Well, I'm 3 days into my orientation for residency, and so much has happened already.
First day was a bunch of short talks from all sorts of people on varied topics. The other two days have been computer training, getting our schedules, talks about research in residency, etc.
The first evening, there was an informal meet and greet with all the new internal medicine residents (and families - there were about 4 3-year olds running around, including mine!) and a few older residents and staff physicians (they call them "consultants" instead of "attendings" here). The program here is so large (71 interns this year!), they intentionally have us in groups, each with a physician mentor.
So that night I met my group's mentor - turns out he's a very skilled classically-trained pianist who still plays a lot. He knew that I played a lot, too, and we got to talking. He said he would put me in touch with another resident who is a serious violinist. Apparently he has been looking for a pianist to play with...
...so today I had the afternoon free, and I get this call from the violinist resident. Turns out he is also doing the "research-track" residency/fellowship in Heme-Onc like I am doing! He was planning on meeting his cellist friend this evening to read through a bunch of music. Would I like to join them? Would I ever!
We played for 2.5 hours together in the Mayo lobby (the Bosendorfer piano!). The entire Mendelssohn C Minor (Op. 66) trio and the slow movement of the D minor (Op. 49), as well as the entire Schubert Bb Major (D. 898) trio and the slow movement of the Eb Major (D. 929). This was such an enjoyable experience! All three of us really felt privileged to be playing together. What a blessing! I believe this collaboration will continue...
Showing posts with label Violin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Violin. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Monday, October 13, 2008
English Impressionism
Ralph Vaughn-Williams was born yesterday in 1872 in England. His music is impressionistic, although very different from the "Father" of impressionism, Debussy. I think that in all of his music there is a deep nostalgic twinge - a longing for beauty and for things to be at peace. He knew what England was like before World War I and how it was changed after, and I'm sure this had an influence on his works.
There are two works I'd like to highlight in particular. The first is Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis - this piece for strings is featured in the 2003 film, Master and Commander (one of my favorite movies). It brings me to tears when I hear it, especially thinking about where it is used in the movie. As someone has commented on the youtube posting - "This music is in sync with the action on the screen...of a sailor overboard who must be cut loose...and abandoned in the middle of the Pacific to save the 'Surprise' from sinking...as the spar to which he clings becomes a sea anchor. Both the horror and the beauty and the immensity of the act of cutting him lose into oblivion is brilliantly expressed in this music..."
Perhaps is his most famous (and for good reason) is The Lark Ascending, a piece for violin and orchestra. This piece makes me cry... hard... every time I hear it. I don't know if there exists another piece of music more clean, pure, beautiful, nostalgic, soothing, uplifting (OK, so I probably have said this about 20 other pieces this past year... but c'mon - listen to it and you'll understand!). Here is the last 7 minutes of the piece, set to scenery of rural England. The wikipedia article says - "The composition is intended to convey the lyrical and almost eternally English beauty of the scene in which a skylark rises into the heavens above some sunny down and attains such height that it becomes barely visible to those on the ground below."
There are two works I'd like to highlight in particular. The first is Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis - this piece for strings is featured in the 2003 film, Master and Commander (one of my favorite movies). It brings me to tears when I hear it, especially thinking about where it is used in the movie. As someone has commented on the youtube posting - "This music is in sync with the action on the screen...of a sailor overboard who must be cut loose...and abandoned in the middle of the Pacific to save the 'Surprise' from sinking...as the spar to which he clings becomes a sea anchor. Both the horror and the beauty and the immensity of the act of cutting him lose into oblivion is brilliantly expressed in this music..."
Perhaps is his most famous (and for good reason) is The Lark Ascending, a piece for violin and orchestra. This piece makes me cry... hard... every time I hear it. I don't know if there exists another piece of music more clean, pure, beautiful, nostalgic, soothing, uplifting (OK, so I probably have said this about 20 other pieces this past year... but c'mon - listen to it and you'll understand!). Here is the last 7 minutes of the piece, set to scenery of rural England. The wikipedia article says - "The composition is intended to convey the lyrical and almost eternally English beauty of the scene in which a skylark rises into the heavens above some sunny down and attains such height that it becomes barely visible to those on the ground below."
Saturday, September 13, 2008
The Father of Atonality
The Austrian-Jewish composer Arnold Schoenberg was born today in 1874. Known as the "emancipator of dissonance", Schoenberg started out as a continuation of the romantic tradition of Brahms, Wagner, Richard Strauss, and Mahler, but in the early 1900's, he moved into atonality. His twelve-tone-row technique was a method that gave equal treatment to all 12 half-steps in the chromatic scale, leaving his compositions without a key signature.
His earliest important work is called "Transfigured Night", still written in a late-romantic tradition with heavy use of chromaticism (such as Wagner's Tristan and Isolde). Here is an excerpt.
A few years later, Schoenberg was to come up with his revolutionary ideas. Here is a short film documenting his ideas. Here is a short piano solo piece illustrating the result of his compositional style.
Perhaps to most of us, it is more enjoyable to listen to people talk about Schoenberg's music than to listen to the music itself. :) Furthermore, listening to people describe Schoenberg who love his music really helps one understand it better. Here's a really fascinating discussion and excerpts of a rehearsal of his piano concerto by Mitsuko Uchida, who describes the music and her love for it with great eloquence. Also, Glenn Gould and Yehudi Menuhin discuss Schoenberg and then play a piece together.
I consider myself somewhat musically educated. I can appreciate a wide variety of music, even very modern sounding stuff. I have a hard time getting excited by Schoenberg, however. Oh sure, I find some of it interesting and even fascinating (see excerpt of Uchida above). But it seems that when tonality is lost, the emotional range of the music is severely limited. Can atonal pieces express anger, rage, despair, depression, fear? Absolutely - maybe they are the best for these emotions. They may even be able to evoke a spirit of lightheartedness or humor. But can atonal music express joy, peace, contentedness, fulfillment, beauty? I am inclined to think not. I'm not saying this music has no place. Under the right conditions and at the right time, this music is appropriate (certainly would help in certain movies!). But I think going atonal has lost a large depth of what music can express...
His earliest important work is called "Transfigured Night", still written in a late-romantic tradition with heavy use of chromaticism (such as Wagner's Tristan and Isolde). Here is an excerpt.
A few years later, Schoenberg was to come up with his revolutionary ideas. Here is a short film documenting his ideas. Here is a short piano solo piece illustrating the result of his compositional style.
Perhaps to most of us, it is more enjoyable to listen to people talk about Schoenberg's music than to listen to the music itself. :) Furthermore, listening to people describe Schoenberg who love his music really helps one understand it better. Here's a really fascinating discussion and excerpts of a rehearsal of his piano concerto by Mitsuko Uchida, who describes the music and her love for it with great eloquence. Also, Glenn Gould and Yehudi Menuhin discuss Schoenberg and then play a piece together.
I consider myself somewhat musically educated. I can appreciate a wide variety of music, even very modern sounding stuff. I have a hard time getting excited by Schoenberg, however. Oh sure, I find some of it interesting and even fascinating (see excerpt of Uchida above). But it seems that when tonality is lost, the emotional range of the music is severely limited. Can atonal pieces express anger, rage, despair, depression, fear? Absolutely - maybe they are the best for these emotions. They may even be able to evoke a spirit of lightheartedness or humor. But can atonal music express joy, peace, contentedness, fulfillment, beauty? I am inclined to think not. I'm not saying this music has no place. Under the right conditions and at the right time, this music is appropriate (certainly would help in certain movies!). But I think going atonal has lost a large depth of what music can express...
Thursday, May 29, 2008
More of Classical Hollywood
Erich Korngold was born on this day in 1897. I never really paid attention to who he was until recently when I heard part of a program devoted to his life and music on the radio. He was essentially a romantic composer stuck in an era that was pushing atonal serialist music. Korngold was also the first serious composer that wrote music for Hollywood, having written full scores for some 16-or-so films in the mid 1900's, and influencing many film-score composers after him. Due to his work in Hollywood, he was not taken seriously by other composers of the day, and he died thinking his music would sink into oblivion. However, after his death, the interest in his non-film music has grown large due to his influence in Hollywood and film scores.
His violin concerto remains his most popular work. It was written in 1945 and premiered by the great violinist Jascha Heifetz in 1947. Listen/watch here to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd movements. It's quite a nice piece of music, with a late-romantic feel. Though some of it does sound like it could go well as film-music (several of it's themes are taken from his film scores), it has a lot of depth and feeling, and many interesting, sometimes somewhat modern, passages and melodies.
His violin concerto remains his most popular work. It was written in 1945 and premiered by the great violinist Jascha Heifetz in 1947. Listen/watch here to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd movements. It's quite a nice piece of music, with a late-romantic feel. Though some of it does sound like it could go well as film-music (several of it's themes are taken from his film scores), it has a lot of depth and feeling, and many interesting, sometimes somewhat modern, passages and melodies.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Two of the Greatest Romantic Composers, Part 2
Brahms' music starkly contrasts Tchaikovsky's. The emotions that come through are powerful, but reserved and controlled, not wild and frantic. However, aside from a few selected works, Brahms' music doesn't have the immediate appeal that Tchaikovsky's does. Yet I find that his music is deeper and becomes more satisfying with each listen. The deeper I get into a particular Brahms piece, the more I am in amazement at the complex, intellectual brilliance that went into the composition. Yet the rugged beauty in his music doesn't need an intellectual understanding of it to enjoy it.
