distinct works.

His work is a mix of many cultures. It weaves together ideas to create a new style in a hushed, mystical and nostalgic atmosphere.

15 June

June 15th

Thomas Pitts England, Europe, Music Ellerton, June

John Ellerton 16 December 1826 – 15 June 1893

St. Clement

John Ellerton
by Photograph – http://poor-hymnal.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7736137

The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended is a popular Christian hymn, often ranking highly in the BBC’s Songs of Praise poll. Written by Reverend John Ellerton, a vicar from Cheshire, the hymn was penned in 1870 during one of his evening walks.

Queen Victoria chose it as the hymn for her Diamond Jubilee in 1897, and it was also sung a century later in 1997 when Britain handed control of Hong Kong to China. The hymn was included in A Liturgy for Missionary Meetings, a collection compiled by Ellerton, and is typically sung to the tune of St Clement. Its theme focuses on the worldwide fellowship of the church and its ongoing worship and praise to God.

The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended was sung at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022.

26 April

April 26th

Thomas Pitts Music Lenaerts

Anneleen Lenaerts 26 April 1987

Fantaisie sur la Bohème de Puccini

Anneleen Lenaerts
from https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/12/29/arts/29harp-inyt/29harp-inyt-superJumbo.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp

Anneleen Lenaerts is a Belgian harpist.

Lenaerts enjoyed her harp training with Lieve Robbroeckx and then at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where she received the master’s degree in harp in 2008. Afterwards, she went to Paris for the ‘Cours de perfectionnement’ at the École Normale de Musique de Paris with Isabelle Perrin. She also took master classes with many leading harpists. She also studied harmony, counterpoint and fugue at the Brussels Conservatory.

For her solo-harp album Vienna Stories, Anneleen Lenaerts has taken inspiration from the great Puccini to write a fantasy in two parts on his treasured opera La bohème.

In December 2010 she was appointed as a solo harpist with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera.

11 April

April 11th

Thomas Pitts Music Ginastera

Alberto Ginastera 11 April 1916 - 25 June 1983

Cuarteto No. 2, Op. 26 – Adagio angoscioso

Alberto Ginastera
by Annemarie Heinrich – Annemarie Heinrich, Centro Editor de América Latina, Buenos Aires: 1982., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72911520

Alberto Evaristo Ginastera was an Argentinian composer of classical music. He is considered one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas.

A lot of his early works featured traditional Argentinian songs before he altered his style to the one we hear today. This piece, String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26, was first written in 1958 and revised in 1968.

20 March

March 20th

Thomas Pitts Europe, Music, Russia March, Rachmaninoff

Sergei Rachmaninoff 1 April [O.S.* 20 March] 1873 – 28 March 1943

Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 – 2. Adagio Sostenuto

Symphony No. 2 in E minor Op. 27 – 3. Adagio

Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor Op. 30

Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini Op. 43

Sergei Rachmaninoff
By Kubey-Rembrandt Studios (Philadephia, Pennsylvania) – This image is available from the United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs divisionunder the digital ID cph.3a40575.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37407922

Sergei Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor, widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of the late Romantic period. His music is known for its deep emotion, lyrical melodies, and rich harmonies, often reflecting Russian folk traditions and Orthodox church music.

Rachmaninoff was born into a noble family but faced financial struggles as a child. He showed exceptional musical talent from an early age and studied at the Moscow Conservatory, where he trained as both a pianist and composer. His early works, including Prelude in C-sharp minor, brought him fame, but his career suffered a setback when his First Symphony was poorly received. This failure led to a period of depression, but with the help of therapy, he regained confidence and went on to compose some of his greatest works.

Rachmaninoff’s music is beloved for its sweeping melodies and emotional depth. Some of his most famous pieces include:

Piano Concerto No. 2 – One of the most popular piano concertos ever written, known for its romantic and powerful themes.
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini – A set of variations for piano and orchestra, featuring the famous 18th variation, often used in films and TV.
Symphony No. 2 – A lush and expressive symphony full of passion and longing.

His piano music, including his Études-Tableaux and Preludes, is known for its technical difficulty and beauty, making him a favourite among pianists.

After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Rachmaninoff left Russia and eventually settled in the United States. He focused more on performing than composing, becoming one of the most celebrated pianists of his time. His large hands and incredible technique allowed him to play challenging pieces with ease.

