“There is music in the air, music all around us, the world is full of it and you simply take as much as you require”-Sir Edward Elgar. Elgar was one of the 19th century’s most famous composers. He devoted his life to writing musical pieces such as Enigma Variations, The Dream of Gerontius, and the Pomp and Circumstance Marches. Certain personality aspects of Elgar, such as his wit and creative humor, are found in his music and set him apart from the other composers of his time. Elgar was born in the small village Lower Broadheath England to a music dealer. He was the 4th of 7 siblings and was very precocious. Elgar grew up reading the writings of Voltaire and Longfellow, and began taking piano and violin lessons at age 8. Elgar spent many Sundays listening to his father play the organ at St. Georges Church. Although he was fascinated by music in general the violin was what really appealed to him. Elgar spent many hours in his father’s shop studying sheet music where he discovered the majority of his knowledge of music theory. Not only was Elgar infatuated with music, but he had a love for nature and cycling. He would often cycle out into the country on nice days and study sheet music. His love for nature and music began to coincide. At the age of 15 Elgar has aspirations of moving to Germany to compose music, but due to the lack of money he was not able to. Instead, he began working as solicitor which he despised. After several months Elgar quit his job and began teaching music lessons. Often times he played violin and composed for the Worcester Glee club. He began to develop a reputation and soon was hired as bandmaster for Worcester and County Lunatic Asylum. . The asylum focused on treating patients with ... ... middle of paper ... ... received wide spread fame for the Enigma Variations, and traveled throughout Europe and America composing it. Elgar became a World renowned musician and celebrity. During the First World War his music began to lose touch with society due to his disgust of war and the loss of life. Elgar did go on to compose Elegiac Cello Concerto, which is regarded as his last masterpiece. Elgar later died of cancer in 1933 leaving behind his legacy which inspired composers such as Yehudi Menuhin and Adrian Boult. In 1951 the Elgar Society was created to introduce his music to younger generations. It also acts as a charity to musical education. Elgar is by far one of England’s greatest composers. Statues of him are found through his home town of Worcester today along with the Elgar Birthplace Museum. His influence on music is readily found in much of today’s society.
Classical music can be best summed by Mr. Dan Romano who said, “Music is the hardest kind of art. It doesn't hang up on a wall and wait to be stared at and enjoyed by passersby. It's communication. Its hours and hours being put into a work of art that may only last, in reality, for a few moments...but if done well and truly appreciated, it lasts in our hearts forever. That's art, speaking with your heart to the hearts of others.” Starting at a young age Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven have done just that with their musical compositions. Both musical composers changed the world of music and captivated the hearts of many. Their love of composing shared many similar traits, though their musical styles were much different.
John was a talented youngster. At the tender age of 6 he was studying music. He learned to play many types of instruments; the
Edward Theodore Gein was born on August 27, 1906 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The son of an alcoholic father and a very religious mother, Gein grew up alongside his older brother, Henry, in a household ruled by his mother preaching about the sins of carnal desire. With an effeminate demeanor, Ed Gein became a target for bullies. Classmates and teachers brought up mannerisms from the past, such as seemingly random laughter, as if he were laughing at his own personal jokes. His mother scolded him whenever he tried to make friends, so he never tried anymore because of the pain it caused him. Not being distracted by his social life, he did well in school, mostly in reading. (http://www.biography.com/people/ed-gein-11291338).
By the time Britten was able to understand, Edith gave him piano and theory lessons. As musically inclined as he was, Britten attempted his first composition by the age of five. Many of Britten’s siblings were disinterested in music, including his father, who did not allow any type of radio in the household. Because of this, Britten is one of the only composers of the 20th and 21st centuries to learn music solely through live performance.
