Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Alasdair Mitchell
This score video is provided for educational (non-commercial) use only, using the edition produced as part of Mitchell's 2002 doctoral thesis at the University of Edinburgh (era.ed.ac.uk/items/2c0225b8-226a-4764-ae87-5e5e89a0cc4b).
John Blackwood McEwen (1868-1948) was a Scottish composer and educator, most notable for his decades-long tenure teaching composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London. For more information about McEwen, see my score video of his fourth string quartet: youtu.be/Dvk6pWg_VAc
The tone poem "Coronach", initially planned as the Epilogue movement of his Symphony in A minor, was completed in 1903 and ultimately became the first piece of McEwen's collection "Three Border Ballads". The titles of both the collection and the piece reflect McEwen's enduring interest in Scottish folklore, particularly the border region with England where he was born and raised; a coronach is the third part of a keening, a traditional improvised vocal lament for the dead in Scotland and Ireland. The ceremonial nature of the music is evident, as is McEwen's influence from both contemporary French and German orchestral writing.
Stay tuned for uploads of the remaining two of the Three Border Ballads, "The Demon Lover" and "Grey Galloway", coming soon!
London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Alasdair Mitchell
This score video is provided for educational (non-commercial) use only, using the edition produced as part of Mitchell's 2002 doctoral thesis at the University of Edinburgh (era.ed.ac.uk/items/2c0225b8-226a-4764-ae87-5e5e89a0cc4b).
John Blackwood McEwen (1868-1948) was a Scottish composer and educator, most notable for his decades-long tenure teaching composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London. For more information about McEwen, see my score video of his fourth string quartet: youtu.be/Dvk6pWg_VAc
The tone poem "Coronach", initially planned as the Epilogue movement of his Symphony in A minor, was completed in 1903 and ultimately became the first piece of McEwen's collection "Three Border Ballads". The titles of both the collection and the piece reflect McEwen's enduring interest in Scottish folklore, particularly the border region with England where he was born and raised; a coronach is the third part of a keening, a traditional improvised vocal lament for the dead in Scotland and Ireland. The ceremonial nature of the music is evident, as is McEwen's influence from both contemporary French and German orchestral writing.
Stay tuned for uploads of the remaining two of the Three Border Ballads, "The Demon Lover" and "Grey Galloway", coming soon!
![VASILY KALINNIKOV - Symphony No. 2 (Score Video) [N. Järvi]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IFu1RxsVUhw/mqdefault.jpg "VASILY KALINNIKOV - Symphony No. 2 (Score Video) [N. Järvi]
Performed by the Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi
00:00 I. Moderato - Allegro non troppo
10:18 II. Andante cantabile
18:25 III. Allegro scherzando
26:32 IV. Andante cantabile - Allegro vivo
Vasily Kalinnikov (1866-1901) was a Russian Romantic composer whose often colorful and energetic music drew from Russian folk melodies. For more on Kalinnikov, see my post about him on my blog: https://unknowncomposers.org/2019/03/25/special-feature-vasily-kalinnikov-the-forgotten-russian-romantic/
Written in 1897 and dedicated to the conductor Aleksandr Vinogradsky, Kalinnikovs second symphony is one of his most important works. Although I personally find the melodies of his first symphony most compelling, the second displays a mastery of form and development while retaining the exuberance and orchestral color so characteristic of his style.
Although they have begun to gain prominence in recent years, Kalinnikovs works remain rarely performed among major orchestras outside the former USSR - I hope this score video will be a small part of changing the status quo. You can find the score on Kalinnikovs IMSLP page (https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Kalinnikov,_Vasily) under Symphony No. 2 in A Major.")