Despite his success, he always longed for his homeland, and this sense of nostalgia is reflected in his later works. His final major composition, Symphonic Dances, captures both his Russian roots and modern influences.

Today, Rachmaninoff’s music remains widely performed and loved for its emotional power and technical brilliance. His legacy as a composer and pianist continues to inspire musicians and audiences around the world. 🎶

*Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, they refer to the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 1582 and 1923.

18 March

March 18th

Thomas Pitts Europe, Music, Russia March, Rimsky-Korsakov

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov 18 March 1844 – 21 June 1908

Sadko Chanson Hindu

Scheherezade Op.35 Lento - Adagio

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
By Valentin Serov – The Yorck Project (2002) 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM), distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. ISBN: 3936122202., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156413980

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer famous for his colourful and imaginative music. He was part of a group called The Five, who wanted to create a unique Russian style of classical music.

Although he started his career in the navy, music was his true passion. He became a professor at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, where he taught many future famous composers.

Rimsky-Korsakov is best known for pieces like Scheherazade, Flight of the Bumblebee, and Capriccio Espagnol. His music often told stories and used rich orchestral sounds, making it exciting and magical to listen to.

17 March

March 17th

Thomas Pitts Europe, Ireland, Music, North America, United States of America Kreisler, March, St. Patrick's Day

Traditional

Londonderry Air St. Patrick's Day

The Londonderry Air is a well-known Irish melody, linked to the song Danny Boy. The tune was collected by Jane Ross in the mid-19th century from a fiddler in Limavady, County Londonderry (now in Northern Ireland).

Although the exact origins of the melody are unclear, it is believed to come from older Irish folk music. The tune became famous worldwide, especially when paired with the lyrics of Danny Boy in 1913.

The Londonderry Air has since been used in many songs and arrangements, becoming a symbol of Irish culture and identity.

Fritz Kreisler performs this version.

Fritz Kreisler
by Bain News Service, publisher – This image is available from the United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs divisionunder the digital ID ggbain.36721.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2816677

Fritz Kreisler (1875–1962) was a famous Austrian-born violinist and composer, known for his warm tone and expressive playing style. He started learning the violin at a very young age, entering the Vienna Conservatory at just seven years old!

Kreisler became one of the greatest violinists of his time, performing around the world and winning audiences with his charm and incredible skill. He also wrote many pieces for the violin, some of which he said were by older composers—but later admitted he had written them himself!

Even after a car accident in 1941, which affected his health, he continued to inspire musicians with his talent. His most famous pieces include Liebesfreud, Liebesleid, and Caprice Viennois.

16 March

March 16th

Thomas Pitts England, Europe, Music March, Monk

William Henry Monk 16 March 1823 – 1 March 1889

Eventide

William Henry Monk
By Unknown author – [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32596577

William Henry Monk was an English composer, organist, and music teacher, best known for writing the hymn tune Eventide, which is used for the famous hymn Abide with Me.

Monk was a key figure in church music, helping to create Hymns Ancient and Modern, a hugely popular hymnbook in the 19th century. As the musical editor, he worked hard to make sure the hymns were easy to sing and meaningful for worshippers.

He taught music at King’s College London and played the organ at several churches, dedicating his life to improving church music. His work made a lasting impact, with many of his hymn tunes still sung today.

15 March

March 15th

Thomas Pitts Europe, France, Music Boulanger, March

Lili Boulanger 21 August 1893 – 15 March 1918

Vieille prière bouddhique

Faust et Hélène

Lili Boulanger
By Henri Manuel – [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=114463198

Marie-Juliette Olga “Lili” Boulanger was a French composer and the first woman to win the prestigious Prix de Rome for music in 1913, at just 19 years old. She was a musical prodigy, showing talent from a very young age, and was taught by her older sister, Nadia Boulanger, who also became a famous music teacher.

Despite struggling with poor health for most of her life, Lili created powerful and emotional music. Her works often had religious and poetic themes, such as Psalm 24 and Vieille prière bouddhique (Old Buddhist Prayer).

Lili’s music was known for its rich harmonies and intense feeling, and she pushed the boundaries of what was expected from women composers at the time. She died at the age of 24, but her music and influence have lived on, inspiring generations of musicians.