Music #409 - Other Composers of the Era

Alexander Glazunov
(1865 – 1936)

A Russian composer, Glazunov successfully reconciled nationalism and cosmopolitanism in Russian music.
* Violin Concerto
* Saxophone Concerto

Karol Szymanowski
[ˌkarɔl ʂɨmaˈnɔfskʲi]  (1882 – 1937)

A Polish composer and pianist.
* Stabat mater 聖母悼歌

Hugo Wolf
(1860 – 1903)

An Austrian composer of Slovene origin, particularly noted for his art songs/lieder - top tracks
* Italian Serenade. - his best-known work, apart from songs

Max Bruch
(1838 – 1920)

A German composer and conductor, he is remembered today chiefly for three works:
* Violin Concerto No.1
* Scottish Fantasy   - 6 minutes by Vanessa Mae
* Kol Nidrei - Part 1   - Part 2

César Franck 

(1822 – 1890)

A musician who worked in Paris during his adult life, he was born at Liège  in what is now Belgium.  He is mainly remembered for his 
* Symphony in D minor
* Symphonic Variations  (a compact piano concerto, with 6 variations and a finale)
* Piano Quintet
* Violin Sonata  (one of the most popular Romantic)
* Panis angelicus

* Prélude, Choral, et Fugue  (solo piano)

Vincent d'Indy
​[vɛ̃ˈsɑ̃ dɛ̃ˈdi] (1851 – 1931)

A French composer and teacher.
* Symphonie sur un chant montagnard français / Symphony on a French Mountain Air



Paul Dukas 
(1865 - 1935)

A French composer, critic, scholar and teacher.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice / L'apprenti sorcier
It is the most performed and recorded of Dukas's works, because of its notable appearance in the Walt Disney 1940 animated film Fantasia.

Fantasia 2000 updates Fantasia 1940
* Fantasia 1940 & Fantasia 2000

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010 film)

 is something else

Charles Villiers Stanford
(1852 – 1924)

Sir Charles Villiers Stanford was an Irish composer, music teacher .... 

In 1882, aged 29, he was one of the founding professors of the Royal College of Music, where he taught composition for the rest of his life. From 1887 he was also the professor of music at Cambridge. 

Among his pupils were rising composers whose fame went on to surpass his own, such as Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Hubert Parry
(1848 – 1918)

Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry was an English composer, teacher and historian of music.








As a composer he is best known for 
* the choral song "Jerusalem",

* the coronation anthem "I was glad"   - music starting at (0:32),  

* the choral and orchestral ode "Blest Pair of Sirens",  

* the hymn tune "Repton", which sets the words "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind".


Parry was a contributor to George Grove's massive Dictionary of Music and Musicians in the 1870s and 80s.

In 1883 Parry was professor of composition and musical history at the Royal College of Music, of which Grove was the first head. In 1895 Parry succeeded Grove as head of the College, remaining in the post for the rest of his life. Parry's influence on later composers is widely recognized. 

Source: Wikipedia

Music #408 - Rachmaninoff

Sergei Rachmaninoff  

[sʲɪrˈɡʲej rɐxˈmanʲɪnəf]  (1873 – 1943)

A Russian-born composer, pianist and conductor, he is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day, and one of the last great composers of Romanticism in Russian classical music.


Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

- one of his best known works

The piece is a set of 24 variations on Paganini's Caprices No.24 (for solo violin).

Variation 18 [15:20] was adopted in Somewhere in Time (1980 movie), starring spoony Christopher Reeve and prettier-than-Mona-Lisa Jane Seymour:

 

... The movie remained in cinema for 223 days, a record length for Hong Kong at the time, between the period of 12 September 1981 and 22 April 1982.

 

Many girls went watch the movie a few times, and sobbed every time. (Girls dared go alone, as admission was highly priced beyond most color-wolves could afford.)

