"Do not wonder that I am so religious. An artist who is not could not produce anything like this." (-Antonio Dvorak) A person of humble origins and demeanor and of deep faith, Antonio Dvořák often attributed his musical talents as being "a gift from God." His Bohemian nationalist music spurred generations of folk and romantic music to continue on into the 19th Contrary. He followed the path of God and it showed through in his music. To further understand the totality of Dvorak’s life, we must examine his personal life, career, and legacy. Born in September 8, 1841, in the Bohemian village of Nelahozeves, near Prague, in what was then Bohemia, Antonio Dvorak was inundated with Bohemian nationalist folk music from a young age. His father, who played the zither, first exposed young Dvorak to the music that would launch his career. At the age of six he began studying music, and attended Prague’s only organ school, graduating with proficiency in many instruments including the organ, violin, viola, and piano. In the 1860s, he began teaching piano lessons, and it was through them that he ...
It was not only until the spring of that year that he for first time left Hamburg professionally. He undertook a tour with the Hungarian violinist Eduard Remenyi for the purpose of introducing himself and his works. At Gottingen they gave a concert in which the young pianist made a deep impression upon the musicians present. He and Remenyi were to play Beethoven?s Kreutzer sonata, but at the last moment it was discovered that the piano was half a tone too low.
At the age of 17, Balanchine entered the Conservatory of Music. He studied piano, composition and th...
Janice B. Stockigt, Jan Dismas Zelenka, 1679 – 1745: A Bohemian Musician at the Court of Dresden (Oxford, 2000)
In 1896, he attended the funeral of his friend Clara Schumann who he had known since 1853. On his return, he was seriously ill and died a year later. Generations later, his music and name may still provoke argument in musical circles. However, there can be utterly no doubt that he is included in the first dozen composers of all music history (Weinstock 456). Part of Johannes Brahms’s unique history include the story of his life, his influences, and his exceptional music. Today, his popularity is still continuing to grow and he will remain in music history as a remarkable and outstanding Romantic music composer.
It was a freezing January day in the city of Archangelsk, Russia. A man by the name of Dmitri Shostakovich picked up the newest issue of Pravda from the newsstands, which were unusually busy today. “Wow, this is really harsh!” “Are Pravda’s expectations THAT high?” people whispered to one another. After reading it briefly, Shostakovich flew into a fit of frustration and rage. This paper called his music “degenerate and decadent” (Stevens)! There is no way that Pravda would trash his music as badly as this. In fact, the article was written under orders by an upset Josef Stalin. These two Russian titans impacted Russia’s culture between 1930 and 1950. They absolutely hated each other! The tension between the two radiated throughout Shostakovich’s music and Stalin’s iron-fisted attitude towards his symphonies. Stalin manipulated composers to the point of suicide for defying his wishes, and he was not afraid to do that to Shostakovich. Somehow, Shostakovich dared to resist Stalin’s evil ways and went on to become a “brilliant and internationally famous composer.
Schwartz, Boris. Music and Musical Life in Soviet Russia, 1917-1981. 2nd edition. Indiana University Press, 1983.
Antonin Dvorak was born on September 8, 1841 in the small village of Nelahozeves. Dvorak began his early music education training when he was eight years old at the local school in his village. When he was 14 he trained with the church choirmaster in the nearby town of ZIonce. At the age of 16 he studied at the German municipal school briefly and a year later, in 1857, he began his studies at the Prague Organ School, graduating in 1859. (Stefan 25-30).
Franz began to compose at the age of eight. When only nine he made his first public appearance as a concert pianist. His playing so impressed the local Hungarian magnates that they put up the money to pay for his musical education for the next six years. Liszt’s father obtained leave of absence from his post and took Franz to Vienna. He gave several concerts in Vienna, with great success.
Religion has been an important part of man’s life. Man has allowed religion to control and influence his life in many different ways, affecting both his behavior and his actions. So its not surprising that music, one of man’s earliest expressive forms, has also been influenced by religion. Religion has had an effect on man’s music all throughout history, from the early Egyptians to even now. So it is only natural that Western music should also have been affected by religion. Western music, and its development by composers, has been strongly influenced by the Christian religion, especially in the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. The music in these periods laid the foundation for all the different types of music we enjoy today.
The Szpilman family lived in an upper class Jewish Warsaw neighborhood during the middle of the twentieth century. The Szpilman's were well educated and respected in their neighborhood. The eldest Szpilman played the violin while the other children worked in town as lawyers or teachers. Music was always heard in the house. Wladyslaw and his father were professional musicians. In an ironic twist, the younger Szpilman learned to play the piano in pre-Nazi Germany.
This is the second volume of Richard Taruskin's historical work, and it highlights composers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. He examines the progression of different styles and eras of music.
Frederic Chopin, a Polish Nationalistic composer of the Romantic period, is a famous musician. Chopin’s compositions are individualistic to his talent and love of the piano. Chopin lived in Warsaw as a child and spent a great deal of his life living Paris amongst other artists of the Romantic period. He was influenced by people surrounding him and even more from his childhood in Poland. The Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-Flat major opus 61, is musically representative of Chopin and the Romantic period, nationalistic styles from Poland and unique innovations especially from Warsaw.
“Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.” These were the words of Sergei Rachmaninoff, a Russian composer and pianist who was very influential in the twentieth century. Sergei’s perception of music was accurate because he understood the impact and significance music can have. Everybody knows what music is and they all have heard a form of it but most people underestimate the value and power music has in our everyday lives. Whether they know it or not music plays a vital role in the lives of people today. Music is a very efficient tool that influences and assists people, it plays a huge part in today’s society, and it had done so much for me as an individual.
“The Pianist” describes how Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Jewish pianist, manages to escape from the Ghetto and survive through the massacre of Jews in Poland by luck. The most surprising
Music Appreciation has broadened my view to listen to different eras of music that I was not accustomed to. It was pleasant listening, reading, and learning about different periods of music. This course has given me an exceptional amount of knowledge on different styles of music, identifying different elements in music as well as learning about legendary composers who have influenced music throughout history. Not only has music been around for decades, it has developed a history of great composers who have left an imprint in history by their extraordinary compositions of music they developed during their times of glory, like Ludwig van Beethoven. In this essay I will discuss how Beethoven is known as one of the greatest, ingenuity composers of his time and how the classical period is so fascinating to listen to and learn about. In addition, I will also discuss how Music Appreciation has reshaped the way I perceive and listen to different styles of music that have been created throughout history.