Here are some of my favorites of Brahms.
Orchestral music:
Piano Concerto No. 1 - a monumental work of genius. Although very difficult for the pianist, there is no gratuitous "showing-off" - the orchestra and piano work together to create musical ideas and cohesiveness. Unfortunately, the concerto was received very harshly when the composer premiered it, with an icy silence after one performance, and hissing by a later audience. That sort of thing would be unheard of today - and today's music isn't close to being in the same league! Here is pianist Stephen Hough discussing the piece after playing it. Here is the monumental concerto, parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (First movement up to part 3, 5:15; Second movement up to part 5, 2:20, Third movement the rest). The second movement is one of my favorite pieces of all time. My piano teacher recalls his teacher telling him "It will create a chapel in your soul!" It is full of calm and beauty, and the climax in the middle is very moving. The other two movements are powerful and full of austere beauty.
Piano Concerto No. 2 - an even more difficult piece for the pianist, and even more integrated into the orchestra part, such that it was called "a symphony with piano obbligato" in early days. It has four movements, making it even larger than the first concerto (if that were possible!). This ranks as one of the most difficult concertos of all time (up there with Rachmaninoff 3rd). I think of it as one of the most satisfying musical meals I could ever have. The longer the better (it is usually about an hour long)! It is more pastorale and less austere than the first concerto, and the emotions in the piece run the whole gamut. Here is the first movement, parts 1 and 2. The second movement, which Brahms jokingly called "a tiny wisp of a scherzo" is here. The third movement is a beautiful slow movement, complete with a cello solo. Here are parts 1 and 2, the latter also containing part of the fourth movement, which is light-hearted but still full of power and beauty, concluding here.
Violin Concerto - one of the greatest violin concertos of all time. It can be very austere and serious, especially in the first movement, but there are more light-hearted and tender moments as well, especially in the 2nd and 3rd movements. Critics of his time have said that it is not a concerto for violin as much as "against the violin" and others have said it was "unplayable". It is indeed a hard piece, but it has stood the test of time and is one of the most loved works of all time today. Here are the first, second, and third movements (the first is incomplete here).
Double Concerto - Brahms' last composition for orchestra, it is a concerto for violin and cello together. It is characteristically austere and powerful, but not without lots of beautiful writing and good humor in many places. The opening is especially powerful, with the orchestral outburst followed by a cadenza for the cello, then violin, then both together before the orchestra comes back to have a longer introduction. This a moving piece! Here are parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. The middle movement (part 3 here) is particularly tender and full of the "deep" Brahms beauty.
Four Symphonies - all four of his monumental symphonies are precious jewels. They were late in coming, due to the composer's dissatisfaction and highly self-critical nature. The first symphony was finished in his 40's, and is a tour-de-force. The last movement is very reminiscent of Beethoven's 9th symphony, and so Brahms was dubbed as the continuation of Beethoven - very high praise, but which I think is appropriate. The second symphony is very pastorale and beautiful - probably my favorite Brahms symphony. Since this blog entry is too long already, I'll link only to the third movement, my favorite. I would highly recommend this recording, which is a performance of Brahms and Tchaikovsky's last symphonies (Brahms 4th, Tchaikovsky's 6th) as well as some absolutely brilliant commentary (about 20 minutes per piece) by the great conductor, Leonard Bernstein. It includes other pieces on it as well, with commentary. This will give you a good idea of the musical genius in the creative process by both of these composers in their symphonies.
Variations on a Theme of Haydn - a set of variations on a theme unlikely by Haydn, but that doesn't matter. It's one of his most accessible works, but this doesn't mean it's not deep! The mood changes throughout, from very thoughtful and pensive to unabashedly joyful. I was only able to find a 2-piano version worth listening to (the orchestral version is superior), but here is the opening.
Chamber Music:
Brahms wrote lots and lots of chamber music. It tends to be pretty thick and heavy, but is, once again, quite satisfying in a way that no other composer can match (except perhaps Bach or Beethoven).
Violin Sonatas - he wrote 3, all of which are an incredible feast for the soul. Here is the first movement (parts 1 and 2) of the G major sonata. Brahms also wrote two viola sonatas, originally written as Clarinet sonatas, later transcribed for viola. They are both wonderfully rich and a joy to listen to and play, as are his two cello sonatas.
Brahms also wrote several piano trios and piano quartets, all amazing and monumental works. However, his Piano Quintet in F minor (written for piano and string quartet), to me is the peak, the pinnacle, of all chamber works written for piano and strings. Yes, you heard me right. I know that's kind of a strong statement, but that's how I feel. All four movements are astounding in their passion and integration between the instruments. It is a very serious work with a passion and energy unmatched by any other piece I know of. The most amazing and innovative movements are the 3rd and 4th. The third movement has a driving force and passion in it that stirs my soul every time I listen to it. The fourth movement has extraordinary harmonies in it, pushing the envelope of Romantic music. Listen especially to 7:00 on to the end - so much passion and fire!
Here are some of my favorites of Brahms.
Orchestral music:
Piano Concerto No. 1 - a monumental work of genius. Although very difficult for the pianist, there is no gratuitous "showing-off" - the orchestra and piano work together to create musical ideas and cohesiveness. Unfortunately, the concerto was received very harshly when the composer premiered it, with an icy silence after one performance, and hissing by a later audience. That sort of thing would be unheard of today - and today's music isn't close to being in the same league! Here is pianist Stephen Hough discussing the piece after playing it. Here is the monumental concerto, parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (First movement up to part 3, 5:15; Second movement up to part 5, 2:20, Third movement the rest). The second movement is one of my favorite pieces of all time. My piano teacher recalls his teacher telling him "It will create a chapel in your soul!" It is full of calm and beauty, and the climax in the middle is very moving. The other two movements are powerful and full of austere beauty.
Piano Concerto No. 2 - an even more difficult piece for the pianist, and even more integrated into the orchestra part, such that it was called "a symphony with piano obbligato" in early days. It has four movements, making it even larger than the first concerto (if that were possible!). This ranks as one of the most difficult concertos of all time (up there with Rachmaninoff 3rd). I think of it as one of the most satisfying musical meals I could ever have. The longer the better (it is usually about an hour long)! It is more pastorale and less austere than the first concerto, and the emotions in the piece run the whole gamut. Here is the first movement, parts 1 and 2. The second movement, which Brahms jokingly called "a tiny wisp of a scherzo" is here. The third movement is a beautiful slow movement, complete with a cello solo. Here are parts 1 and 2, the latter also containing part of the fourth movement, which is light-hearted but still full of power and beauty, concluding here.
Violin Concerto - one of the greatest violin concertos of all time. It can be very austere and serious, especially in the first movement, but there are more light-hearted and tender moments as well, especially in the 2nd and 3rd movements. Critics of his time have said that it is not a concerto for violin as much as "against the violin" and others have said it was "unplayable". It is indeed a hard piece, but it has stood the test of time and is one of the most loved works of all time today. Here are the first, second, and third movements (the first is incomplete here).
Double Concerto - Brahms' last composition for orchestra, it is a concerto for violin and cello together. It is characteristically austere and powerful, but not without lots of beautiful writing and good humor in many places. The opening is especially powerful, with the orchestral outburst followed by a cadenza for the cello, then violin, then both together before the orchestra comes back to have a longer introduction. This a moving piece! Here are parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. The middle movement (part 3 here) is particularly tender and full of the "deep" Brahms beauty.
Four Symphonies - all four of his monumental symphonies are precious jewels. They were late in coming, due to the composer's dissatisfaction and highly self-critical nature. The first symphony was finished in his 40's, and is a tour-de-force. The last movement is very reminiscent of Beethoven's 9th symphony, and so Brahms was dubbed as the continuation of Beethoven - very high praise, but which I think is appropriate. The second symphony is very pastorale and beautiful - probably my favorite Brahms symphony. Since this blog entry is too long already, I'll link only to the third movement, my favorite. I would highly recommend this recording, which is a performance of Brahms and Tchaikovsky's last symphonies (Brahms 4th, Tchaikovsky's 6th) as well as some absolutely brilliant commentary (about 20 minutes per piece) by the great conductor, Leonard Bernstein. It includes other pieces on it as well, with commentary. This will give you a good idea of the musical genius in the creative process by both of these composers in their symphonies.
Variations on a Theme of Haydn - a set of variations on a theme unlikely by Haydn, but that doesn't matter. It's one of his most accessible works, but this doesn't mean it's not deep! The mood changes throughout, from very thoughtful and pensive to unabashedly joyful. I was only able to find a 2-piano version worth listening to (the orchestral version is superior), but here is the opening.
Chamber Music:
Brahms wrote lots and lots of chamber music. It tends to be pretty thick and heavy, but is, once again, quite satisfying in a way that no other composer can match (except perhaps Bach or Beethoven).
Violin Sonatas - he wrote 3, all of which are an incredible feast for the soul. Here is the first movement (parts 1 and 2) of the G major sonata. Brahms also wrote two viola sonatas, originally written as Clarinet sonatas, later transcribed for viola. They are both wonderfully rich and a joy to listen to and play, as are his two cello sonatas.
