MusiLLection

The Jazz Age shaped artists and musicians alike. This painting by Lyonel Charles Feininger reflects the spirit of the era that inspired Gershwin’s music. George Gershwin first achieved fame as a songwriter, yet from the very beginning of his career he aspired to compose what was then considered “serious” concert music. That ambition took shape decisively when conductor and impresario Paul Whiteman commissioned him to write a work for a so-called “jazz concerto.” The result was Rhapsody in Blue , a groundbreaking piece for piano and orchestra that instantly transformed Gershwin into a cultural phenomenon. Just one year later, in 1925, Gershwin received a new and more demanding commission—this time from New York conductor Walter Damrosch—for a full-length concerto in the European tradition. Working simultaneously on the Broadway shows Tell Me More and Tip Toes , Gershwin composed what he initially titled the New York Concerto , later known as the Piano Concerto in F Major . The conc...

The famous monument to Frédéric Chopin in Paris, reflecting the dramatic and poetic spirit of his music. The poetic ballads of the Polish writer Adam Bernard Mickiewicz inspired Frédéric Chopin to compose his four Ballades —works that unfold like musical narratives rather than abstract forms. The first of them, Ballade No. 1 in G minor , was written over a period of four years (1831–1835), coinciding with Chopin’s arrival in Paris and his gradual acceptance into the city’s refined artistic society. Unlike many of Chopin’s piano works, which rely on sudden contrasts and shifting emotional states, this Ballade possesses a continuous, almost epic narrative flow. In this sense, it aligns closely with the tradition of literary ballads, recalling the dramatic storytelling found in epic poetry such as The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser . For many listeners and scholars, Chopin’s four Ballades represent the most mature and sophisticated expression of his musical imagination. Adam Bernard ...

Like many composers of his time, César Franck earned his living primarily as a virtuoso performer, with broad recognition of his compositions coming largely after his death. Toward the end of his career, César Franck became increasingly aware that French music lacked a major, truly integrated work for piano and orchestra —one in which the solo instrument would not merely dominate, but participate symphonically in the musical argument. Determined to address this gap, he began experimenting with the relationship between piano and orchestra. An important step in this direction was his symphonic poem Les Djinns (1884), a work inspired by Victor Hugo’s poem. Two years later, in 1885 , Franck achieved his artistic goal with the composition of the Symphonic Variations , a work of remarkable unity, balance, and enduring expressive power. Franck originally conceived the piece as a concert-form structure in which piano and orchestra would share thematic responsibility equally. Influenced by Be...

The Nocturnes , Op. 15 form a set of three nocturnes for solo piano composed by Frédéric Chopin between 1830 and 1833. The collection was published in January 1834 and dedicated to Chopin’s close friend and fellow pianist Ferdinand Hiller . These three pieces reveal Chopin’s growing mastery of lyrical expression, pianistic colour, and poetic atmosphere—hallmarks of his mature nocturne style. Nocturne in F major, Op. 15, No. 1 This nocturne has often been described as Chopin painting melody “with the soft wings of a butterfly.” Its flowing cantabile line unfolds with remarkable delicacy, creating an atmosphere of tenderness and refined grace. Nocturne in F-sharp major, Op. 15, No. 2 Rich in ornamentation and subtle nuance, this nocturne stands as a model of elegance. Beneath its sweetness lies a characteristically dramatic central section, providing contrast and emotional depth. Its refined charm has famously been likened to “champagne and truffles.” Nocturne in G minor, Op. 15, No. 3...

Franz Liszt  composed the four Valses oubliées between 1881 and 1884, when he was already in his seventies. Despite his advanced age, his musical thinking remained strikingly inventive and forward-looking. This first Valse oubliée , like many of Liszt’s late piano works, reveals a decisive shift away from the virtuoso brilliance of his earlier style toward a more introspective, experimental language. Its harmonic vocabulary and formal treatment show a remarkable degree of innovation, anticipating musical developments that would only become fully apparent in the twentieth century. Although cast in the outward form of a traditional waltz, the piece bears little resemblance to the elegant Viennese waltzes of Johann Strauss. Its movement is more restless and elusive, aligning it more closely with the poetic ambiguity of Chopin ’s waltzes—yet even these are surpassed in harmonic boldness. The work balances flashes of technical refinement with a deep and probing exploration of harmon...

  The Concert by Nicolas Lancret reflects the social charm and growing popularity of public concerts in the eighteenth century. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote most of his piano concertos for his own performances and for his pupils. In 1785 alone, he composed three piano concertos, among them Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major , which he premiered in Vienna in March of that year. The piano concerto represents Mozart’s most decisive contribution to instrumental music. In this genre, he established a balance between soloist and orchestra that became a model for future generations. Later composers—most notably Ludwig van Beethoven —studied, emulated, and expanded upon Mozart’s concerto style. Much of the concerto’s popularity throughout the nineteenth century can be traced directly to Mozart’s mature works in this form. Μovements : I .  Allegro maestoso The opening movement begins with a stately, march-like theme in the strings. The entrance of the woodwinds lends the music a cer...

