By Sam Miller | November 1, 2025

Composed in 1939, this concerto for guitar and orchestra is one of the most compelling 20th century classical works that has flown largely under the radar. Rodrigo was an influential Spanish composer who lost his sight at the age of three due to diphtheria, a bacterial disease that nearly claimed his life. Despite this handicap, Rodrigo never let his disability quell his ardent passion for music. On the contrary, the composer believed that “it was blindness which led him to music, giving him a greater inner world, and that he would probably not have been a musician without it” (“6 Fascinating Facts About”). Rodrigo composed every piece in braille, and then verbally dictated every single note, bar, and alteration to a copyist to transcribe into sheet music. Despite this painstaking process, the composer’s works are rich and complex, teeming with personality and spirit. Concerto de Aranjuez is certainly no exception. With this piece, Rodrigo wished to portray the ideal picture of Spain past. “It [the concerto] should sound like the hidden breeze that stirs the treetops in the parks, as strong as a butterfly, as dainty as a verónica [a classic pass in bullfighting]” (Henken). Despite Rodrigo not playing the guitar himself, this concerto has become one of the most well known Spanish compositions in the world.

Published in 1837, this piece is 24th of 27 études that Chopin wrote over the course of ten years. Chopin’s études were revolutionary to the piano sphere because they redefined what an “étude” could be. Before Chopin, études were merely seen as practice tools; no more than functional pieces designed to aid in the development of the pianist’s skills. Chopin’s etudes, while still retaining the developmental functionality of études past, brings a new layer of emotional depth and expression. This new layer is what propelled these etudes into the modern piano repertoire. This étude is a phenomenal example of this principle.

Composed in 1943, De Hartmann’s violin concerto is a lament for the destruction of his home country of Ukraine and the pain caused by the Nazi conquest. De Hartmann was born into a family of Russian aristocrats in Ukraine in 1885, and had a strong affinity for music coupled with considerable innate talent. At the age of nine, he lost his father and enrolled in the St. Petersburg military academy. Despite this setback, De Hartmann never lost his passion for music. In fact, the director of the academy recognized the young musician’s talent, and allowed him to pursue music studies outside of his military training. At the age of 11, De Hartmann began formal music training as a composition student of Moscow Conservatory’s Anton Arensky. The young composer continued his study at the St. Petersburg Conservatory until he received his artist’s diploma in 1904 (Mangan). Fast forward 30 years, and De Hartmann began work on his first and only violin concerto. The composer dedicated the work to Jewish violinist Albert Bloch; a close friend of his who was evading capture in Vichy France at the time of the piece’s composition. Unfortunately, by the time the piece premiered in 1947, Bloch had already passed away. De Hartmann described this piece as “the klezmer concerto.” This description is owed to the combination of contemporary styles and folk-like melodies present throughout the composition. This violin concerto is divided into 4 movements, beginning with a largo.

Samuel “Sam” Miller is a 12th grade student at Gonzaga Preparatory school who writes and distributes a weekly classical music blog that shares different classical songs and explores their background with his teachers and peers. He is an avid violinist studying under Mateusz Wolski, and an enthusiastic member of the Spokane Youth Symphony. Samuel started this project to pursue and share his passion for classical music with others. In his free time, Sam enjoys practicing violin, going to symphony concerts, playing tennis, hanging out with friends, video games, and spending time with his family.