Brahms also wrote several piano trios and piano quartets, all amazing and monumental works. However, his Piano Quintet in F minor (written for piano and string quartet), to me is the peak, the pinnacle, of all chamber works written for piano and strings. Yes, you heard me right. I know that's kind of a strong statement, but that's how I feel. All four movements are astounding in their passion and integration between the instruments. It is a very serious work with a passion and energy unmatched by any other piece I know of. The most amazing and innovative movements are the 3rd and 4th. The third movement has a driving force and passion in it that stirs my soul every time I listen to it. The fourth movement has extraordinary harmonies in it, pushing the envelope of Romantic music. Listen especially to 7:00 on to the end - so much passion and fire!
Two of the Greatest Romantic Composers, Part 1
Today is the birthday of two very important composers of the mid-romantic era of music. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in 1840 in Russia. Johannes Brahms was born in 1833 in Hamburg, Germany.
Although not part of "The Five" Russian Composers (see blog on Jan 2), Tchaikovsky had interactions with them, and he wrote music that was quite nationalistic. He is the prototype of a composer who "wears his emotions on his sleeve", so to speak. His music is passionate, intense, and very accessible, bursting with beautiful melodies. His philosophy of music was that it should be immediately comprehensible to the listener. He felt that his fellow composer, Brahms, placed too many demands on the listener, and that Brahms' music lacked beauty.
I remember reading somewhere that Brahms didn't care much for Tchaikovsky's music, either. He attended a concert of his fellow composer's music and promptly fell asleep through it. Brahms' music is worlds apart from Tchaikovsky's. He is much more reserved in his displays of emotion, and can be very austere. A complaint from a critic of his day was that Brahms' music wanders around and never goes anywhere.
I suppose it depends on one's personality which composer's music one would like better. When I was younger, I listened more to Tchaikovsky's music and remember saying that his 5th Symphony was my favorite piece of music. Those days are long gone - aside from a few of his best works, his music holds my interest much less, and a lot of it seems frantic, repetitive, and noisy.
Brahms, on the other hand, composes some of the deepest music that I know. It may be hard to get into at first, but upon repeated listens, it is more rewarding than the music of most other composers.
I'll start first with a sampling of Tchaikovsky's best works:
Piano Concerto No. 1 - one of the most well-known of pieces of all classical music. It is chock-full of wonderful themes and has both beautiful orchestral writing and beautiful and impressive piano passage-work. Here is the first movement (parts 1, 2, and 3).
Violin Concerto - one of the absolutely best violin concertos in the romantic repertoire. It is a priceless gem of a piece, again full of beautiful melodies. The 2nd movement to me is one of the best works of all time - hauntingly sad and beautiful. Here is the first movement (parts 1 and 2), the sublime second movement, and the third movement.
Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra - this very beautiful piece of music was the closest thing to a cello concerto that the composer wrote. It has characteristic beautiful melodies and lots of interesting variations. Here is a performance of this great piece, parts 1, 2, and 3.
Six Symphonies - His 4th, 5th and 6th symphonies are the most well known. The 3rd is quite good, too. The 6th symphony, called "Pathetique" is the most famous, and rightly so. It has a lot of pathos, especially in the 4th and final movement. The 3rd movement is a fast scherzo that ends so triumphantly, most audiences feel impelled to applaud such that the orchestra has to start the last movement before they finish clapping just to get on with the show. The last movement is such a heart-wrenching contrast to the previous movement, it is probably why the symphony is named so. My uncle commented to me years ago "when you listen to that movement, you just want to lay down and die" - not far from the truth, but it sure is a beautiful piece.
Nutcracker Suite - again another very famous suite of pieces (originally part of a ballet), parts of which are probably recognizable by most people. It has immediate appeal, and for good reason. So many catchy melodies, orchestral textures, and rhythms to feast on. Here's the Waltz of the Flowers, the last piece in the suite.
Since this blog entry is already quite long and we haven't touched Brahms' music yet, I'll put that in part 2.
Although not part of "The Five" Russian Composers (see blog on Jan 2), Tchaikovsky had interactions with them, and he wrote music that was quite nationalistic. He is the prototype of a composer who "wears his emotions on his sleeve", so to speak. His music is passionate, intense, and very accessible, bursting with beautiful melodies. His philosophy of music was that it should be immediately comprehensible to the listener. He felt that his fellow composer, Brahms, placed too many demands on the listener, and that Brahms' music lacked beauty.
I remember reading somewhere that Brahms didn't care much for Tchaikovsky's music, either. He attended a concert of his fellow composer's music and promptly fell asleep through it. Brahms' music is worlds apart from Tchaikovsky's. He is much more reserved in his displays of emotion, and can be very austere. A complaint from a critic of his day was that Brahms' music wanders around and never goes anywhere.
I suppose it depends on one's personality which composer's music one would like better. When I was younger, I listened more to Tchaikovsky's music and remember saying that his 5th Symphony was my favorite piece of music. Those days are long gone - aside from a few of his best works, his music holds my interest much less, and a lot of it seems frantic, repetitive, and noisy.
Brahms, on the other hand, composes some of the deepest music that I know. It may be hard to get into at first, but upon repeated listens, it is more rewarding than the music of most other composers.
I'll start first with a sampling of Tchaikovsky's best works:
Piano Concerto No. 1 - one of the most well-known of pieces of all classical music. It is chock-full of wonderful themes and has both beautiful orchestral writing and beautiful and impressive piano passage-work. Here is the first movement (parts 1, 2, and 3).
Violin Concerto - one of the absolutely best violin concertos in the romantic repertoire. It is a priceless gem of a piece, again full of beautiful melodies. The 2nd movement to me is one of the best works of all time - hauntingly sad and beautiful. Here is the first movement (parts 1 and 2), the sublime second movement, and the third movement.
Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra - this very beautiful piece of music was the closest thing to a cello concerto that the composer wrote. It has characteristic beautiful melodies and lots of interesting variations. Here is a performance of this great piece, parts 1, 2, and 3.
Six Symphonies - His 4th, 5th and 6th symphonies are the most well known. The 3rd is quite good, too. The 6th symphony, called "Pathetique" is the most famous, and rightly so. It has a lot of pathos, especially in the 4th and final movement. The 3rd movement is a fast scherzo that ends so triumphantly, most audiences feel impelled to applaud such that the orchestra has to start the last movement before they finish clapping just to get on with the show. The last movement is such a heart-wrenching contrast to the previous movement, it is probably why the symphony is named so. My uncle commented to me years ago "when you listen to that movement, you just want to lay down and die" - not far from the truth, but it sure is a beautiful piece.
Nutcracker Suite - again another very famous suite of pieces (originally part of a ballet), parts of which are probably recognizable by most people. It has immediate appeal, and for good reason. So many catchy melodies, orchestral textures, and rhythms to feast on. Here's the Waltz of the Flowers, the last piece in the suite.
Since this blog entry is already quite long and we haven't touched Brahms' music yet, I'll put that in part 2.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Serious Side of Hollywood
Miklos Rozsa was born on this day in 1907 in Hungary. I recently became aquainted with this composer through a radio program. He is best known for his film scores, especially for the 1959 movie, Ben Hur, but he also wrote a lot of serious classical music throughout his life. His classical background and training helped his writing for Hollywood to be of the highest quality.
The piece I heard on this program which intrigued me (and caused me to sit in the car and listen for an extra 20 minutes even though I'd already arrived at my destination), was his Violin Concerto, Op. 24, written in 1953-54 for the great violinist Jascha Heifetz. It's a bit modern sounding in some places, but there are some really hauntingly beautiful and nostalgic moments, especially during the entire 2nd movement (Anastasia Khitruk playing Violin in this excerpt).
The piece I heard on this program which intrigued me (and caused me to sit in the car and listen for an extra 20 minutes even though I'd already arrived at my destination), was his Violin Concerto, Op. 24, written in 1953-54 for the great violinist Jascha Heifetz. It's a bit modern sounding in some places, but there are some really hauntingly beautiful and nostalgic moments, especially during the entire 2nd movement (Anastasia Khitruk playing Violin in this excerpt).
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Greatest Composer That Ever Lived
Johann Sebastian Bach was born today in Germany in 1685. I know it's just my opinion, but I think he's the greatest composer of all time. I don't say this lightly. If you've read my previous blogs, you know how much I like the music of so many other composers, especially Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin... and the list goes on.
But if I had to choose only one composer whose music I could listen to for the rest of my life exclusively, I think I'd have to say Johann Sebastian Bach. In fact, when I was young, I went through a phase where I disliked listening to anything else (I think around age 7 to 9). I was in love with the music of Bach and I couldn't get enough, nor did I need any other music. My musical tastes have obviously widened since then, but I still come back to Bach as my "first love" in classical music. I owe this in large part to my oldest brother, who taught me to love Bach when I was very young (thanks, Tim!). I'm doing my best to pass down this love of good music to my beautiful 20-month-old daughter. I have little plastic classical composer statuettes that I gave to her to play with. Her favorite is Bach. She says "Ock! Ock!" and runs and gets the little Bach statuette, then runs over to the CD player and says "Ano! Ano!" Translation: "I want to hear some Bach piano music, please!" Which, of course, means hearing Glenn Gould play, since I mostly have his recordings of Bach.
What do I love so much about the music of this composer? One of my piano teachers said, "Throughout all of Bach's music, there is an inner joy." His music has so much substance, order, and stability. There is also great emotional depth, though the emotion is under control. There is also great intellectual satisfaction from his music. The more you study it, the more you realize how expertly it is put together, and marvel at the symmetry of form. Bach was a master improviser at the keyboard. This plays out in many of his works, where his improvisatory skill leads to so much beauty and diversity.
