MusiLLection

Antonio Vivaldi's music is music full of health. The sounds he created hedonistically breathe the smells of the Mediterranean and capture the joy of life, causing constant bursts of spontaneous excitement and aesthetic enjoyment. The hearing of the Italian composer's music reveals a color richness that only a worthy painter could have imagined. His work, amazing in scope and depth, impresses with the inexhaustible variety of his inspirations, which are obvious even when the composer dares not be freed from the structural commitment of the almighty in the age of tripartite division: allegro, adagio, allegro. However, this traditional structure did not prevent him from revising the concerto grosso and proposing a new one for the era of the symphonic idiom, from which the personality of the soloist first emerged. Vivaldi first imagined and applied the concerto with one or more soloists, even defining the most unusual combinations of instruments. If this is not innovation, origina...

The epic melodies and rhythms of the "Moonlight" Sonata bring to the imagination vivid images of the reflection of the moonlight in calm waters, as well as clouds that portend the storm and threaten the peaceful scenery. Beethoven's genius as a composer radiates through the familiar themes of this famous sonata. He conveys to a single instrument the full emotional power of his symphonies. Beethoven composed this sonata in 1801, before losing his hearing. He is said to have dedicated it to his first love, Countess Julieta Guicardi, and the evolution of the feelings this sonata depicts, from serenity to agitation and tension, may reflect this relationship, which ended when she married someone else. Beethoven himself did not name the sonata "Moonlight" - this description later came from a German poet in which, the first part of the work recalled scenes of moonlight in the calm waters of Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. From here comes, after all, the universally acce...

An image of Leipzig, the city that Mendelssohn promoted to the cultural capital of Europe and where his Violin Concerto in E minor was first presented. Mendelssohn spent the summer of 1844 touring for a series of concerts for the eighth time in England. His holiday followed at the end of July in the small town of Bad Soden, near Frankfurt. During his stay there, he composed this Violin Concerto in E minor, Opus 64 . It premiered in Leipzig seven months later, on March 13, 1845. The concerto was performed by his friend, the eminent violinist Ferdinand David, who had assisted Mendelssohn in various technical details relating to the violin part. Mendelssohn was too ill to direct the concerto and ceded the director's job to Nils Wilhelm Gade's assistant. Movements : I. Allegro molto appassionato The first movement begins with a lively but simple melody where the violin hovers over the orchestra singing cheerfully -  unusual for a minor tone. The theme develops and passes to the ...

Claude Debussy 's handwritten score of the "Chansons de Charles d'Orléans".   Orchestra: Printemps, Suite Symphonique (Spring) Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) La Mer Nocturnes Images Rapsodie Fantaisie Piano: Deux arabesques Suite bergamasque Images I Images II L'isle joyeuse Children's corner Préludes, Book 1 Préludes, Book 2 Rêverie Estampes Pour le piano  En blanc et noir (piano duo) Chamber: Syrinx Première Rhapsodie  String Quartet in G minor Cello Sonata No.1 Solo voice with piano: Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé Ballades de François Villon Chansons de Bilitis Cinq poèmes de Charles Baudelaire Chansons de Charles d'Orléans Stage: Pelléas et Mélisande

Liszt was first involved in this concerto in 1832, when he was young. However, his tours as a virtuosian pianist throughout Europe did not allow him to compose comfortably, so he managed to complete the concerto only in 1849. Even then, he kept revising the score. The premiere was given in Weimar in 1855, under the direction of another great composer, Berlioz . The concerto is romantic in every way. It moves away in form and style from Mozart 's and Beethoven 's most "classic" concertos with three parts. Its form is circular: the same musical ideas circulate throughout the work. Movements: I. Allegro maestoso The first part of the concerto, Allegro maestoso , begins with an imposing theme played by strings in unison, followed by two resonant chords in woodwinds and brass. This is a "pattern", i.e. an important idea that reverts to the whole project. The piano stands out soon before leading the music back to the original theme. Here is a noticeable change in...

