MusiLLection

From the oboe’s fragile swan theme to the final transfiguration, Swan Lake turns a broken vow into music that remembers. i Work Information Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) Title: Swan Lake ( Лебединое озеро ), Op. 20 — TH 12, ČW 12 Composition and revision: August 1875–April 1876; additional numbers composed in February and April 1877 Premiere: 20 February/4 March 1877, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow; choreography by Julius Reisinger, conducted by Stepan Ryabov Posthumous revival: 15/27 January 1895, Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg; choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, musical revision by Riccardo Drigo Genre: Romantic narrative ballet Structure: Introduction and four acts; 29 numbered sections and two supplementary numbers in the composer’s score Duration: approx. 140–160 minutes for the complete...

Schumann - Träumerei, from Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 7 (Analysis)

In the Scenes from Childhood of 1838, Schumann looks towards childhood from an adult’s perspective. At the centre of the cycle, Träumerei lets a quiet melody change almost imperceptibly with the voices around it. i Work Information Composer: Robert Schumann (1810–1856) Title: Träumerei (Dreaming / Reverie), from Kinderszenen , Op. 15 No. 7 Year of composition: 1838; diary entry: 24 February First performance: Not securely established First edition: 1839, Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig Genre: Piano miniature / character piece Musical Period: Romanticism Structure: 24 bars with an opening upbeat; A–B–A′, with A repeated Duration: approx. 2–3 minutes, depending on tempo Instrumentation: Solo piano Robert Schumann’s Träumerei (“Dreaming” or “Reverie”) is the seventh of the thirteen Scenes from Childhood , Op. 15. Across just twenty-four written bars, a melody of striking simplicity returns in subtly altered surroundings. Inner voices move beneath the singing ...

Bedřich Smetana: Vltava (The Moldau) - Analysis

From two small springs to the majestic approach to Prague, Smetana’s Vltava transforms the river’s flow into a musical image of Bohemia, where landscape, legend, and historical memory merge within a single symphonic journey. i Work Information Composer: Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884) Work title: Vltava — also widely known as Die Moldau / The Moldau Cycle: Má vlast ( My Homeland ), No. 2 Date of composition: 20 November – 8 December 1874 Premiere: 4 April 1875, Žofín Palace, Prague Conductor: Adolf Čech Genre: Symphonic poem Musical period: Romanticism — Czech national school Structure: One continuous movement formed from successive programmatic episodes Principal key: E minor, concluding in E major Duration: approx. 12–15 minutes Catalogue: JB 1:112/2 Instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, triangle, cymbal...

Sergei Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 (Analysis)

From the tolling weight of C minor to its final transformation in C major, the Second Concerto traces Rachmaninoff’s return to creative confidence. i Work Information Composer: Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) Title: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 Year of composition: 1900–1901 First performance of movements II–III: 15 December 1900, Hall of the Nobility, Moscow · Sergei Rachmaninoff, piano · Alexander Siloti, conductor Premiere of the complete work: 9 November 1901, Moscow · Sergei Rachmaninoff, piano · Moscow Philharmonic Society Orchestra · Alexander Siloti, conductor Dedication: To Nikolai Vladimirovich Dahl Genre: Concerto for piano and orchestra Structure: Three movements Duration: approx. 33–36 minutes Instrumentation: Solo piano, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals and strings A few chords rise out of sil...

Antonio Vivaldi – "Winter" (L’Inverno) from "The Four Seasons" (Analysis)

Shivering, fireside shelter and uncertain steps on ice acquire different rhythms and textures in Winter. i Work Information Composer: Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) Title: Winter ( L’inverno ), in F minor, Op. 8 No. 4, RV 297; fourth concerto of The Four Seasons Year of composition: Before publication in 1725; the exact date remains uncertain First performance: Not securely documented First publication: Amsterdam, Michel-Charles Le Cène, 1725; within Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione , Op. 8 Genre: Programmatic violin concerto Musical Period: Baroque Structure: Three movements: Allegro non molto · Largo · Allegro Duration: approx. 8–10 minutes, depending on the performance Instrumentation: Solo violin, violins I and II, viola and basso continuo Antonio Vivaldi’s Winter , Op. 8 No. 4, RV 297, closes The Four Seasons with a concerto in F minor for solo violin, strings and basso continuo. Its subjects are immediately recognisable physical experiences: shivering,...

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