I'd like to highlight his best. He wrote so much music (over 1000 works), and so much of it is just so good!
For solo keyboard:
OK, so before I list his solo keyboard works, I have to say something about a certain pianist who was very influential in my life, and particularly in regard to my love of the music of Bach. The Canadian pianist Glenn Gould deserves a separate blog entry, but for now, briefly, Glenn was sort of a personal musical hero of mine growing up. He was highly eccentric, yet highly articulate and intellectual. His playing of Bach was out of this world, although sometimes controversial. His impeccable timing and clean playing (where every note can be heard with precision) is stunning. Critics may say this can lead to an overly mechanical sound, but hey, nobody can have it all. I'll be drawing heavily from his playing in the following links.
- The Well-Tempered Clavier (2 books of 24 Preludes and Fugues in every key, both major and minor). This has been called the "Old Testament" for pianists (the "New Testament" being Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas). Here's the Bb minor Fugue from Book II, B Major Prelude and Fugue from Book II
- The Goldberg Variations - perhaps Bach's finest solo keyboard work (in my opinion). It begins with a slow aria, transcendently beautiful in its simplicity, followed by an amazing set of 30 variations. Every 3rd variation (except for the last) is a "canon" (where the melody is repeated exactly, note for note, one measure after the melody begins, and trails the initial melody for the duration of the whole piece). Canons are difficult enough to write and not sound forced, but Bach steps it up a notch. The first canon (3rd variation) is a "traditional" canon (with each note exactly repeated), but each successive canon increases the interval at which the notes are repeated. For example, the second canon (variation 6) is done with an interval of a 2nd, the third canon (variation 9) with an interval of a 3rd, the fourth canon (variation 12) with the interval of a 4th, and so on until variation 27, which has an interval of a 9th. I listened to these variations from the womb, and didn't realize this until I played and studied them in my teens, when I was completely blown away with the symmetry and intellectual depth to the piece. Even if one is completely unaware of all these things, though, this piece remains one of the most uplifting and satisfying works to listen to of all time.
Glenn Gould was sort of responsible for reviving this piece in the mid-20th century. He did the unthinkable and made it his debut recording in 1955. Usually pianists would save little-known, bold, difficult pieces to record when they are well-established and well-loved by critics and the public, but Gould made it his first recording, and pulled it off. Now over 50 years later, this recording still remains a sensation. Before Gould, this piece was played slowly, with all of the repeats (making it last 90 minutes or so). Gould sped through in 38 minutes with no repeats, shedding off the drudgery of previous recordings and catapulting the work into popularity. Gould recorded the piece a second time in 1981, playing it very, very differently. I personally don't like it as much, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Here's the last few variations from Gould's 1981 recording.
- Partitas - here's a great clip of Glenn Gould practicing the opening movement of Partita No. 2 at his home. And here's a later clip of him playing the very feeling opening of Partita No. 6.
- Toccatas - these tend to be more free-form than his other works, with lots of improvisatory material, slow and fast sections alternating, and full of emotion. Here's a fine version of the C minor Toccata, part 1 and part 2.
- Inventions and Sinfonias (2 and 3-part variations) - these are easier pieces to play, often played by young people learning how to play the piano. They are not any less masterful in a capable pianist's hands, though. Here's a very fast-tempo version of the popular Invention 13, and a very beautiful Sinfonia No. 2.
- French Suites - for variety, here's the Gigue of the G major (5th) suite, played on harpsichord, which is probably mostly what Bach intended for his keyboard works to be played on.
- English Suites - here's a clip of one of the more well-known movements of the suites, the Gavotte from the G minor (3rd) suite.
- Art of the Fugue (for organ) - Bach's last work, not quite completely finished. An extremely cerebral work devoted to the fugue form. It is a set of fugues and canons based around one subject, varied in every possible way you could imagine (and more!). Here's Glenn Gould waxing eloquent about the piece. There is a lot of chromaticism in Bach, and in the last fugue (which is not quite finished), there are parts that sound as if they could have been written by a 20th-century composer. The very last subject introduced in the last (unfinished) fugue (there are 4 subjects in that massive fugue alone!), is the note-pattern "b - a - c - h" (b = B-flat in German, and h = B-natural in German). So Bach was signing his name to the work he knew would sum up his life (Gould comments on this in the clip). Here's Gould playing the end of the last fugue until it abruptly breaks off. Bach's last musical words... it's a rather emotional experience to listen to this! Here's the opening fugue played on organ.
For other solo instruments:
- Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin - 6 suites total: the last movement of the 2nd partita is one of Bach's finest works, called "Chaconne" (or "Ciaconna"). Here is composer Johannes Brahms' comments on the work: "On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind." Chaconne was originally written for solo violin, as seen here, part 1 and part 2. The piece has also been transcribed for solo lute/guitar, as heard here. Several composers have made arrangements of it for other instruments, including Brahms' left-hand piano version, and Busoni's very grandiose piano transcription.
- Suites for solo cello - all delightful pieces. The opening movement of Suite No. 1 is a very beautiful introduction to these pieces. The Prelude of Suite No. 5 is a very intensely emotional piece, probably my favorite of them all. Here's a stunning recording of the pieces that I'd highly recommend done by Cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
- Suites for solo lute (guitar) - many great pieces here. I listened to them growing up, as my other older brother played many on the guitar. Some of them were transcribed by Bach from the solo violin or solo cello suites, but they have a very different character on guitar. Here's the opening movement of the E Major suite (originally for violin), played by world-renown guitarist John Williams.
For Orchestra or Ensemble:
- Brandenburg Concertos - 6 concertos written for small- to medium-sized ensembles of instruments. These are some of Bach's most popular, and for good reason. They are all very uplifting, full of highly satisfying melodies and harmonies, and each one features a different (or several different) instruments, with frequent solos. Here's Concerto No. 4, Movement 1, 2, and 3, and here's Concerto No. 5 Movement 1, 2, and 3.
- Orchestral Suites - another high quality set of pieces (4 total), written for large ensemble. Here's the Overture from Suite No. 1, my favorite orchestral suite.
- Keyboard Concertos - Concerto in D minor, 1st movement - another stunning performance by a young Glenn Gould. And here's a concerto for 3 keyboards (played on harpsichords), first movement.
- Violin Concertos - there are several, some of which are the same as the keyboard concertos. One of my favorites is a concerto for violin and oboe - this has some really beautiful melodies and amazing interplay between the two solo instruments. Here's movements 1, 2, and 3. Movement #2 is especially moving (no pun intended).
For Voice/Orchestra:
Bach wrote a lot of music for the church. This is just a brief highlight of some of it. He was a committed Christian, and signed all of his music "Soli Deo Gloria (To God be the Glory)".
- St. Matthew Passion - written to the chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel of Matthew, this focuses on the passion of Christ (his death and suffering). If this piece were in English instead of German, I'd probably listen to it more. Even so, I enjoy the music greatly. One of the themes running throughout, sung by the chorus multiple times, is the same theme used in the Christian hymn "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded". Here is the beautiful common theme running throughout, used for the aforementioned hymn. Here is the opening movement, and the last movement.
- Cantatas - Here's some introductory commentary by Glenn Gould and a performance of Cantata No. 54. Another Cantata includes the famous "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", played here in a beautiful arrangement. Another favorite from the Cantatas is "Sheep May Safely Graze", played here.
This is only a small portion of Bach's wonderful music. He was a man truly gifted by God who wrote beautiful, uplifting music that draws me closer to the One who created him, and Who created all music.
But if I had to choose only one composer whose music I could listen to for the rest of my life exclusively, I think I'd have to say Johann Sebastian Bach. In fact, when I was young, I went through a phase where I disliked listening to anything else (I think around age 7 to 9). I was in love with the music of Bach and I couldn't get enough, nor did I need any other music. My musical tastes have obviously widened since then, but I still come back to Bach as my "first love" in classical music. I owe this in large part to my oldest brother, who taught me to love Bach when I was very young (thanks, Tim!). I'm doing my best to pass down this love of good music to my beautiful 20-month-old daughter. I have little plastic classical composer statuettes that I gave to her to play with. Her favorite is Bach. She says "Ock! Ock!" and runs and gets the little Bach statuette, then runs over to the CD player and says "Ano! Ano!" Translation: "I want to hear some Bach piano music, please!" Which, of course, means hearing Glenn Gould play, since I mostly have his recordings of Bach.
What do I love so much about the music of this composer? One of my piano teachers said, "Throughout all of Bach's music, there is an inner joy." His music has so much substance, order, and stability. There is also great emotional depth, though the emotion is under control. There is also great intellectual satisfaction from his music. The more you study it, the more you realize how expertly it is put together, and marvel at the symmetry of form. Bach was a master improviser at the keyboard. This plays out in many of his works, where his improvisatory skill leads to so much beauty and diversity.
I'd like to highlight his best. He wrote so much music (over 1000 works), and so much of it is just so good!
