MusiLLection

One only has to watch carefully the route of the Vltava River (Moldau), as it is described thoughtfully and spontaneously with the sounds of the homonymous symphonic poem by Bedřich Smetana , in order to understand the musical philosophy of the Bohemian composer, which was also a philosophy of life. Smetana proposes with his work a seductive model of programmatic music, a fair model of nationalist opinion and a bright model of coupling words and traditional music at the same time. Smetana's symphonic poem Vltava is certainly the most intimate example of the composer's musical writing, but it has condensed and concentrated all the structural characteristics that are detected in his works. The rhythmic energy that emerges from every breath of his works is assisted by music gentle, emotional, witty. Rhythm and melody, having deep roots in the tradition of bohemian land, creatively stimulate the imagination and provoke the immediate emotion of the listener. At a time when every inc...

  This dramatic and vivid work called Ravel's Boléro , by Arnold Shore, was painted to honor Ravel's most beloved and best-known composition. In 1927, dancer Ida Rubinstein ordered Ravel a ballet. The result was  Boléro, which was first composed and presented in 1928. The work consists of a tiered crescendo, where the musical variation is based solely on changes in orchestration. In the ballet, choreographed by the Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, a young gypsy woman begins a slow, sluggish dance. Ecstatic by her movements, the dancers enter the dance one after the other and finally dance together. Η χορεύτρια Ίντα Ρούμπινστάϊν  φωτογραφίζεται το έτος 1922. Boléro  caused a great sensation and within two weeks, the composer became world famous. Accompanied by the snare drum playing the boléro rhythm and the string's pizzicato, a solo flute appears, entering the first part of the dominant melody of the work. A clarinet repeats the music and follows a bassoon that ente...

This detailed painting by Johann Pletcher perfectly captures the atmosphere of the Baroque period. Handel - with his glorious festive works and great opera - was one of the most prominent musical representatives of this style. Orchestral: Water Music: Suite No.1, Suite No.2, Suite No3 Music for the Royal Fireworks Oratorios: Esther Athalia Alexander Balus Saul Israel in Egypt Messiah Samson Semele Belshazzar Judas Maccabaeus Solomon Jephtha Concertos: Organ Concerto No. 13 in F Major, HWV 295, "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale" Organ Concerto No. 14 in A Major Oboe Concerto No. 3 in G minor Chamber music: Two oboe sonatas Twelve flute sonatas Six Concerti Grossi for strings, woodwinds and continuo, Opus 3 Six organ sonatas, Opus 4 Seven Trio Sonatas, Opus 5 Operas: Almira Rodrigo Rinaldo Giulio Cesare Rodelinda Orlando Ariodante Alcina Serse (Xerxes)

The evolution of the art of sounds would certainly have been different if the Austrian land had not welcomed Franz Joseph Haydn in the 18th century. This modest, pure, benevolent and unsyming music worker, was at the same time innovative as well as the legislator of a great chapter of art which he was ordered to serve. No one else, perhaps in the history of music, has benefited orchestral music as much as Haydn. Although he was not the inventor of the form of the symphony, as many like to profess, he was the one who recognized its definitive form, drew up the rules governing its development and perfected it morphologically and substantially, to the supreme extent that the means at his disposal allowed him. His deposits were received by all the next composers, first Mozart and Beethoven , who used them as capital and enjoyed their profits at the rate of their own imagination. If the symphony owes him his precious interventions, the string quartet, the ultimate form of pure music, owes ...

The  Spring Symphony  is one of Schumann’s most joyful and carefree works, as is this depiction of a joyous tarantella by Pietro Fabris. The Spring Symphony was Schumann's first attempt to compose an extensive musical work. It was written in early 1841, just five months after his marriage to Clara Wieck. She encouraged him to expand beyond the safe area of short chamber music works - such as songs and piano works - into compositions better suited to concert halls and capable of securing him some income.           After just four days of feverish work, from 23 to 27 January, he had planned the entire symphony. He started the score the next day and wrote all the parts for a full orchestra in a month. He completed the deal on February 20th and named it "Spring" to commemorate the time he had just raised. A month later, on March 31, 1841, it premiered in Leipzig with Felix Mendelssohn as a conductor. The symphony is overflowing with a joyous alertne...