In this Organ concerto, Handel reproduces the song of the birds that gives his work its famous subtitle. It was one of the few occasions where he used music as a means of imitation. Like Handel's other Organ concertos, this concerto No.13 was written as music played during the breaks of the acts of the oratories. It was first presented two days after its completion, at the Royal Theatre in London, on April 4, 1739, along with the oratorio Israel in Egypt . Many of these concertos, including the 13th, had large "ad libitum" sections. In them, the organist spontaneously improvised and the melody simply played the role of guide. Hendel himself was an excellent organist and surprised his listeners with his virtuosity improvisations. Movements: - Larghetto In the first part, Larghetto , the orchestra presents in a brief introduction the expressive theme. The Organt then interprets the same theme with high notes. The orchestra echoes the Organ's interpretation until the fi...

"The Chase" by Jean-Honoré Fragonard has a similar element of surprise to that of the Haydn "Surprise Symphony" . Joseph Haydn made two very successful visits to London, organized by the German-born violinist and impressionist Johann Peter Salomon.  The composer wrote six symphonies on each visit, which are his last and best. This symphonie belongs to the group of six he wrote on his first visit in 1791-2.  These twelve symphonies are also known as the "Salomon Symphonies" . Movements : I. Adagio cantabile - Vivace assai The first movement, with the inaugural Adagio cantabile , has a slow introduction with alternating parts between the woodwinds and the strings. It follows a Vivace assai, which   travels lightly with the original melody played by the violins, until the fast entrance of the entire orchestra. The second theme contains a syncopated rythm in bassoons, violas and second violins. The original theme is reissued, and then the central part introd...

Opus32 dates back to 1837, when Chopin was increasingly closely associated with the distinguished writer George Sand.   Nocturne in C Major, Op. 32, No.1 In this nocturne the two song-style melodies flow without pause almost to the end. But here we are witnessing an unexpected change of mood. A dotted cadenza presents some new music and creates a darker and more dubious mood, as the work is completed in minor tonality. Nocturne in A-flat Major, Op. 32, No. 2 This nocturne is one of Chopin's most popular nocturnes. It begins with a short section reminiscent of a cadenza, which may sound somewhat melodramatic for modern listeners. This introductory phrase lends its place to a warm flowing melody, which the composer then develops into a fiery romantic song. A contrasting part presents a touching note, before leading the nocturne - almost imperceptibly - to a final reprocessing of the introductory material.

At the time when Mozart was working as an independent musician in Vienna in the early 1780s, he composed his first horn concerto. It gave this instrument an advantageous position, placing it at the heart of a complete orchestra and thereby paved the way for the projection of the horn in other concertos of various composers. The horn has a fairly limited range, but Mozart explores its possibilities, contrasting them against the background of a full orchestra. It is well known that he had a unique way of making one melody gush through the other, with an inexhaustible imagination. Each melody is skillfully harmonized with the character of its instrument. This is particularly evident in the two contrasting melodies in the opening part of this concerto. The melody that expresses the specific character of the horn, is placed opposite that of the strings. The opening theme of the strings is unequivocal, direct and robust. When the horn introduces its own melody, it is distinctly cuter and mo...

At a time when every artist's concern was the proposal of the new, Johannes Brahms dared to turn his gaze to the old. He was more interested in the past than in the future.  Romantic lyricism didn't miss from the music he signed. But each of his musical phrases was subject to the rules of classicism, in a way that symbolized the rewriting of romance and indicated the support of pure form. Both in the aesthetics and in the form of his works, Brahms proclaims his opposition to the pompous lyrical dramas of his compatriot and contemporary Richard Wagner. His refusal to deal with opera, a musical genre extremely well-benefited and popular in the 19th century, can also be seen as a manifestation of his opposition. He possessed well, however, both the technique of symphonic writing and the methods of using the voice. Johannes Brahms served with merit every form of music, except of course opera. His music stands out for its total tranquility, for its earthly and human fervor, for the...

