With a sense of mystery, highly acclaimed New York Philharmonic conductor Lorin Maazel opened Bruckner’s 8th symphony with a tremolo on the strings and then repeats this tremolando in forte while the brass gloriously brought in the first major theme. Amidst the bright colors and amazing acoustics at Disney Hall, the audience sat in eager anticipation; many of the present members were experienced with Bruckner’s pieces and Wagnerian style. Sitting next to me, David Barry of the LA Philharmonic Board of Directors gave me an introduction to the history of Disney Hall, the LA Philharmonic musicians, and Anton Bruckner. He quickly detailed several prominent musicians’ profiles, including that of the only timpanist at the concert, and then, he went on to describe the special quartet of Wagner tubas and the unique appearance of the harp amidst the largest orchestra required in all of Bruckner’s symphonies. Given that this was my first exposure to anything related to Wagner, I was given insight into Wagner’s influence on Bruckner’s romantic style.
The Wagnerian characteristics of the symp...
Ludwig Van Beethoven 9th Symphony Symphony number nine in D minor, Op.125, the "Choral" is the outstanding piece accompanied with a vocal chorus. Beethoven began concentrated work on the piece in 1822. It occupied him throughout 1823, and he completed it in February 1824. The first performance took place at the Karntnertor Theater in Vienna on May 7, 1824. The deaf composer stood on stage beating time and turning the pages of his score, but the real conducting was done by Michael Umlauf.
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, composed by the legendary Ludwig van Beethoven, is one of the most famous orchestral musical compositions done by the German-born composer. The symphony is broken down into four movements. The symphony has such a profound effect on so many people because of its use drama by introducing sudden and powerful chords which quickly grabs the audience’s attention as well as creating a variety of musical ideas through his use of excitement by way of fast and slow tempos. The first movement, Allegro con brio, which utilizes the Sonata form, contains an opening sequence or Exposition, which initially compels my attention during its first 6 seconds due to its powerful entry and introduction of the basic four-note motive (short-short-short-long) of the piece. The quick repetition in a lower step using strings in unison keeps me engaged due to its energy, as it sort of
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony I attended Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on October 14, at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Southwestern Seminary Oratorio Chorus, directed by C. David Keith, performed. Ludwig Van Beethoven composed the work. He composed it between 1811-1824. Beethoven composed the work in D minor, Op.
When one considers the history of classical music, often images of Vienna, Prague, and other European cities come to mind. Centuries of European musical achievement and development have implanted in society the idea that classical music is an inherently European creation. Considering the accomplishments of countless composers such as J.S. Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Antonin Dvorak, this preconception is certainly not unfounded. However, Leonard Bernstein's rise to international fame proved that one cannot neglect American composers in a discussion of the development of Western music. Combining elements of a vast array of musical styles, Bernstein's unique compositions reached a wide variety of audiences and often bridged gaps between distinct musical genres. Through his long conducting career, profoundly influential compositional output, and televised music lectures, Leonard Bernstein left a lasting legacy which came to define American music in the 20th century.
One of the world’s most talented composers and polemists, Richard Wagner, appeared to be also one of the most ambivalent figures in history. His last dramatic musical opera Parsifal reflects on both its author’s immense talent and his complicated character. The multitude of aspects considered in this work, together with the historic and political situation of the time creates a mixture of emotions that is sometimes difficult to analyze. However, even with his moral and ethical values being questioned by some researchers, Wagner’s significance as an innovator and a dedicated perfectionist of musical plays is undeniable. Regardless of your position towards Wagner and his personality, Parsifal is a work of art with worldly significance, which should be appreciated as the masterpiece that it is.
This paper will explore the life of the great composer, Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach was considered one of the greatest composers of all time. He created amazing, famous compositions that made a big impact in today’s world. He went through rough times like many people do, the loss of his parents and finding a way back to the old routine was not an easy task. Bach came from generations of musicians and was given a religious education which is something that played a big role in his life when becoming a musician. We will analyze and learn the significance of some of his great compositions, the stories and what inspired him to compose music.