 

How Variation 18 varies

Prelude in C-sharp minor

 

Prelude in G minor

Piano Concert No.1

Piano Concerto No.2  

Yuja Wang 

* I. Moderato
* II. Adagio sostenuto - Più animato
* III. Allegro scherzando
Totaling 30 minutes

Anna Fedorova

Piano Concerto No.3  

- aka "Rach 3"

* Mvt.1 Allegro ma non tanto

* Mvt.2 Intermezzo: Adagio

* Mvt.3 Finale: Alla breve

 
To get a feel of the challenge of the recital

Famous for its technical and musical demands on the performer,
as dramatized in the Shine movie:
* Training
* Playing

Symphony No.1  

The performance was a disaster. 
Rachmaninov suffered a nervous breakdown, and could not compose anything for 3 years. 

Symphony No.2  

* Mvt.1 Largo - Allegro moderato

* Mvt.2 Allegro molto
* Mvt.3 Adagio
* Mvt.4 Allegro vivace.

Source: Wikipedia

Music #407 - Richard Strauss

Richard Georg Strauss

(1864 – 1949)

A leading German composer, Strauss was also a prominent conductor throughout Germany and Austria. Strauss and Mahler represent the late flowering of German Romanticism after Richard Wagner.

Strauss is known for his:

* tone poems (or symphonic poems) 

trying to tell a story with music, such as
Don Juan   (a full version)
Don Quixote   (a full version)
Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche / Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks   (a full version)
Also sprach Zarathustra / Thus Spoke Zarathustra   (a full version)   (also see below)

Death and Transfiguration   (a full version)
An Alpine Symphony   (a full version)

* lieder

especially his Four Last Songs (Spring, September, Going to Sleep, and At Sunset), which have an atmosphere of elegy, as Wagner bids farewell to the world.

* great operas

which include 
Der Rosenkavalier / The Knight of the Rose (suite   a full version)
Salome (Dance of the Seven Veils, Final Scene   a full version) 
Elektra (a full version) 

* other orchestral works

such as Metamorphosen

Also sprach Zarathustra 

/ aka "Thus Spoke Zarathustra"
* It is a tone poem, inspired by Nietzsche's philosophical treatise with the same name, in which Zarathustra is the main character.
* Strauss' music piece is divided into 9 sections, named after selected chapters of the book.

"Sunrise", the first section, is the initial fanfare that became particularly well known to the general public due to its use in 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. (Greek: Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia)

 * Timpani

In the movie, a supercomputer on a space station accumulated sufficient intelligence to disobey and overpower astronauts. Its name was HAL, each letter of which comes before IBM.

 

 

Der Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose)

Opera 

(3 hr, with English subtitles)

Musical suite (~25 min.)

 

Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life) 

1. "Der Held" (The Hero)

2. "Des Helden Widersacher" (The Hero's Adversaries)

3. "Des Helden Gefährtin" (The Hero's Companion)

4. "Des Helden Walstatt" (The Hero at Battle)

5. "Des Helden Friedenswerke" (The Hero's Works of Peace)

6. "Des Helden Weltflucht und Vollendung" (The Hero's Retirement from this World and Completion)

Music #405 - Fauré

Gabriel Fauré  - top tracks

[ɡabʁiɛl fɔʁe]

(1845 – 1924)      

He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers. 

Among his best-known works are his Pavane, Requiem, nocturnes for piano and the songs "Après un rêve" and "Clair de lune".




Pavane 《巴望舞曲》Op. 50

Faure wrote it for orchestra, with choir option. 

* Orchestra with choir 

                                                
 * The Day You Strayed - song

“Pavane is a slow processional dance common in Europe during the 16^th century.  
It is danced to in pairs. The dancers usually step forward, lift up their legs, and point their toes." 