For solo keyboard:
OK, so before I list his solo keyboard works, I have to say something about a certain pianist who was very influential in my life, and particularly in regard to my love of the music of Bach. The Canadian pianist Glenn Gould deserves a separate blog entry, but for now, briefly, Glenn was sort of a personal musical hero of mine growing up. He was highly eccentric, yet highly articulate and intellectual. His playing of Bach was out of this world, although sometimes controversial. His impeccable timing and clean playing (where every note can be heard with precision) is stunning. Critics may say this can lead to an overly mechanical sound, but hey, nobody can have it all. I'll be drawing heavily from his playing in the following links.
- The Well-Tempered Clavier (2 books of 24 Preludes and Fugues in every key, both major and minor). This has been called the "Old Testament" for pianists (the "New Testament" being Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas). Here's the Bb minor Fugue from Book II, B Major Prelude and Fugue from Book II
- The Goldberg Variations - perhaps Bach's finest solo keyboard work (in my opinion). It begins with a slow aria, transcendently beautiful in its simplicity, followed by an amazing set of 30 variations. Every 3rd variation (except for the last) is a "canon" (where the melody is repeated exactly, note for note, one measure after the melody begins, and trails the initial melody for the duration of the whole piece). Canons are difficult enough to write and not sound forced, but Bach steps it up a notch. The first canon (3rd variation) is a "traditional" canon (with each note exactly repeated), but each successive canon increases the interval at which the notes are repeated. For example, the second canon (variation 6) is done with an interval of a 2nd, the third canon (variation 9) with an interval of a 3rd, the fourth canon (variation 12) with the interval of a 4th, and so on until variation 27, which has an interval of a 9th. I listened to these variations from the womb, and didn't realize this until I played and studied them in my teens, when I was completely blown away with the symmetry and intellectual depth to the piece. Even if one is completely unaware of all these things, though, this piece remains one of the most uplifting and satisfying works to listen to of all time.
Glenn Gould was sort of responsible for reviving this piece in the mid-20th century. He did the unthinkable and made it his debut recording in 1955. Usually pianists would save little-known, bold, difficult pieces to record when they are well-established and well-loved by critics and the public, but Gould made it his first recording, and pulled it off. Now over 50 years later, this recording still remains a sensation. Before Gould, this piece was played slowly, with all of the repeats (making it last 90 minutes or so). Gould sped through in 38 minutes with no repeats, shedding off the drudgery of previous recordings and catapulting the work into popularity. Gould recorded the piece a second time in 1981, playing it very, very differently. I personally don't like it as much, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Here's the last few variations from Gould's 1981 recording.
- Partitas - here's a great clip of Glenn Gould practicing the opening movement of Partita No. 2 at his home. And here's a later clip of him playing the very feeling opening of Partita No. 6.
- Toccatas - these tend to be more free-form than his other works, with lots of improvisatory material, slow and fast sections alternating, and full of emotion. Here's a fine version of the C minor Toccata, part 1 and part 2.
- Inventions and Sinfonias (2 and 3-part variations) - these are easier pieces to play, often played by young people learning how to play the piano. They are not any less masterful in a capable pianist's hands, though. Here's a very fast-tempo version of the popular Invention 13, and a very beautiful Sinfonia No. 2.
- French Suites - for variety, here's the Gigue of the G major (5th) suite, played on harpsichord, which is probably mostly what Bach intended for his keyboard works to be played on.
- English Suites - here's a clip of one of the more well-known movements of the suites, the Gavotte from the G minor (3rd) suite.
- Art of the Fugue (for organ) - Bach's last work, not quite completely finished. An extremely cerebral work devoted to the fugue form. It is a set of fugues and canons based around one subject, varied in every possible way you could imagine (and more!). Here's Glenn Gould waxing eloquent about the piece. There is a lot of chromaticism in Bach, and in the last fugue (which is not quite finished), there are parts that sound as if they could have been written by a 20th-century composer. The very last subject introduced in the last (unfinished) fugue (there are 4 subjects in that massive fugue alone!), is the note-pattern "b - a - c - h" (b = B-flat in German, and h = B-natural in German). So Bach was signing his name to the work he knew would sum up his life (Gould comments on this in the clip). Here's Gould playing the end of the last fugue until it abruptly breaks off. Bach's last musical words... it's a rather emotional experience to listen to this! Here's the opening fugue played on organ.
For other solo instruments:
- Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin - 6 suites total: the last movement of the 2nd partita is one of Bach's finest works, called "Chaconne" (or "Ciaconna"). Here is composer Johannes Brahms' comments on the work: "On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind." Chaconne was originally written for solo violin, as seen here, part 1 and part 2. The piece has also been transcribed for solo lute/guitar, as heard here. Several composers have made arrangements of it for other instruments, including Brahms' left-hand piano version, and Busoni's very grandiose piano transcription.
- Suites for solo cello - all delightful pieces. The opening movement of Suite No. 1 is a very beautiful introduction to these pieces. The Prelude of Suite No. 5 is a very intensely emotional piece, probably my favorite of them all. Here's a stunning recording of the pieces that I'd highly recommend done by Cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
- Suites for solo lute (guitar) - many great pieces here. I listened to them growing up, as my other older brother played many on the guitar. Some of them were transcribed by Bach from the solo violin or solo cello suites, but they have a very different character on guitar. Here's the opening movement of the E Major suite (originally for violin), played by world-renown guitarist John Williams.
For Orchestra or Ensemble:
- Brandenburg Concertos - 6 concertos written for small- to medium-sized ensembles of instruments. These are some of Bach's most popular, and for good reason. They are all very uplifting, full of highly satisfying melodies and harmonies, and each one features a different (or several different) instruments, with frequent solos. Here's Concerto No. 4, Movement 1, 2, and 3, and here's Concerto No. 5 Movement 1, 2, and 3.
- Orchestral Suites - another high quality set of pieces (4 total), written for large ensemble. Here's the Overture from Suite No. 1, my favorite orchestral suite.
- Keyboard Concertos - Concerto in D minor, 1st movement - another stunning performance by a young Glenn Gould. And here's a concerto for 3 keyboards (played on harpsichords), first movement.
- Violin Concertos - there are several, some of which are the same as the keyboard concertos. One of my favorites is a concerto for violin and oboe - this has some really beautiful melodies and amazing interplay between the two solo instruments. Here's movements 1, 2, and 3. Movement #2 is especially moving (no pun intended).
For Voice/Orchestra:
Bach wrote a lot of music for the church. This is just a brief highlight of some of it. He was a committed Christian, and signed all of his music "Soli Deo Gloria (To God be the Glory)".
- St. Matthew Passion - written to the chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel of Matthew, this focuses on the passion of Christ (his death and suffering). If this piece were in English instead of German, I'd probably listen to it more. Even so, I enjoy the music greatly. One of the themes running throughout, sung by the chorus multiple times, is the same theme used in the Christian hymn "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded". Here is the beautiful common theme running throughout, used for the aforementioned hymn. Here is the opening movement, and the last movement.
- Cantatas - Here's some introductory commentary by Glenn Gould and a performance of Cantata No. 54. Another Cantata includes the famous "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", played here in a beautiful arrangement. Another favorite from the Cantatas is "Sheep May Safely Graze", played here.
This is only a small portion of Bach's wonderful music. He was a man truly gifted by God who wrote beautiful, uplifting music that draws me closer to the One who created him, and Who created all music.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Most prolific composer
Today in 1681, Georg Philipp Telemann was born in Germany. While in his day he was more popular than his fellow German, J. S. Bach, nowadays Bach outshadows him. Telemann is credited with being the most prolific composer in all of history, writing apparently over 3000 works.
One of my favorites is his Watermusic (although Handel's Watermusic is far more popular). This recording is especially beautiful and uplifting, played on period instruments and to the tuning of the day, so as to sound as authentic as possible.
He was also known for writing pieces for combinations of instruments. Whoever heard of a concerto for 4 violins (or 4 of anything?). Here is part of that Concerto for 4 violins, but transcribed for 4 guitars. It sounds pretty good on guitar!
One of my favorites is his Watermusic (although Handel's Watermusic is far more popular). This recording is especially beautiful and uplifting, played on period instruments and to the tuning of the day, so as to sound as authentic as possible.
He was also known for writing pieces for combinations of instruments. Whoever heard of a concerto for 4 violins (or 4 of anything?). Here is part of that Concerto for 4 violins, but transcribed for 4 guitars. It sounds pretty good on guitar!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Romantic Virtuoso Violin Music
Pablo de Sarasate was born today in 1844 in Spain. He was a virtuoso violinist and composed some amazing show-pieces for the violin.
His most famous is "Zigeunerweisen" ("Gypsy Airs"), a fiery one-movement work for violin and orchestra. Listen to it here played by violinist Jascha Heifetz.
The other piece I'd like to mention is his "Carmen Fantasy", a work for violin and orchestra based on George Bizet's beautiful suites derived from his famous opera, "Carmen". Listen here and here (divided into two videos). This is not only really impressive violin playing (and extremely difficult!), but they are timeless beautiful melodies, at least some of which are very widely familiar.
His most famous is "Zigeunerweisen" ("Gypsy Airs"), a fiery one-movement work for violin and orchestra. Listen to it here played by violinist Jascha Heifetz.
The other piece I'd like to mention is his "Carmen Fantasy", a work for violin and orchestra based on George Bizet's beautiful suites derived from his famous opera, "Carmen". Listen here and here (divided into two videos). This is not only really impressive violin playing (and extremely difficult!), but they are timeless beautiful melodies, at least some of which are very widely familiar.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Music for All Seasons
Antonio Vivaldi was born today in Venice in 1678. By far his most popular work of music (and one of the most famous of all Baroque-period compositions) is his "Four Seasons", which are 4 violin concertos, each evocative of the different seasons. These pieces are works of genius, and are delightful to listen to repeatedly. They were apparently written to go with four sonnets, which describe each movement.