Franz Liszt composed four Valses Oublièes from 1881 to 1884, when he was seventy years old. Despite his age, his thinking was still very creative. This work, like many of his later works, shows a significant advance in harmony and style compared to his early compositions. Although it's written like a regular waltz, this pianistic work features a more vivid gait than Strauss's Viennese waltzes and is more closely related to Chopin 's waltzes. It combines bursts of technical intelligence with a keen interest in harmony - advanced and daring for their time. The work ends with exceptional originality, letting the music hover in the atmosphere.

Joseph Haydn composed this concerto in 1796 for the Viennese court trumpeter Anton Weidinger. Weidinger had at the time devised a key instrument that favored his interpretive potential, thereby increasing its ton range compared to the traditional "natural" trumpet. Haydn cleverly exploited this feature by creating one of the few popular trumpet concertos. Μovements : Ι. Allegro The first part, Allegro , begins in the usual way, namely with a "tutti" - a section for the entire orchestra that introduces the main material of the part. Then the solo trumpet enters and confidently suggests the themes. Here's a central "development" section where issues expand further. Then, after a return to the opening material, the orchestra stops playing leaving the trumpet to perform a cadenza. Here, the trills are clearly heard, which the new kind of key trumpet could produce much more easily. ΙΙ. Andante cantabile The second part, Andante cantabile , is in a calm, si...

Costumes for Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade  by Léon Bakst. Written in 1888 is perhaps the most popular work of the composer. It was inspired by Thousand and One Nights (also known as The Arabian Nights), a collection of stories from the East of the 9th century. In the sheet music headline, the composer describes the following program:  "Sultan Schariar, convinced of women's infidelity, vows to execute his wives after the first night. But Sultana Scheherazade is saved by entertaining him with stories that last a thousand and one nights. Sultana arouses the Sultan's curiosity with her stories, and he constantly postpones her execution. He finally withdraws his terrible oath. Scheherazade told the Sultan many wondrous stories, combining the lyrics of the poets with the words of the songs and the fairy tales with the adventures". Movements : I. The Sea and Sinbad's Ship:  Largo e maestoso – Lento – Allegro non troppo – Tranquillo The inaugural measures of The Sea...

In the case of Robert Schumann , the proximity of genius to madness is confirmed. From his father he had inherited a troubled psyche, which was extended by various unpleasant episodes of his life, culminating in his reckless act, after which he realized that he would never become the great virtuoso pianist he dreamed of. So he easily crossed the dividing line and dived into worlds where logic oscillated from existence to non-existence. His youthful love for the piano filtered by his inspiration, came to fruition with some pianist masterpieces. By the time he was 30, only the piano enjoyed the favor of his fertile imagination. When his love found a human bright object of desire, Clara Wieck wanted to sing his love for her. He composed beautiful song cycles, enriching with precious mosaics the art that Franz Schubert had brought out. With the encouragement and support of his life partner, he tested his creative skills in other aspects of music, such as symphonic and chamber music. He co...

  "The Concert" by the French painter Nicolas Lancret reflects the popularity of concerts in the 18th century. Mozart wrote his pianistic compositions for himself and his students. He composed three piano concertos in 1785, including this one, which he presented in Vienna in March of that year. Piano concertos were apparently Mozart's greatest contribution to instrumental music. It was the style and form of the concertos that the composers - like Beethoven - imitated and emulated in their work. The popularity of the concerto in the 19th century owes much to Mozart's latest works. Μovements : I .  Allegro maestoso Allegro maestoso 's inaugural string-playing music resembles a march, while the entrance of the two woodwinds adds a sense of military band. The piano appears discreetly, at first it does not take on a soloist role but merely contributes to the sound of the orchestra. The first melody of the piano appears soon and acquires a guiding character. The piano...

The famous monument to Chopin, Parc Monceau, Paris. The ballades of the Polish poet Adam Bernard Mickiewicz inspired Chopin to compose the four Ballades, each telling a musical story. The first, Opus 23, took four years to complete (1831-1835) and coincided with Chopin's arrival in Paris and his acceptance by the city's good society. The poet Adam Bernard Mickiewicz. Unlike most of Chopin's pianistic compositions, which focus on unexpected changes in mood and contrasts, Ballade No.1 in G minor has a narrative, almost epic quality. In this respect it is consistent with literary ballades, such as the epic 17th century poem, Faery Queen (Fairy Queen) by Edmond Spencer. Many regard Chopin's four piano ballads as the most mature and refined part of his wide-ranging work. The introduction provides the backdrop, which is full of a sense of tragedy and premonition. This contrasts with the first melody that is both lyrical and simple. Observe the use of ceases and subtle qualms...