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Extra:

Requiem

Music #404 - Saint-Saens

Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns 

[ʃaʁl kamij sɛ̃sɑ̃s]  (1835 – 1921)

A French composer, he is known especially for 
* The Carnival of the Animals, 
* Danse macabre, 
* Samson and Delilah (Opera), 
* Piano Concerto No. 2, 
* Cello Concerto, 
* Havanaise, 
* Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, 
* Symphony No.3 (Organ Symphony).

Danse macabre / dance of death

A tone poem for orchestra, it is based on an old French superstition, that "Death" appears at midnight every year on Halloween.

Death calls forth the dead from their graves to dance their dance of death for him while he plays his fiddle (represented by a violin).

His skeletons dance for him until the rooster crows at dawn, when they must return to their graves until the next year.

The piece opens with a harp playing a single note, D, twelve times (the twelve strokes of midnight) which is accompanied by soft chords from the string section.....

Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso

Carnival of the Animals / Le carnaval des animaux

* 14 movements

Extra: Short ballet choreographed for movement 13
* The Dying Swan

* La mort du cygne - dying funny


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Bonus:

* Samson and Delilah 

 (movie)

Music #403 - Sibelius

Jean Sibelius

(1865 – 1957)

A Finnish composer of the late Romantic period. His music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. 

The core of Sibelius's oeuvre is his set of seven symphonies. 
* Symphony No.1 - Paavo Jarvi conducting Orchestre de Paris
* Symphony No.2 - Leonard Bernstein conducting Wiener Philharmoniker

In addition, Sibelius's best-known compositions include 
* Finlandia  (see below)
* Karelia Suite
* Valse triste
* Violin Concerto in D minor
* The Swan of Tuonela (1 of 4 movements of the Lemminkäinen Suite).

Finlandia

Finlandia is a symphonic poem, composed as a covert protest against increasing censorship from the Russian Empire. 

Most of the piece is taken up with rousing and turbulent music, evoking the national struggle of the Finnish people. 

But towards the end, a calm comes over the orchestra, and the serenely melodic Finlandia Hymn is heard.

* orchestra

* piano solo

Sibelius later reworked the Finlandia Hymn into a stand-alone piece. This hymn is one of the most important national songs of Finland (though Maamme is the national anthem).

* chorus - a capella
* chorus - with orchestra

History:

In 1809, having been taken over by the armies of Tsar Alexander I in the Finnish War, Finland became an autonomous Grand Duchy in the Russian Empire, until the end of 1917, when the October Revolution in Russia changed the game anew. The right-wing government declared independence on December 6, 1917.

During World War II, Finland fought the Soviet Union twice: in the Winter War of 1939–40 after the Soviet Union had attacked Finland; and in the Continuation War of 1941–44, in which Germany invaded the Soviet Union. 

Finland was never occupied by the Soviet forces and retained its independence, but at a heavy loss of about 93 000 soldiers killed.

Source: Wikipedia

“Finland belonged to Sweden from the 12th until the 19th century, 

and after that it belonged to Russia. 

It became independent in 1917 following the Russian Russian Revolution 

and successfully resisted invasions from both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. 

It maintains particularly close relations with the other Nordic countries.”  

Music #402 - Elgar

Edward William Elgar  

(1857 – 1934)

An English composer.  Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including 
* the Enigma Variations, 
* the Pomp and Circumstance Marches (see below), 
* concertos for violin and cello (see below), and two symphonies. 

Pomp and Circumstance Marches 

- 6 marches glorifying the British Empire

The best known is March No.1, which contains the famous lyrical "Land of Hope and Glory" Trio tune.

* the Trio starts after 1:52
* with coronation lyrics  adapted in Coronation Ode for Edward VII.**

In WW2, Vera Lyn (patriotic singer) sang to enhance the national spirit. - top tracks
* Britain's Got Talent !

(Her Lili Marlene [sang by both sides] and We'll Meet Again were also beautiful.)

We'll meet again again.