These concertos are very special to me. My wife walked down the aisle at our wedding to the 2nd movement of Winter, and we walked out together to the 1st movement of Spring as the recessional.
Another interesting on is the 1st movement of Winter, which sort of sounds like it could be music to a horror film! It depicts the biting cold of winter.
It's difficult for me not to link to a performance of all 12 movements of the 4 concertos, because each one is so special and beautiful in it's own way. Instead, I'll let you buy a recording and enjoy it on your own stereo system at home.
These concertos are very special to me. My wife walked down the aisle at our wedding to the 2nd movement of Winter, and we walked out together to the 1st movement of Spring as the recessional.
Another interesting on is the 1st movement of Winter, which sort of sounds like it could be music to a horror film! It depicts the biting cold of winter.
It's difficult for me not to link to a performance of all 12 movements of the 4 concertos, because each one is so special and beautiful in it's own way. Instead, I'll let you buy a recording and enjoy it on your own stereo system at home.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Happy Birthday, Wolfgang!
Before discussing one of the biggest musical geniuses of all time, I'll make note of another fine composer. Edouard Lalo was born on this day in 1823 in France. His most famous work, "Symphonie Espagnole", reveals his Spanish descent, and although it is called a symphony, it's really basically a violin concerto. It is part of the standard romantic violin repertoire today, and for good reason. Listen to the delightful 5th movement played by violinist Jascha Heifetz. Lalo dedicated this work to Pablo de Sarasate, another fine violinist/composer who I'll discuss later.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was also born on this day, a little over a quarter of a millenium ago (1756) in Salzburg, Austria. Mozart may have the most "accessible" music of any composer - it is generally likable on first listen, and probably more widely known by the general public than any other. Who in the world doesn't recognize the opening of Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night-music)?
His accessibility doesn't mean that his music is shallow, however. There is great depth and many subtleties to be found in his works. He had a very difficult life, and wrote music more to escape his difficulties than to pour his emotions into his music. Unlike Beethoven, who disregarded many of the "rules" of composing and wrote things that shocked people for their bold sounds and forms (and got away with it), Mozart stayed within the rules, more or less. As a result, the emotional range of his music is not perhaps as obviously wide. But it provides great relief for the weary listener who has had a hard day. As a piano teacher of mine once said, Mozart's music produces the least "wear and tear" on the soul and uplifts it instead.
Mozart was flowing with musical ideas. In the words of another music-professor of mine, "Beethoven had to work out his music with many drafts, revisions, etc. Mozart simply took dictation..." as if someone were directly playing the music for him in his head and he simply wrote down what he heard. It's not as though he didn't have to work hard, though. From a very young age, he saturated himself with music of other composers and studied very hard. Hard work combined with a natural genius produced the results.
There is an anecdote of a young (12-year-old) Wolfgang traveling with his father, and coming to the Vatican, where a choir sang Allegri's "Miserere", a 12 minute-long A capella piece with a beautiful multiple-part harmony. The music was property of the Catholic church, and it was forbidden (upon pain of excommunication) to have a copy of it or sing it outside the church choir. The only problem with this was that Mozart listened to it once and memorized it. So he went home and wrote the whole thing out for memory. The churchmen heard about this, but what could they do but admire?
One other thing I need to get off my chest has to do with Mozart's character. The movie Amadeus, while entertaining (and full of beautiful music!), exaggerates Mozart's silliness and wild living. I read a book recently called "The Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers", which I highly recommend to anyone interested in the Christian influence and Christian lives of many of the classical composers. The chapter on Mozart was especially interesting. It noted that, yes, there was evidence that Mozart had written some very inappropriate things in some letters to a young female cousin when he was younger (and this should not be excused). But this is the exception, and has been exploited and overblown. Mozart had a very serious Christian faith which deepened as he grew older.
Apparently Mozart and his wife Constance had a strong marriage, and tales of Mozart's womanizing have supposedly been discounted. When they were engaged, he wrote to his father of his spiritual compatibility with Constance - "I found that I never prayed so heartily, confessed or communicated so devoutly, as when by her side. And she feels the same." When he was 31, just 4 years before his death, he wrote "I never lie down in my bed without reflecting that perhaps I - young as I am - may not live to see another day; yet none of all who know me can say that I am socially melancholy or morose. For this blessing I daily thank my Creator and wish it from my heart for all my fellow men." At another time he wrote, "Let us put our trust in God and console ourselves with the thought that all is well, if it is in accordance with the will of the Almighty, as He knows best what is profitable and beneficial to our temporal happiness and our eternal salvation."
So what about his music? Personally, I'm a fan of his 23 piano concertos (Nos. 5-27; the first 4 were just transcriptions of the works of another composer). In them are some of his best orchestral and pianistic writing, and some of his most memorable and beautiful themes. My personal favorites are the two minor-key concertos, No. 20 in D minor (K. 466) and No. 24 in C minor (K. 491). The latter inspired Beethoven's 3rd Piano Concerto, written in the same key. Listen here to the first movement of the Mozart K. 491. Another one of my favorites is his Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major (K. 453). The second movement is one of his most moving pieces. It feels like it tells a story, with the piano acting as a singer telling of both joys and disappointments. There are so many subtleties in this piece, and it is very emotional, yet the emotion is restrained... as if Mozart wants to let you into his deepest, darkest corners, but only if you listen closely and carefully. Here's your chance to do so (note the movement is broken into two videos).
This blog entry is already too long, but there are so many more wonderful pieces to be heard! Here's a smattering of his best:
- Piano Concerto No. 9 (K. 271), 3rd movement, dedicated to a woman-pianist Mozart knew (she must have been talented!)
- Piano Sonata K. 330 in C Major, 3rd movement, played by an 82 year-old Vladimir Horowitz. Mozart's piano music has been paradoxically said to be "easy enough for any child to play, yet daunting for the even the most skilled professional." Little kids can play Mozart and make it sound half-way decent (whereas they don't have big enough hands to even play the notes on pieces by Chopin and Rachmaninoff). To make Mozart sound professional, though, one has to play transparently, so that every note is heard, leaving the pianist very exposed. No running things together with the pedal and dropping notes unless you want to sound very sloppy. Horowitz was actually scared to play Mozart in public until his later years, even though he had a monstrous technique to play all the difficult Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, and other piano pieces.
- Symphony No. 29 in A Major (K. 201), 1st movement, written when he was about 18!
- String quartet K. 465 in C Major, "Dissonance", 1st movement. The beginning sounds like it was written in the 20th century :)
- Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216, 3rd movement. Less than three minutes into it, the character of the piece changes and there's a very serious little interlude with violin over plucking strings, then back to the playful character shortly after. Genius!
- Ave verum corpus (K. 618), one of his last works. An incredibly beautiful, short piece for choir and orchestra.
- Kyrie, from the Requiem (K. 626), his last work, finished by one of his students. This is a powerful piece of music!
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was also born on this day, a little over a quarter of a millenium ago (1756) in Salzburg, Austria. Mozart may have the most "accessible" music of any composer - it is generally likable on first listen, and probably more widely known by the general public than any other. Who in the world doesn't recognize the opening of Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night-music)?
His accessibility doesn't mean that his music is shallow, however. There is great depth and many subtleties to be found in his works. He had a very difficult life, and wrote music more to escape his difficulties than to pour his emotions into his music. Unlike Beethoven, who disregarded many of the "rules" of composing and wrote things that shocked people for their bold sounds and forms (and got away with it), Mozart stayed within the rules, more or less. As a result, the emotional range of his music is not perhaps as obviously wide. But it provides great relief for the weary listener who has had a hard day. As a piano teacher of mine once said, Mozart's music produces the least "wear and tear" on the soul and uplifts it instead.
Mozart was flowing with musical ideas. In the words of another music-professor of mine, "Beethoven had to work out his music with many drafts, revisions, etc. Mozart simply took dictation..." as if someone were directly playing the music for him in his head and he simply wrote down what he heard. It's not as though he didn't have to work hard, though. From a very young age, he saturated himself with music of other composers and studied very hard. Hard work combined with a natural genius produced the results.
There is an anecdote of a young (12-year-old) Wolfgang traveling with his father, and coming to the Vatican, where a choir sang Allegri's "Miserere", a 12 minute-long A capella piece with a beautiful multiple-part harmony. The music was property of the Catholic church, and it was forbidden (upon pain of excommunication) to have a copy of it or sing it outside the church choir. The only problem with this was that Mozart listened to it once and memorized it. So he went home and wrote the whole thing out for memory. The churchmen heard about this, but what could they do but admire?
One other thing I need to get off my chest has to do with Mozart's character. The movie Amadeus, while entertaining (and full of beautiful music!), exaggerates Mozart's silliness and wild living. I read a book recently called "The Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers", which I highly recommend to anyone interested in the Christian influence and Christian lives of many of the classical composers. The chapter on Mozart was especially interesting. It noted that, yes, there was evidence that Mozart had written some very inappropriate things in some letters to a young female cousin when he was younger (and this should not be excused). But this is the exception, and has been exploited and overblown. Mozart had a very serious Christian faith which deepened as he grew older.