A caricature of Berlioz, whose music was considered modern and unusual. 1803   Hector Berlioz was born in 11 October in the commune of La Côte-Saint-André, France. 1815  He falls in love with his neighbor's 18-year-old daughter, Estelle Dubœuf. 1820  He's going to Paris for medical studies. 1826  He is admitted to the Paris Conservatory. 1830  First performance of the "Symphonie fantastique" , wins the "Rome Prize" and goes to Italy. 1833  He's marrying Irish actress Harriet Smithson. 1834  His only son Louis is born. 1846  First visit to London. 1854  Harriet dies, marries his long-time mistress Marie Recio. 1863  First performance of the opera "Les Troyens" . 1864  Marie dies, renews contact with Estelle, who is now 67 years old. 1869  Dies March 8 in Paris. When Berlioz learned that Camille was marrying someone else, he vowed to go back to Paris and kill Camille and her mother, who had written him the news. He procured a ma...

Rarely can a man be driven out of fate as far as Franz Peter Schubert . He was born on January 31, 1797, one of his family's 14 children, in the kitchenette of his humble family home in Vienna. His father was a poor teacher - he used his house as a school - who fought his whole life to make ends meet. The gods who give away beauty ignored Franz Peter. He was short, fat and congenitally short-sighted. He had a low forehead, short plump fingers and walked with a strange, apologetic, restrained step. He was also - apparently not unnecessarily - overly shy. This is where Schubert was born. The cramped house that his father turned into a school, struggling to survive as a teacher. He was certainly a musical genius, and his talent appeared very early when he began composing for his family. At 10, he composed music for the local church, where he was also a choir director. When Schubert was 11 years old, he won a scholarship to the Choir of the Royal Chapel at the Imperial and Royal School...

The sound of the harp has an ethereal quality, which creates the mental image of a divine being playing wavy arppegios, seated in a silver cloud. There is evidence that the harp has been known in Egypt and Mesopotamia since 3000 BC. In ancient times the harps were generally much smaller than today's. The instrument was then called "lyre". These small buckles rested on the corner of the bent arm. Today's harp is so large that it needs a track base to transport it. The body of the modern harp is mainly made of maple and its speaker is made of pine. Some very expensive harps are covered with gold leaf and are richly decorated. The harp strings are made of intestines, while the longer strings are wrapped with very thin wire to be more durable. As with the piano, the longer a string is, the lower the note produced. In the harp, due to their apparent uniformity, the strings are painted in different colors depending on the height of the note, to facilitate the performer. The...

"Don Carlos" was a French "grand opera" based on Schiller's work. This setting, designed by Charles-Antoine Cambon in 1867, expresses the French echo of the opera style, with the view of Paris in the background. This opera of Giuseppe Verdi , based on the homonymous play by the German writer Schiller, was written for the Paris Opera in the style of the "grand opera" which Verdi himself love, as the French audience.  Although it was adapted in Italian, it remains an uneven work that includes a lot of good music. - Canzone del Velo The hero of this opera is the son of the King of Spain, who is in love with his stepmother Elizabeth. In the dharming Moorish song, Canzone del Velo (Song of the Veil), Verdi demonstrates his knowledge of Spanish folk song, using bolero rhythms, flamingo-like decorations and exotic orchestration.  Repetitions of the opening verses are a constant reminder of an evil vision and serve to maintain the coherence of the whole sectio...

The music in the Egmont overture  is full of dynamism and melancholy, foremoing the story that will follow. This scene of the storm on Karl Anton Paul Lotz's painting "Horses in a Rainstorm" (1862) reflects the feelings depicted in the work. Beethoven responded enthusiastically to the invitation of Vienna’s Burg Theatre to write the music of Egmont , a tragedy of the great German poet Goethe. He was pleased with this assignment for two reasons. First, because he deeply respected Goethe, and then the subject of the drama was very suited to the composer. In Goethe's story, Count Egmont - a 16th century nobleman -  of the Low Countries leads a revolution against Spanish rule to be defeated by the Duke of Alba, suppressor of the revolution. Beethoven's stage music, written in 1810, consists of an introduction, entr' actes (music that connects the acts of drama) and songs. Beethoven's musical interpretation of Goethe's tragedy begins with a series of rivet...

