The "Dolly Suite", composed between 1893 and 1896, consisted originally of six short piano pieces composed to mark the birthdays and other special events in the life of the daughter of Emma Bardac, Faure's mistress. Regine-Helene Bardac was known as "Dolly" within her family. One of the pieces, Berceuse, was used as the theme music for "Listen with Mother", a long-running BBC radio programme for children.
2. Karelia Suite
Answer: Jean Sibelius
Composed as a commission from the Viipuri (Vyborg) Students' Association, "Karelia Music" by Sibelius received its first performance in Helsinki in 1893. Staged as a historical tableau, the piece was enthusiastically but noisily received. Sibelius subsequently compiled the "Karelia Suite" from three pieces of the original music.
3. Holberg Suite
Answer: Edvard Grieg
Originally named "From Holberg's Time", the suite consists of five movements based on 18th century dances. It was written by Grieg in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of playwright Ludvig Holberg and was first performed as a piano piece in Bergen, the city where both men were born. Grieg subsequently adapted it for a string orchestra.
4. The Planets
Answer: Gustav Holst
Holst's interest in astrology inspired this suite, which was composed between 1914 and 1917 and received its first full public performance in 1920. There are seven movements, characterised by the then known planets visible from Earth. Holst expressed no interest in adding an eighth movement following the discovery of Pluto in 1930 and was unhappy that the suite's popularity eclipsed the rest of his music.
5. Grand Canyon Suite
Answer: Ferde Grofe
Consisting of five movements, the suite was composed for Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, who first performed it in Chicago in 1931. Jazz arranger Grofe had previously orchestrated "Rhapsody in Blue" for Whiteman. "On the Trail", the suite's third movement, was long used for radio and TV programmes sponsored by Philip Morris cigarettes.
6. Florida Suite
Answer: Frederick Delius
The suite was inspired by time British composer Frederick Delius had spent in Florida managing an orange grove, but was composed and received its first, private, performance in Leipzig in 1887. It was never performed again before Delius' death in 1934. Conductor Thomas Beecham tried to revive it in the 1930s, but the suite was not published until 1963.
7. English Folk Songs Suite
Answer: Ralph Vaughan Williams
The original version of this suite was composed for military bands and was first performed at Kneller Hall, home to the Royal Military School of Music, in 1924. An orchestral arrangement was compiled by Vaughan Williams' student Gordon Jacob and a brass band arrangement was published in 1956. All three versions consist of two marches and an intermezzo.
The melodies of nine English folk songs are included in the suite.
8. Mother Goose Suite
Answer: Maurice Ravel
Ravel composed this piece in 1910 as a five movement piano duet for Mimi and Jean Godebski, the young children of friends of his. He subsequently orchestrated it, extending it into a ballet score. It is inspired by fairy tales written by Charles Perrault and others.
9. Hary Janos Suite
Answer: Zoltan Kodaly
Hary Janos, a veteran of the Austrian army and teller of tall tales, gave his name to a comic opera by Kodaly. The suite adapted from the opera had its premiere in Barcelona in 1927. Both opera and suite feature Hungarian instrument the cimbalom and begin with a musical sneeze.
10. Lieutenant Kije Suite
Answer: Sergei Prokofiev
Prokofiev originally composed the music as the score for 1934 film "Lieutenant Kije", one of the earliest sound films made in the USSR, and later revised it to produce a five-movement symphonic suite. "Troika", the fourth movement, was used by Greg Lake for his Christmas hit "I Believe in Father Christmas".
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