The Clarinet Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 167 is one of the three woodwind sonatas composed by Camille Saint-Saëns in 1921, the final year of his life. The other two were written for oboe and bassoon. Together, these late works reveal the composer’s increasing preference for clarity, elegance, and a lighter, more refined sound world. Saint-Saëns had planned to compose a second cycle of woodwind sonatas during his stay in Algiers later that same year, but his death prevented the project from being realized. The Allegro animato opens with a lively, agile theme that immediately establishes the playful and graceful character of the movement. The clarinet clearly assumes the leading role, while the piano supports it with transparent harmonies and discreet counter-melodies. As the movement unfolds, Saint-Saëns introduces unexpected intervals and subtle rhythmic shifts, enriching the melodic line without disturbing the natural flow of the music. Earlier thematic material reappears with r...

The “Revolutionary Étude” was composed after Chopin learned that the Polish uprising of 1831 had been crushed by Russian troops. It has often been said of Frédéric Chopin ’s Études that they are as inaccessible to the musician without virtuosity as they are to the virtuoso without musicality . Few works confirm this paradox more powerfully than the Étude in C minor, Op. 10, No. 12, universally known as the “Revolutionary Étude.” The technical demands of the piece push the pianist—particularly the left hand—to the very edge of endurance. Yet at no moment does virtuosity exist for its own sake. Technique here is completely absorbed into musical expression, serving a dramatic and emotionally charged narrative. Above the relentless torrent of the left hand, the right hand projects a defiant, urgent melody. Emotion cuts through the storm like a fragile vessel riding the crest of overwhelming waves. The music surges forward with unstoppable momentum, driven by rhythmic intensity and harmon...

Moonlight over calm waters evokes the poetic imagery long associated with Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata. Beethoven ’s genius radiates through the familiar themes of this iconic sonata, where a single instrument carries the emotional weight and dramatic breadth of a symphony. The Piano Sonata No. 14 , composed in 1801, reveals a new poetic direction in Beethoven’s keyboard writing—intimate, visionary, and structurally daring. The work was written before the composer’s hearing loss became irreversible and is traditionally associated with his affection for Countess Giulietta Guicciardi , to whom the sonata is dedicated. Whether autobiographical or not, the emotional trajectory of the piece—moving from inward stillness to unrestrained turbulence—suggests a deeply personal narrative. Beethoven himself did not call the work “Moonlight.” The nickname appeared later, inspired by a German poet who compared the first movement to moonlight shimmering on the calm waters of Lake Lucerne . From t...

Portrait of Franz Liszt, whose revolutionary approach to the piano concerto redefined the balance between soloist and orchestra. Franz Liszt first became involved with this concerto as early as 1832, during his youth. However, his relentless touring as a virtuoso pianist across Europe left him little time for sustained compositional work. As a result, the concerto was completed only in 1849 and continued to undergo revisions for several years thereafter. The premiere finally took place in Weimar in 1855, conducted by another towering figure of Romantic music, Hector Berlioz . The concerto is Romantic in every sense. It departs decisively from the Classical three-movement concerto model of Mozart and Beethoven and adopts a cyclical form , in which the same musical ideas reappear and are transformed throughout the work. This unifying principle gives the concerto remarkable coherence despite its rich variety of moods. Movements: I. Allegro maestoso The concerto opens with a commandin...

Opus 32 dates back to 1837 , a period during which Chopin was becoming increasingly and deeply connected with the distinguished writer George Sand . This set of nocturnes reflects a subtle but noticeable emotional shift in his musical language, where lyricism is often tinged with inner tension and dramatic contrast. Nocturne in C Major, Op. 32, No.1 In this nocturne, two cantabile, song-like melodies flow almost uninterrupted until the very end. However, just when the listener expects a gentle conclusion, Chopin introduces an unexpected change of mood. A dotted, almost improvisatory cadenza brings new musical material and transforms the atmosphere into something darker and more ambiguous. The work concludes in minor tonality , leaving a sense of emotional suspension rather than resolution. Nocturne in A-flat Major, Op. 32, No. 2 This nocturne is among Chopin’s most beloved. It opens with a brief, quasi-cadenza passage that may strike modern listeners as slightly melodramatic. This int...

In Chopin’s time, the waltz was already a well-established musical form. Composers such as Mozart had contributed decisively to its refinement, even extending it into concert settings. What Frédéric Chopin introduced, however, was something fundamentally new: he transformed the waltz from social dance music into an intimate poetic genre, dominated by the piano and shaped by nuance, elegance, and emotional depth. Chopin composed his first waltzes while still a teenager and continued to return to the form almost until the end of his life. These works are not intended for the ballroom in a literal sense. Instead, they reflect an inward, often nostalgic vision of dance—music that evokes movement through memory and imagination rather than physical motion. The three waltzes of Op. 70, published posthumously, offer a revealing glimpse into Chopin’s lyrical world, balancing grace, melancholy, and restraint. Waltz in G-flat major, Op. 70, No.1 The opening waltz unfolds with a radiant and flo...