In the US, the Trio section is sometimes known as 

* The Graduation March or simply as "Pomp and Circumstance" 

        It is played as the processional tune at virtually all high school and college graduation ceremonies, being usually played when the graduating class or department walks onto the stage.

        This tradition started in 1905, at Yale University, where the Professor of Music Samuel Sanford invited his friend Elgar to attend commencement and receive an honorary Doctorate of Music.

        Elgar accepted, and Sanford organized a large group of musicians to perform 2 parts from Elgar's oratorio:
* The Light of Life
* "Pomp and Circumstance" March No 1 as the graduates and officials marched out,



Salut d'amour 

Cello Concerto


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**

Prince Edward 

Queen Victoria died in January 1901, at an age of 81.  Her successor Prince Edward, then 59, did not keep fit, after too much food, wine and women. 
       In June 1902, just two days before the planned coronation, Prince Edward was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Survival chance of operation at that time was low, and much lower for persons of his age and health.  So, the coronation was simply cancelled.
       Surprisingly, he recovered rapidly after the operation.  The next day, Edward was sitting up in bed, smoking a cigar.  Two weeks later, it was announced that the King was out of danger. His coronation was then held in August 1902, at an age of 60. He died at 68. 
       (Prince Edward Road in Kowloon (plus a subway station later) was named after him while he was a long-waiting heir apparent to the throne.)
     

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The Union Jack  is the national flag of United Kingdom, made of 3 crosses:

- The red cross of Saint George represents England (and Wales). 

- The red diagonal cross of Saint Patrick represents Ireland.  

- The blue cross of Saint Andrew represents Scotland, with the cross counter-changed (that is, white cross X in blue background).

Great Britain = Scotland + Wales + England

United Kingdom = Great Britain + Northern Ireland 

Each of the 4 nations of the UK has its own national days:

- Wales - March 1st - St. David's Day

- Northern Ireland - March 17th - St. Patrick's Day

- England - April 23rd - St. George's Day

- Scotland - November 30th - St. Andrew's Day

Music #401 - Mahler

Gustav Mahler

[ˈɡʊstaf ˈmaːlɐ]  (1860 – 1911)

A late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. 

Symphony No. 2  

- aka the "Resurrection Symphony"

Symphony No. 5   

- Mvt.4  Adagietto 

Symphony No. 8   

The “Symphony of a Thousand”

1030 performers were needed to play in the 1910 premiere.

The Boy's Magic Horn: 

Old German Songs / 

Des Knaben Wunderhorn: Alte deutsche Lieder
- a collection of German folk poems and songs

The collection was an important source of idealized folklore in the Romantic nationalism of the 19th century. It became widely popular across the German-speaking world.

Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen 

/ Songs of a Wayfarer
- Mahler's first song cycle
* Mvt.4 - Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz / The Two Blue Eyes of my Beloved

Kindertotenlieder 

/ Songs on Dead Children

 

The Song of the Earth 

/ Das Lied von der Erde / 大地之歌   
Each of the six movements is an independent song, after Hans Bethge's 'The Chinese Flute', translated to German from poems composed in Tang Dynasty of Ancient China.

* A Personal Introduction by Leonard Bernstein

1. Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde / 人间饮酒悲歌 - 李白《悲歌行》
2. Der Einsame im Herbst / 秋日孤客 - 钱起《效古秋夜長》
3. Von der Jugend / 青春 - 李白《宴陶家亭子》或《贈宣州靈源寺仲濬公》
4. Von der Schönheit / 佳人 - 李白《采莲曲》
5. Der Trunkene im Frühling / 醉春 - 李白《春日醉起言志》
6. Der Abschied / 送別 - 孟浩然《宿业师山房待丁大不至》和王维《送別》

* with German lyrics (with English and Chinese subtitles) to singalong

     - Part 1     - Part 2     - Part 3 

Source: Wikipedia

Music #400 - Wagner

Richard Wagner

/ˈvɑːɡnər/  (1813 – 1883)

Wagner changed the course of both opera and classical music in general. His aim was to create a "Gesamtkunstwerk", ≈ poetry + drama + music + song + painting.

