MusiLLection

The Nocturnes, Op. 15 are a set of three nocturnes for solo piano written by Frédéric Chopin between 1830 and 1833. The work was published in January 1834, and was dedicated to his great friend and pianist Ferdinand Hiller. Nocturne in F major, Op. 15, No. 1 This Nocturne has been said to be like Chopin painting the melody "with the soft wings of a butterfly". Nocturne in F-sharp major, Op. 15, No. 2 This Nocturne is rich in ornaments and is a model of elegance, although it also has this usual dramatic middle part. It's so sweet, it's likened to "champagne and truffles"! Nocturne in G minor, Op. 15, No. 3 This Nocturne is particularly graphic. Its mood is heartbreaking and it has even been likened to lamenting a lost love.

Johann Strauss II 's love for Viennese life is evident in this waltz he wrote in 1868. He had just returned from his triumphant visit to Paris and this waltz is an anthem of life in his city. The people of the city used to escape to the "heuringen" or country taverns, to drink and taste the fresh air. The atmosphere of these merry excursions is expressed in the lively melody in the "Tales from the Vienna Woods". It is one of Strauss's most figurative waltzes and one of his most popular. The themes are performed in such a way as to submit the sounds of the Viennese countryside and the fun of the villagers. After a long introduction with melancholy hunting horns, vigorous melodies are interwoven with bird chirping, folk dances and a little memorable melody on the zither, which presents an old Austrian dance called "Ländler". The zither was the most common musical instrument of peasants and folk musicians in Strauss's time. Strauss, in this waltz ...

From 1830 to 1835, Gioachino Rossini composed various arias and duets for singers of Parisian society where he used to patronise. These works were published in a volume entitled Soirées Musicales in 1835. La Danza was written in the cheerful style of the 18th century tarantella.  The orchestra creates the scene with the frenetic rhythm of the Neapolitan tarantella which was extremely popular at the time. The tenor enters holding an impressively long note and then joins wholeheartedly with the spirit of the work. The percussion section, which includes a cymbal, a drum and a triangle, complements the noisy but cheerful music. The second half of the song features a military feel, with a sharp accompaniment played by the strings. The music breaks out in the chorus with a new glowing tonality and a short orchestral section leads to a second verse and to the final choral.

Maurice Ravel seems to have chosen this title - "Infante" means Spanish princess - only for the pleasant sonic tinge, since the princess is a completely fantastic person. The composer wrote the Pavana in 1899 while he was still a student at the Paris Conservatory. The immediate success of this work surprised Ravel, who considered the project morphologically impossible. However, when it was presented in 1902, the critics considered its form smooth and charming. The solo violin, which plays in high tones accompanied by the pulsating sound of deep strings, produces the warm and rich tone of this form of Pavana. A short final section ends with the chords played by the soloist on the violin. A second melody is repeated higher, again with chords of the violin, creating the impression of more than one instrument. Rich chords lead to a return to the original melody, now played on a higher scale of the violin. A pizzicato appears as a third section begins. A rather sad, mournful pas...

The works made up by members of the Strauss family are a wondrous as well as valuable bridge between folk and scholarly expressions of music. Spearheaded by the numerous waltzes prepared by Johann Strauss II - in the catalogue of his works there are about four hundred - the most famous Viennese musical dynasty of the 19th century, was the only catalyst thanks to which a dance of rather humble origin was transformed into the all-light object of the desire for entertainment of the entire Austro-Hungarian, aristocracy initially, and ultimately, regardless of discrimination and stratifications, the whole civilized world. Johan Strauss, the son, transformed the waltz into a great expression of the art of music, with a symphonic character, capable of captivating both the concert halls and the dance halls. He was rightly called the King of Waltz. The waltz dominated the thought and heart of the younger Strauss, but he did not fail to endow with his inspirations and other short works of music...

Georges Bizet was born on October 25, 1838, in a simple family home, in the Parisian apartment of Montmart. Aimée, his mother, an amateur pianist, recognized early his musical talent in her only son and taught him notes and alphabets when he was four years old. Adolphe, his father, a tour maker who became a singing teacher, also encouraged Georges and gave him the little musical knowledge he possessed.     The enthusiasm for Georges' music education had its price. His growing love of literature was suppressed by his mother, who hid his books so Georges to concentrate on music. However, his parents' monomania was rewarded when Georges won a place at the Paris Conservatory on October 9, 1848, just before his tenth birthday. In a few months he began to prize his wonderful playing on the piano and eminent musicians were eager to teach him. The Conservatoire's retired music teacher remained at the Conservatory for his sake, while the brilliant French opera composer Charles Go...

"Under the Wave off Kanagawa (kanagawa oki nami ura)", also known as "The Great Wave". The Sea is Claude Debussy's orchestral masterpiece. When he was a child, he wanted to be a sailor, and the charm of the sea never abandoned him. Debussy was fascinated by the movement and power of the water. He was inspired by artists such as Turner and the Japanese genius Hokusai, who his masterpiece "Under the Wave off Kanagawa (kanagawa oki nami ura)", also known as "The Great Wave" embellished the cover of the first edition of "The Sea" . It was regarded as one of the best French symphonic works. Debussy composed much of it on vacation with his then mistress, Emma Bardac, in the summer of 1904. It was first performed in October 1905. The work consists of three parts - never before has it come so close to the symphonic form - each of which is made up of a distinct sonic image of the sea. Movements:  I.From dawn to noon on the sea The first pa...