Composed in 1809, the Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major , commonly known as the “Emperor” , stands as Ludwig van Beethoven ’s final contribution to the concerto genre—and arguably its most majestic. The work is dedicated to Archduke Rudolf of Austria , Beethoven’s devoted pupil and long-standing patron. The concerto received its first performance in Leipzig on November 28, 1811. At its Viennese premiere, the solo part was taken by Carl Czerny , a former student of Beethoven and one of the most important transmitters of his pianistic legacy. The nickname “Emperor” was not given by the composer himself but by Johann Baptist Cramer , the English publisher of the concerto—a title that reflects the work’s grandeur rather than any political association. Movements: - Allegro The opening Allegro begins with an unprecedented gesture: instead of the traditional orchestral exposition, the piano enters immediately, responding to powerful orchestral chords with expansive, improvisatory flouri...

A contemporary drawing portrays Schubert as almost comically small beside his close friend Johann Michael Vogl, with whom he spent the joyful summer of 1819 in Steyr. In the summer of 1819, Franz Schubert traveled to the small Austrian town of Steyr for a holiday with his close friend, the celebrated baritone Johann Michael Vogl . Surrounded by rocky mountain landscapes and invigorated by a carefree social atmosphere, Schubert spent much of his time making music with friends and local amateurs. When members of Steyr’s musical circle asked him to compose a new chamber work, the cellist Sylvester Paumgartner suggested that Schubert draw upon a song he had written two years earlier, Die Forelle (“The Trout”). Schubert embraced the idea and expanded it into a radiant chamber composition, incorporating a set of variations on the song’s theme. He completed the quintet after returning to Vienna and sent the score back to Steyr, where it was first performed during the winter of 1819. The wo...

The beauty moved Beethoven and used to dedicate the music to his beloved. His work  Für Elise  was believed to have been written for his student Therese Malfatti. This work belongs to the musical genre of the bagatelle — a short, light piece, usually for piano, characterized by a relatively simple technique. Although bagatelles existed before him, Beethoven was the composer who elevated the genre and gave it artistic importance, composing several sets of such works. Für Elise is the most famous example of this musical form in Beethoven’s output. Some of the composer’s biographers believe that the work was not dedicated to “Elise” but to Therese , and that the change of name was the result of a copyist’s error. If this theory is correct, the piece was almost certainly dedicated to Beethoven’s student Therese Malfatti. At the time, Beethoven was in love with his young pupil and composed the piece with her technical abilities in mind. The work was written in 1810 but was not ...

Gershwin 's Three Preludes for Piano form a satisfying set: two fairly short and vivid parts on each side of a more extensive, slow center piece. - Allegro ben ritmato e deciso The first prelude has a playful lyrical rhythm and an appealing melody, which hints at Latin American rhythms such as the rumba and their close relationship with those of jazz. - Andante con moto e poco rubato The second prelude is the best known of the three. It is an other example of Gershwin's special way of editing the blues, with the slow, sluggish melody sounding over a canvas of repetitive chords for the left hand. A central part changes from minor to major and also transfers the melody to the left hand or bass line. - Allegro ben ritmato e deciso The rhythm of the final prelude takes us to the living world of dance, inspired from jazz.

Chopin was not the first composer to compose waltz for piano, but his approach was particularly unique. Many composers had written similar works, but Chopin's waltzes were not intended for dance. Chopin composed approximately twenty waltzes, bus only half were issued while he was alive. The rest of his work was published after his death and many even in a highly curated edition. One minute Waltz, Op. 63, No. 1 The "One Minute Waltz" needs considerable technical boldness. This work was meant to last about a minute, although it is not known whether any pianist - other than Chopin himself - ever achieved that. Waltz No. 7 in C minor, Op. 64, No. 2 This waltz is unusually expressive, drawing much of its effect from the interaction of different rhythmic patterns. It also includes a melody of exceptional beauty and emotion. Waltz in A flat Major, Op. 64, No.3 This waltz is simple and short and the thythm is relaxed. Here Chopin has chosen a pure structure. The solf central s...

Liszt composed three songs called Liebestraume (Dreams of Love). He transcribed them for piano in 1850, describing them as "nocturnes", in the manner and style of Chopin .  This third Liebestraume is one of the most beloved romantic compositions for solo piano. This famous pianistic composition begins with a flowing melody played on the substrate of a cellar accompanying grab of the left hand. After a repetition, the melody is driven to a more fervent escalation and follows a part with wonderful flow. The original melody reappears and its last fleeting notes bode well for the fond memory of a wonderful dream.