Beethoven’s early life was one out of a sad story book. For being one of the most well-known musicians one would think that sometime during Beethovens childhood he was influenced and inspired to play music; This was not the case. His father was indeed a musician but he was more interested in drinking than he was playing music. When his father saw the smallest sliver of music interest in Beethoven he immediately put him into vigorous musical training in hopes he would be the next Mozart; his training included organ, viola, and piano. This tainted how young Beethoven saw music and the memories that music brought. Nevertheless Beethoven continued to do what he knew and by thirteen he was composing his own music and assisting his teacher, Christian Neefe. Connections began to form during this time with different aristocrats and families who stuck with him and became lifelong friends. At 17 Beethoven, with the help of his friends, traveled to Vienna, the music capitol of the world, to further his knowledge and connection...
Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven. Two composers who marked the beginning and the end of the Classical Period respectively. By analysing the last piano sonata of Haydn (Piano Sonata No. 62 in E-flat major (Hob. XVI:52)) and the first and last piano sonatas of Beethoven (Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor Op. 2, No.1, Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor Op. 111), this essay will study the development of Beethoven’s composition style and how this conformed or didn’t conform to the Classical style. The concepts of pitch and expressive techniques will be focused on, with a broader breakdown on how these two concepts affect many of the other concepts of music. To make things simpler, this essay will analyse only the first movements of each of the sonatas mentioned.
often only existed to serve the interests of those who enacted them, and not the
Leonard Bernstein is widely known not only as one of the greatest American conductors, but also as a composer whose creativity and passion was spread over a wide range. His social and cultural influences helped shape his career into a musical icon and his music rekindled the American spirit. Above all, he will be remembered as one of the most amazing and influential musical personalities of the twentieth century.
Western Music has developed in many ways since the middle ages through its form, sound, and message. Throughout these different periods in western music one thing has remained constant, the true essence of music, a way to communicate with someone on a much more divine level than be by rudimentary conversation. Though Ludwig Van Beethoven and Paul McCartney may seem completely opposite they have one in common through their music they changed the world’s perception of its self
As the child is, so will the man be… So it is in music that the songs which a child assimilates in his youth will determine the musical manhood…the musical influence upon his afterlife and also that the melodies which composers evolve in their maturity are but the flowers which bloom from the fields which were sown with the seed of the folk-song in their childhood. (Barham, 9).
His astonishing understanding of musical rudiments was further cemented at age seven by his first teacher Otto Friedrich Willibald Cossel, with piano literature ranging from Bach to Schubert to Clementi (Musgrave 10). The young gifted talent quickly matured, with his compositions being sedulously characterized in craft similar to the seasoned taste of aged liquor. Following in the wake of Beethoven, his style of romanticism seemed restrained, and viewed as being confined to classical forms. With his preference towards absolute music, his works demonstrated “as [Ian] McEwan/ [Clive] Linley would have it, at the intersection of emotion and reason” and of “powerful intellect and of passionate expressivity” (Platt and Smith 4). However, being the headstrong romantic that he is, he manipulated the limiting factor into an area of expanse, in which he developed his music into seriously emotional, imaginative works of art.... ...
What would the world be like without music? The world would be a very silent place. Music is in many ways the material of our lives and the meaning of society. It is a reminder of how things were in the old days, a suggestion of how things are, and a view of where society is leading to. Music is the direct reflection of the picture of art, music, and literature. Music can be a way to deliver messages, being poetic, a fine art, or it can just be for entertainment. No matter what it is used for, music is the perfect art there is and there are various types of music; such as classical and romantic. This paper will discuss how classical music and romantic music had a turning point in humanity’s social or cultural development, and how they have
Undoubtedly, Franz Joseph Haydn is one of the greatest composers of all time. His music, widely acclaimed during his day, has since made him immortal. Very few can stand shoulder to shoulder with this great master.
The lives of composers have interested people for as long as music has been introduced to the human civilization. Antonio Vivaldi was one of the most influential composers of his time. Vivaldi’s early life, musical career, later life and death all lead to him being recognized as one of Europe’s most renowned figures in classical music during the 17th and 18th century.
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.