        Wagner wrote both the music and libretto for every one of his works, and superintended staging and performance as his own director and conductor. 

        His compositions are notable for their complex texture, rich harmonies and orchestration. His understanding of the voice allowed him to write roles of huge length and complexity that were still singable, and which were able to penetrate the heaviest of orchestral textures.

Festspielhaus in Bayreuth

In Bayreuth, he built a house and a theatre, the Festspielhaus, where he staged the Ring cycle and lastly, Parsifal.

        His influence on subsequent composers was uncalculable. He helped bring about the abandonment of the system of tonality. Poets and novelists referred directly to his inspiration.

Perhaps the two best-known extracts from his works are: 
- the Wedding March from the opera Lohengrin (below)
- The Ride of the Valkyries in Die Walküre (below)

Lohengrin 

is a Romantic opera, whose story is taken from medieval German romance. 

- with Spanish subtitles
     The story runs two days, in which Lohengrin was the knight who came in a boat (pulled by a swan) and departed in the same boat (pulled by a pigeon). 
     The most popular and recognizable part of this opera is the Bridal Chorus, better known as "Here Comes the Bride", often played in wedding processions.

Deeply moved by this fairy-tale opera, young King Ludwig II of Bavaria built his ideal fairy-tale castle, dubbed "Neuschwanstein" ("New Swan Stone"), after the Swan Knight.

(L) Neuschwanstein Castle (in Bavaria, Germany)

(R) Does it remind you of .....?

Der Ring des Nibelungen 

/ The Ring of the Nibelung
     The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied.

     It is actually a complete opera festival in itself, a cycle of 4 epic operas:
* Ante-evening: Das Rheingold / The Rhine Gold (150m)
* Day 1: Die Walküre / The Valkyrie (225m)

* Day 2: Siegfried (255m)
* Day 3: Götterdämmerung / Twilight of the Gods (255m)

Selection from Day 1 - The Valkyrie

* The Ride of the Valkyries 

A valkyrie (chooser of the slain/女武神), in Norse mythology, is one of a host of female figures who decides who falls and dies in battle.  

 

* Adopted in the Apocalypse Now (1979 movie)

 

* Adopted in the Pearl Harbor (2001 movie)  

 Pearl Harbor attack

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Großer Festmarsch 

/ Grand Festive March
- for the Opening of the Centennial Celebration of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence of the USA (1876)


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The Flying Dutchman opera 

/ Der fliegende Holländer

Overture

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Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg

- full title: Tannhäuser and the Singers' Contest at Wartburg Castle

Overture

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Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg 

/ The Mastersingers of Nuremberg

The story takes place in Nuremberg during the middle of the 16th century, when Nuremberg was an Imperial Free City, and one of the centers of the Renaissance in Northern Europe. It is his only opera centered on a historically well-defined time and place rather than a mythical or legendary setting.

    Three acts of 85 minutes each, totaling 4¼ hours.

 

(R) The Finale 

 

It revolves around the real-life guild of Meistersinger (Master Singers), who developed a craftsman-like approach to music-making. One of the main characters is based on an actual historical figure: Hans Sachs (1494–1576), the most famous of the historical Mastersingers. 

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Tristan und Isolde

 

(R) deliberating lust with chromatic scale

Wagner referred to this opera (or music drama) not as an opera, but called it "eine Handlung" (literally a drama or a plot). It was notable for Wagner's advanced use of chromaticism, tonality, orchestral color and harmonic suspension. 

(L) Prelude

 

(R) Liebestod (death of love) @ end of Act 3

It was profoundly influential among Western classical composers and provided inspiration to composers. Many see Tristan as the beginning of the move away from conventional harmony and tonality, and consider that it lays the groundwork for the direction of classical music in the 20th century.

Source: Wikipedia