Apparently Mozart and his wife Constance had a strong marriage, and tales of Mozart's womanizing have supposedly been discounted. When they were engaged, he wrote to his father of his spiritual compatibility with Constance - "I found that I never prayed so heartily, confessed or communicated so devoutly, as when by her side. And she feels the same." When he was 31, just 4 years before his death, he wrote "I never lie down in my bed without reflecting that perhaps I - young as I am - may not live to see another day; yet none of all who know me can say that I am socially melancholy or morose. For this blessing I daily thank my Creator and wish it from my heart for all my fellow men." At another time he wrote, "Let us put our trust in God and console ourselves with the thought that all is well, if it is in accordance with the will of the Almighty, as He knows best what is profitable and beneficial to our temporal happiness and our eternal salvation."
So what about his music? Personally, I'm a fan of his 23 piano concertos (Nos. 5-27; the first 4 were just transcriptions of the works of another composer). In them are some of his best orchestral and pianistic writing, and some of his most memorable and beautiful themes. My personal favorites are the two minor-key concertos, No. 20 in D minor (K. 466) and No. 24 in C minor (K. 491). The latter inspired Beethoven's 3rd Piano Concerto, written in the same key. Listen here to the first movement of the Mozart K. 491. Another one of my favorites is his Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major (K. 453). The second movement is one of his most moving pieces. It feels like it tells a story, with the piano acting as a singer telling of both joys and disappointments. There are so many subtleties in this piece, and it is very emotional, yet the emotion is restrained... as if Mozart wants to let you into his deepest, darkest corners, but only if you listen closely and carefully. Here's your chance to do so (note the movement is broken into two videos).
This blog entry is already too long, but there are so many more wonderful pieces to be heard! Here's a smattering of his best:
- Piano Concerto No. 9 (K. 271), 3rd movement, dedicated to a woman-pianist Mozart knew (she must have been talented!)
- Piano Sonata K. 330 in C Major, 3rd movement, played by an 82 year-old Vladimir Horowitz. Mozart's piano music has been paradoxically said to be "easy enough for any child to play, yet daunting for the even the most skilled professional." Little kids can play Mozart and make it sound half-way decent (whereas they don't have big enough hands to even play the notes on pieces by Chopin and Rachmaninoff). To make Mozart sound professional, though, one has to play transparently, so that every note is heard, leaving the pianist very exposed. No running things together with the pedal and dropping notes unless you want to sound very sloppy. Horowitz was actually scared to play Mozart in public until his later years, even though he had a monstrous technique to play all the difficult Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, and other piano pieces.
- Symphony No. 29 in A Major (K. 201), 1st movement, written when he was about 18!
- String quartet K. 465 in C Major, "Dissonance", 1st movement. The beginning sounds like it was written in the 20th century :)
- Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216, 3rd movement. Less than three minutes into it, the character of the piece changes and there's a very serious little interlude with violin over plucking strings, then back to the playful character shortly after. Genius!
- Ave verum corpus (K. 618), one of his last works. An incredibly beautiful, short piece for choir and orchestra.
- Kyrie, from the Requiem (K. 626), his last work, finished by one of his students. This is a powerful piece of music!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Music to end the world
Two very different composers from the romantic era of music were born today. Max Bruch was born in 1838 in Germany. He is considered part of the more conservative tradition of German Romantic Classicism (along with Brahms) instead of the more radical experimentalists of the time, which included Liszt, Wagner, and Berlioz.
Bruch's most famous work is his Violin Concerto #1 in G minor, which is part of the standard violin repertoire. Listen to the 1st and 2nd movements here and here and 3rd movement here. It's quite an enjoyable piece of music, rightly deserving it's popularity.
Alexander Scriabin was also born today in 1872 in Russia. He studied piano with the same teacher as Rachmaninoff (who was 2 years younger), and wrote lots of piano music. In his early days, he injured himself playing Balakirev's Islamey (see previous blog entry). Scriabin had some very interesting beliefs that affected his music. He started out sort of Chopinesque in his style, but gradually his music became atonal. He had very grandiose mystical beliefs, and began work on a large orchestral/multi-media work called Mysterium that he planned on performing at the Himalayas that would bring about the end of our world. Fortunately for us who hadn't been born yet, he never completed the piece and the world didn't end.
Scriabin had a "Mystic chord" that he employed in some of his later compositions, made up of C F# Bb E A D, usually in inversions. He also associated the notes on a keyboard with colors.
A lot of his piano music (particularly the early stuff) is very interesting and beautiful. His many preludes, etudes, and 10 sonatas are very popular among pianists today, and some of them are quite difficult and are standard repertoire in competitions. Here are a few samples from his earlier period: Etude in D# minor, Op. 8 No. 12, probably his most popular piece (and quite difficult!), Etude Op. 2, No. 1, another very popular piece, Nocturne for the left hand, Op. 9 No. 2, a very beautiful piece that you wouldn't know was for the left hand alone if you weren't watching, and finally, his Sonata No. 2, Op. 19, 2nd movement.
From his middle period: Etude Op. 42, No. 5, another popular piece. It is still very romantic, and tonal, though perhaps edgier than the previous pieces. Also written during this time is the 4th piano sonata, Op. 30, a very jazzy and generally happy piece, though definitely pushing the limits of tonality more than before.
Finally, from his last period, one of his last piano works, "Vers la flamme" (Toward the flame), Op. 72. This is a rather disturbing piece, as are a lot of his later works. The name says it all - it starts out slow and cool, but gets hotter and hotter as it progresses, until by the end, the heat is actually quite uncomfortable. Listen to it here with pianist Vladimir Horowitz, one of the few to give this piece the proper fire. Horowitz is one of Scriabin's greatest intepreters and also interacted with him during his lifetime. Apparently Scriabin told Horowitz that this piece also could be called "Toward the Sun".
Bruch's most famous work is his Violin Concerto #1 in G minor, which is part of the standard violin repertoire. Listen to the 1st and 2nd movements here and here and 3rd movement here. It's quite an enjoyable piece of music, rightly deserving it's popularity.
Alexander Scriabin was also born today in 1872 in Russia. He studied piano with the same teacher as Rachmaninoff (who was 2 years younger), and wrote lots of piano music. In his early days, he injured himself playing Balakirev's Islamey (see previous blog entry). Scriabin had some very interesting beliefs that affected his music. He started out sort of Chopinesque in his style, but gradually his music became atonal. He had very grandiose mystical beliefs, and began work on a large orchestral/multi-media work called Mysterium that he planned on performing at the Himalayas that would bring about the end of our world. Fortunately for us who hadn't been born yet, he never completed the piece and the world didn't end.
Scriabin had a "Mystic chord" that he employed in some of his later compositions, made up of C F# Bb E A D, usually in inversions. He also associated the notes on a keyboard with colors.
A lot of his piano music (particularly the early stuff) is very interesting and beautiful. His many preludes, etudes, and 10 sonatas are very popular among pianists today, and some of them are quite difficult and are standard repertoire in competitions. Here are a few samples from his earlier period: Etude in D# minor, Op. 8 No. 12, probably his most popular piece (and quite difficult!), Etude Op. 2, No. 1, another very popular piece, Nocturne for the left hand, Op. 9 No. 2, a very beautiful piece that you wouldn't know was for the left hand alone if you weren't watching, and finally, his Sonata No. 2, Op. 19, 2nd movement.
From his middle period: Etude Op. 42, No. 5, another popular piece. It is still very romantic, and tonal, though perhaps edgier than the previous pieces. Also written during this time is the 4th piano sonata, Op. 30, a very jazzy and generally happy piece, though definitely pushing the limits of tonality more than before.
Finally, from his last period, one of his last piano works, "Vers la flamme" (Toward the flame), Op. 72. This is a rather disturbing piece, as are a lot of his later works. The name says it all - it starts out slow and cool, but gets hotter and hotter as it progresses, until by the end, the heat is actually quite uncomfortable. Listen to it here with pianist Vladimir Horowitz, one of the few to give this piece the proper fire. Horowitz is one of Scriabin's greatest intepreters and also interacted with him during his lifetime. Apparently Scriabin told Horowitz that this piece also could be called "Toward the Sun".
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Beethoven's Birthday!
Today in 1770, Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Germany. There's so much to be said about Beethoven, I feel overwhelmed. His music has so much beauty, emotion, depth and variety. Even his works that have immediate popular appeal (like the 5th symphony), when studied and listened to many times over, have so much depth and intellectual value. He was truly gifted by God.
I've decided that instead of writing more about his life (you can read that on the above link), I'll discuss some of my favorites works and link to youtube performances.
All of his 9 symphonies are amazing works, and listening to them multiple times bring many rewards. It's said that his odd-numbered symphonies (1,3,5,7,9) are more profound as a whole than his even-numbered ones, but I think they're all great. My favorite changes a lot, but I must say the 3rd symphony, "Eroica" (Heroic) is a masterpiece. The 2nd movement, a funeral march of sorts, is really the heart of the piece. Listen to it here. In contrast, his 6th symphony, or "Pastoral" is more light-hearted (but not frivolous), and shows Beethoven's love for nature, which he frequently turned to for inspiration. He would go for long walks in the woods, bringing a pencil and sketch pad with him to compose as he walked. Listen to the 1st movement here.