  - Allegro molto - Andante - Allegro In the Baroque period, music shifted from the polyphonic style, which was customary in the Renaissance era (1400 - 1600), to a style of contrasts and individual melodies, supported by orchestral harmonys. During his lifetime, Vivaldi was hailed as a reformist genius who broke the traditional, old-fashioned form of the concerto. The Violin Concerto in Α Major is in the usual form which has three parts, but without the typical part for solo violin that exists in the Four Seasons . The first part is a shiny and airy Allegro molto.  The second part is a rather melancholy Andante in minor key. The third part Allegro, is lively, robust and reminds the style of Handel .

A pioneer and a master of the national music school of his native Norway, Edvard Grieg , a composer with no forerunners and no continuators, invents charming and original ways to bring about the folk music tradition and the myths of the land that saw him born, with the formed classical European harmony. His works are full of lyricism and romantic mood. The velvety melodies born of his fertile imagination are often intertwined with the masculine, rough rhythms of the dances of the Norwegian land, causing with contrast the emergence of highly seductive sonic grids. Although he did not test his powers in the larger, massive forms of symphony and opera, he convinced with his musical testimony that he is a great craftsman, both symphonic and vocal writing. The poetry of his musical discourse is imbued with the drips of his love for Norwegian nature and Norwegian tradition. Throughout his life he has been a loyal and devoted lover of a land - no matter how many times he abandoned it soon tur...

The serenade "A Little Night Music" was written to be played at night, when darkness easedthe sufferings of the day... This serenade, written for string quartet and double bass, was completed on August 10, 1787, the year Mozart was appointed a courtier. He composed it as an entertaining music piece and in particular as an after-dinner play, as the name "A Little Night Music" lyses. Initially there were five parts, but one, the second, is lost. Apparently Mozart himself removed it before publication. This piece is the best example of emotional serenity and light, which characterizes many of Mozart's works. It was written as an evening entertainment project with a soothing character and therefore avoids the surprise of the loud explosions of music. Movements: I. Allegro Allegro begins with a string fanfare that immediately leads to a flowing melody of the violin. A brief pause paves the way for the kinder second theme. The inaugural music repeats itself and the...

Hungarian folk and gypsy dances proved to be a great source of inspiration for Brahms . Hungarian Dance No. 18   in D Major The Hungarian Dance No. 18 in D Major - Molto vivace fully responds to Brahms' style. A bright and lively character runs through the whole project. Dance No. 19 in C Minor The Dance No. 19 in C Minor - Allegretto is at a slower pace than the previous dance and although it starts in minor, it has overall a light mood with dominant wooden spirits, in the orchestration of Dvořák.

Mendelsohn composed the introduction to Shakespear's play"A Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1826, when he was just 17 years old. It was, however, in October 1843 that he added various parts of music for a performance of his work in Potsdam, near Berlin. All 11 parties have had tremendous success. Indeed, it is a sign of Mendelssohn's genius that despite 17 years of mediation, the style of the late compositions of stage music is entirely consistent with that of the introduction. The "Wedding March" is played after the end of the IV act and celebrates the simultaneous marriage of three couples. Today, the Wedding March is the melody that accompanies almost exclusively every wedding ceremony. It begins with a fanfare and then sinks majestically into the excellent procession that has accompanied so many marriages. A lighter, less imposing march continues as if the fairies of Shakespeare's work themselves were crossing the temple. The ritual music is repeat...

  Cremona is particularly proud of her glorious past and welcomes her music-friendly guests. Violins were the exciting new instruments of Vivaldi's days. They had a much brighter sound and could be played with much greater agility and speed than the earlier violas of the Renaissance era. The best violins were made in the small town of Cremona in northern Italy, near Milan. In this city, violin makers such as Nicola Amati, Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri and Antonio Stradivari lived and worked in the same neighborhood. One of the special features of their art, which remained a mystery, was the varnish with which they polished the finished instrument. To this is attributed their wonderful sound. Today, a good violin or viola Guarnerius or Stradivarius cost a fortune. Some of these instruments are kept in museums. Others, fortunately, still sound in the hands of virtuosos.