TitleAuthor/ EditorPublisherDate James Galways’ Music in TimeWilliam MannMichael Beazley Publishers1982 The Concise Oxford History of MusicGerald AbrahamOxford University Press1979 Music in Western CivilizationPaul Henry LangW. W. Norton and Company1941 The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Classical MusicRobert AinsleyCarlton Books Limited1995 The Cambridge Music GuideStanley SadieCambridge University Press1985 School text: Western European Orchestral MusicMary AllenHamilton Girls’ High School1999 History of MusicRoy BennettCambridge University Press1982 Classical Music for DummiesDavid PogueIDG Books Worldwide,Inc1997
In the following paper I will be exploring the beginning of Leonard Bernstein's career and his family background. I will also look into the influences he had in his life and look at two pieces that he composed, "Jeremiah Symphony No. 1", and "Candide". My reasons for choosing these two pieces is due to the fact that they are contrasting in genre, one being a symphony with orchestration and the other being an operetta, and that they were written at different stages in Bernstein's life. They both produced a number of responses and displayed his wide range of musical ability.
5. William Treat Upton (1967 [reprint]), Anthony Philip Heinrich: A Nineteenth Century Composer in America, New York: AMS Press, pp. 3-4
The string quartets of Ludwig Van Beethoven were written over a long period of his life, stretching from 1799 to 1826. The tragedies that occurred throughout Beethoven’s life did not stop him from writing these seventeen masterpieces. The string quartets can be divided into three periods; early middle and late with the first six quartets of Op. 18 marking his ‘early’ works. As Beethoven’s writing began to flourish with creativity and imagination, he wrote the ‘Rasumovsky’ quartets that mark the ‘middle’ period in his career. Finally, the late quartets (also last works that Beethoven ever wrote) mark a cornerstone for various composers writing string quartets through the Romantic era and into the 20th century with use of counterpoint and harmony, especially. This essay will show how these works display great importance in developing the string quartet through Beethoven’s career, and also how their influences can be found in string quartets of other composers.
If you are part of society, I think it is safe to make the assumption you are familiar
Introduction The symphonies of Anton Bruckner have been known to be majestically spiritual having ‘cathedrals in sound’. Giving a brief background of the musician and composer, Anton Bruckner was born in Ansfelden. Anton’s father was a school master who did not want that his son be a musician. However, against his father’s will, Anton studied music at St. Florian monastery and became an organ player in the year 1851. Anton was much impressed by the music of Richard Wagner and extensively studied his music and after completing his studies he wrote "Mass in D Minor". At Vienna Conservatory, he was appointed as a music teacher in 1868 and from then on he was all the more the symphonies’ musician. Nevertheless, the symphonies he created did not receive a positive response and were thought about at being "wild" and "nonsensical" (Adante). His music was dominated by Eduard Hanslick. While Anton’s symphonies were most popular, he also wrote Masses, Motets and Chorals, while his symphonies were the most romantic his chorals were both conventional and contrapuntal in technique. About His Symphonies Symphony No. 1: Anton’s first symphony was composed and completed in 1866. In 1868, Anton performed this symphony in Linz, and afterwards left from Vienna where he spent his remaining life. Critics were not favorable towards his first symphony as the audience considered it as rough and too unconventional. Accepting this criticism, Anton revised his first symphony a year after its creation and called the new version of his first symphony as the Linz Version. Ever since, the Linz Version is the most famous and the most performed symphony of Anton. And it is the version mostly performed now. Dr. Carragan prepared a reconstructed version of the...
The Beethoven Symphony #9 in D minor is being announced during the 4th movement of the symphony. Typically, in symphonies, the 4th movements take part in the term of Allegro, which means it is played quickly or fast. However, in Beethoven Symphony, the 4th movement opens with a flurry sound and then is introduced by an instrumental recitative. A recitative is a style of music alternating between speaking and singing words on the same note. In a recitative, the music lines are not repeated even though formally composed songs do.
One of the key figures in the history of opera, Wagner was largely responsible for altering its orientation in the nineteenth century. His program of artistic reform accelerated the trend towards organically conceived, through-composed structures, as well as influencing the development of the orchestra, of a new breed of singer, and of various aspects of theatrical practice. As the most influential composer during the second half of the nineteenth century, Richard Wagner's conception of music remains very much with us even a century after his death.
The years between the middle of the 1700’s to the early 1800’s was a time of immense value according to many music enthusiasts today. In this era the music was considered controlled and reserved. Many Sonatas, Symphonies, and Quartets could be heard in the homes of Vienna during the Classical Era. This era, like every other, had a unique style that has fascinated throngs of people through the ages. John Cage once said, “I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.” The Classical Period at its beginnings was looked upon as unique from the Baroque Period.