His 5 piano concertos are all gems, and again it's hard to pick a favorite. Probably the most famous is his 5th - the "Emperor" Concerto. It is grand in every way, yet full of very tender moments and unsurpassing beauty, especially in the 2nd movement, which is one of the finest moments in all of classical music. Listen here to the 1st and 2nd/3rd movements (the 2nd runs right into the 3rd).
He also wrote one violin concerto, in D Major. I think I would consider this piece the perfect violin concerto. It is also very "Pastoral" sounding, and has some of classical music's most spiritual and tender moments. Listen to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd movements here.
Beethoven wrote 32 piano sonatas, sometimes referred to as the "New Testament" for pianists (the "Old Testament" being Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier of 48 preludes and fugues). One of my favorites is "Les Adieux" (The Farewell), Op. 81a. He wrote this piece about a certain archduke that was leaving town whom Beethoven was loathe to see go and very excited to have return later. It begins with a tenderly beautiful melancholy chordal introduction (evoking Beethoven's drawn-out farewell to the archduke). This is followed by a faster theme that evokes the crack of the whip seeing the horse-drawn carriage take off (with the archduke inside). Lots of horn calls are heard throughout, echoes of the carriage sounding its horn as it travels off into the distance. This is the 1st movement, called "The Farewell", The 2nd and 3rd movements, called "The Absence" and "The Return", respectively, depict just that.
Beethoven also wrote a lot of chamber music. Five cello sonatas, 10 violin sonatas, 17 string quartets, many trios and so many others. Here is the 2nd movement of my favorite cello sonata (Op. 69 in A major). Here is the 3rd movement to his most difficult and amazing violin sonata ("Kreutzer").
Of special note are Beethoven's late string quartets. They are said to have inspired many later composers, even Schoenberg (who championed atonal "12-tone-row" music in the 20th century), because they were so forward-looking for their time. I resisted listening to them for a while because I thought they would be too weird. But I was pleasantly surprised. His Op. 131 in C# minor is one of his most deep, moving works, and I have heard said to have been Beethoven's favorite composition. It is in 7 movements, starting out with a slow, heart-felt fugue, moving into a more light-hearted quicker-tempo piece. There is a short interlude followed by the long central movement of a theme and variations. This is interrupted by a lightening-fast joyful, playful movement, then another interlude and finally the finale, a very driving, serious, at times wrathful piece. Listen to the first 10 minutes of the quartet here, and read more about it here.
Another one of his last pieces is the "Grosse Fuge" (Grand Fugue), written again for string quartet. Watch/listen here to the Alban Berg Quartet play the piece. This comment from a youtube listener sums it up pretty well - "One of Beethoven's most violent expressions. It is the clash of rhythms. Yet inside this turbulent storm of tones, one can find the sublime beauty." Originally it was supposed to be the 6th and final movement of one of his late string quartets, but his publisher convinced him to publish it as a separate piece because he thought it would ruin the quartet (of course he put it in a positive, diplomatic light to Beethoven!). Composer Igor Stravinsky was said to have commented that he didn't understand the piece at all (this coming from the composer of the "Rite of Spring", whose modern, clashing harmonies and rhythms enraged audiences in the early 20th century so much that they threw tomatoes at the conductor during the first performance!). Give the piece a chance. It is amazingly complex and grows on you as you listen more. The middle section of the piece is very calm and beautiful, lest you think it is all harsh and violent! Read more about this amazing piece here. Keep in mind that he completed his 9th symphony (probably his most popular and loved work) only about a year or two before this, and he was completely deaf during this period of his life.
OK, one more piece. This is actually a little bit of a musical joke, called Rage over a lost penny. Hope you enjoy it and I hope I haven't bored you too much with my love for Beethoven!
I've decided that instead of writing more about his life (you can read that on the above link), I'll discuss some of my favorites works and link to youtube performances.
All of his 9 symphonies are amazing works, and listening to them multiple times bring many rewards. It's said that his odd-numbered symphonies (1,3,5,7,9) are more profound as a whole than his even-numbered ones, but I think they're all great. My favorite changes a lot, but I must say the 3rd symphony, "Eroica" (Heroic) is a masterpiece. The 2nd movement, a funeral march of sorts, is really the heart of the piece. Listen to it here. In contrast, his 6th symphony, or "Pastoral" is more light-hearted (but not frivolous), and shows Beethoven's love for nature, which he frequently turned to for inspiration. He would go for long walks in the woods, bringing a pencil and sketch pad with him to compose as he walked. Listen to the 1st movement here.
His 5 piano concertos are all gems, and again it's hard to pick a favorite. Probably the most famous is his 5th - the "Emperor" Concerto. It is grand in every way, yet full of very tender moments and unsurpassing beauty, especially in the 2nd movement, which is one of the finest moments in all of classical music. Listen here to the 1st and 2nd/3rd movements (the 2nd runs right into the 3rd).
He also wrote one violin concerto, in D Major. I think I would consider this piece the perfect violin concerto. It is also very "Pastoral" sounding, and has some of classical music's most spiritual and tender moments. Listen to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd movements here.
Beethoven wrote 32 piano sonatas, sometimes referred to as the "New Testament" for pianists (the "Old Testament" being Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier of 48 preludes and fugues). One of my favorites is "Les Adieux" (The Farewell), Op. 81a. He wrote this piece about a certain archduke that was leaving town whom Beethoven was loathe to see go and very excited to have return later. It begins with a tenderly beautiful melancholy chordal introduction (evoking Beethoven's drawn-out farewell to the archduke). This is followed by a faster theme that evokes the crack of the whip seeing the horse-drawn carriage take off (with the archduke inside). Lots of horn calls are heard throughout, echoes of the carriage sounding its horn as it travels off into the distance. This is the 1st movement, called "The Farewell", The 2nd and 3rd movements, called "The Absence" and "The Return", respectively, depict just that.
Beethoven also wrote a lot of chamber music. Five cello sonatas, 10 violin sonatas, 17 string quartets, many trios and so many others. Here is the 2nd movement of my favorite cello sonata (Op. 69 in A major). Here is the 3rd movement to his most difficult and amazing violin sonata ("Kreutzer").
Of special note are Beethoven's late string quartets. They are said to have inspired many later composers, even Schoenberg (who championed atonal "12-tone-row" music in the 20th century), because they were so forward-looking for their time. I resisted listening to them for a while because I thought they would be too weird. But I was pleasantly surprised. His Op. 131 in C# minor is one of his most deep, moving works, and I have heard said to have been Beethoven's favorite composition. It is in 7 movements, starting out with a slow, heart-felt fugue, moving into a more light-hearted quicker-tempo piece. There is a short interlude followed by the long central movement of a theme and variations. This is interrupted by a lightening-fast joyful, playful movement, then another interlude and finally the finale, a very driving, serious, at times wrathful piece. Listen to the first 10 minutes of the quartet here, and read more about it here.
Another one of his last pieces is the "Grosse Fuge" (Grand Fugue), written again for string quartet. Watch/listen here to the Alban Berg Quartet play the piece. This comment from a youtube listener sums it up pretty well - "One of Beethoven's most violent expressions. It is the clash of rhythms. Yet inside this turbulent storm of tones, one can find the sublime beauty." Originally it was supposed to be the 6th and final movement of one of his late string quartets, but his publisher convinced him to publish it as a separate piece because he thought it would ruin the quartet (of course he put it in a positive, diplomatic light to Beethoven!). Composer Igor Stravinsky was said to have commented that he didn't understand the piece at all (this coming from the composer of the "Rite of Spring", whose modern, clashing harmonies and rhythms enraged audiences in the early 20th century so much that they threw tomatoes at the conductor during the first performance!). Give the piece a chance. It is amazingly complex and grows on you as you listen more. The middle section of the piece is very calm and beautiful, lest you think it is all harsh and violent! Read more about this amazing piece here. Keep in mind that he completed his 9th symphony (probably his most popular and loved work) only about a year or two before this, and he was completely deaf during this period of his life.
OK, one more piece. This is actually a little bit of a musical joke, called Rage over a lost penny. Hope you enjoy it and I hope I haven't bored you too much with my love for Beethoven!
Monday, December 10, 2007
The perfect violin sonata
Today in 1822, Cesar Franck was born in Belgium. His Violin Sonata in A Major is, to me, the perfect violin sonata. Full of passion, drama, serene beauty, ranging from violent to tranquil, from heart-wrenching to perfect contentedness. I had the privilege of playing this fine piece with a good friend and distinguished violinist in college for a joint senior recital.
Watch/listen to the 2nd and 4th movements here. The 4th movement deserves a comment or two. Notice most of the piece is in a "canon" form, in which the piano starts the theme and the violin follows 1 measure behind with exactly the same notes (kind of like singing "row, row, row your boat" in a "round" with someone else). Part-way through the piece, the violin takes the lead and the piano follows. The complexity of the theme in this movement and how well it works as a canon is just sheer genius on the part of Franck. This is indeed one of classical music's finest moments.
Watch/listen to the 2nd and 4th movements here. The 4th movement deserves a comment or two. Notice most of the piece is in a "canon" form, in which the piano starts the theme and the violin follows 1 measure behind with exactly the same notes (kind of like singing "row, row, row your boat" in a "round" with someone else). Part-way through the piece, the violin takes the lead and the piano follows. The complexity of the theme in this movement and how well it works as a canon is just sheer genius on the part of Franck. This is indeed one of classical music's finest moments.
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