Gestated on the heart of World War II, Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 is a representation of originality as well as pure expression, or in Prokofiev’s own words “a hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers, his pure and noble spirit.” This paper focuses on discussing the relevance of this symphonic work in regards of the contrasting events on its historical context, the connection with the personal life of the composer, and the combination of compositional devices used to create a tension and ambivalence throughout the work.
The compositional process of his Fifth Symphony came, as Prokofiev described, from a “pretty old” idea. He used sketched themes conceived two or three years prior to deciding their use in the symphony. “I set them down in my theme book and then put them aside. When the time came, I was ready to work very fast – I wrote the whole thing in a month, on a three-or four-line score. Then I stopped for a month or two and took the thing up again, and in another month I finished it,” says Prokofiev about the timing it took him to write such massive symphonic work. It seems like there is no place to doubt his remarkable brilliance and talent, as well as the indubitable confidence he must have had about the intention, impact, and goal that he wanted to achieve with the work. In the summer of 1944, Prokofiev had the chance to be very productive; he was kept safe at a haven run by the Soviet Union where time allowed him to complete his Eighth Piano Sonata, to compose some settings of his Twelve Russian Folk Songs, and to start “what was to be his most widely admired symphony – the Fifth.” The symphony was premiered on January 13th of 1945 and was Prokofiev’s last appearance as a conductor. Furthermore, two addition...
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- Sergei, Bertensson and Jay Leyda. "Second Concerto." Sergei Rachmaninoff. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2001. 75-96.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed an exemplary piece of classical music that can be seen in television and films of the twenty-first century. Mozart would hear a complete piece in his head before he would write it down. He created pieces that had simple melodies, but also the orchestration sounded rich. Out of the forty-one symphonies Mozart composed, I have chosen Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor or better known as The Great G Minor Symphony, written in 1788. Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 is considered the most popular out of all forty-one symphonies because the opening movement is very memorable. Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 is effectively composed through the use of a specific form, elements of music, and using the appropriate instruments so one can see brilliant scenes unfolding.
Felix Mendelssohn was one of the most famous composers during the 19th century. Although in his music he did show some features of romanticism, he was strongly influenced by traditional genres such as counterpoint etc. In this essay, the biography of the composer, background of the genre and analysis of the piece will be investigated
Sad as it is, the composition was lost in the Russian Revolution, but it is believed to be one of the best works of Stravinsky, before “Firebird” of course.
In their books: Copland: 1900 through 1942 and Copland: Since 1943, Aaron Copland and Vivian Perlis give a detailed account of the life of one of America’s most influential composers. The books are arranged similarly to the Shostakovich biography that our class reviewed earlier this semester. That is, through personal accounts by Copland himself along with accounts of Copland’s friends and acquaintances, the authors manage to paint an accurate and interesting picture detailing the life of the great composer. When combined, the two books recount Copland’s entire life, dividing it into two periods for the purpose of easier organization and reading.
Music has shaped the lives of people throughout history. Even in its earliest forms, music has included use of instruments. One of the oldest musical instruments known is a variation of the flute; the original flute is thought to date back nearly 67,000 years ago. Tonight we are going to move throughout the eras with a history of instrumental music. This concert will begin with the Renaissance Era and continue through time until we have reached modern instrumental music.
Wharram, Barbara. Elementary Rudiments of Music. Ed. Kathleen Wood. 2nd ed. Mississauga, Ont.: Frederick Harris Music, 2010. Print.
Sergei Prokofiev was an innovative composer born on the 23rd of April, 1891 in Sontsocka. His mother taught him piano and his father taught him to play chess when he was young. Both activities were major hobbies of his and allowed him to improve his intelligence. His studies were led by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and he graduated with some of the highest remarks of his class at St. Petersburg Conservatory (1914), and received a grand piano because of them. After the Russian revolution, he went on concert tours across Europe and the US. While in New York in 1918, he met a Spanish vocalist named Carolina Codina. They were married in 1923 and had two boys.
Ludwig van Beethoven, an innovative German virtuoso pianist, was born on December 17th, 1770 in Bonn, Germany and passed away in Vienna, Austria on March 26th, 1827 at 56 years-old. Among Beethoven’s 9 symphonies, his Fifth in C minor is one of the most significant pieces in Classical music history and demonstrates an outstanding piece of musical work that has been performed for several years as one of Beethoven’s most famous symphonies. Symphony No. 5 was composed between 1804 and 1807 during the same time as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E flat major (better known as the “heroic” symphony) and was first performed on December 22nd, 1808. His first performance occurred seven years after Beethoven’s hearing deficiency was found in June 1801. Symphony No. 5 remains highly significant in the history of classical music because this piece played an essential role during the transition between the Classical and Romantic periods of music during the Enlightenment period, resulting in a major influence on society.
As a youth he reluctantly studied law, as much bore by it as Schumann had been, and even became a petty clerk in the Ministry of Justice. But in his early twenties he rebelled, and against his family's wishes had the courage to throw himself into the study of music at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He was a ready improviser, playing well for dancing and had a naturally rich sense of harmony, but was so little schooled as to be astonished when a cousin told him it was possible to modulate form any key to another. He went frequently to the Italian operas which at that time almost monopolized the Russian stage, and laid t...