1.
Classical music
–
Classical music is art music produced or rooted in the traditions of Western music, including both liturgical and secular music. The central norms of this tradition became codified between 1550 and 1900, which is known as the common-practice period, Western staff notation is used by composers to indicate to the performer the pitches, tempo, meter and rhythms for a piece of music. This can leave less room for such as improvisation and ad libitum ornamentation. The term classical music did not appear until the early 19th century, the earliest reference to classical music recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary is from about 1836. This score typically determines details of rhythm, pitch, and, the written quality of the music has enabled a high level of complexity within them, J. S. The use of written notation also preserves a record of the works, Musical notation enables 2000s-era performers to sing a choral work from the 1300s Renaissance era or a 1700s Baroque concerto with many of the features of the music being reproduced. That said, the score does not provide complete and exact instructions on how to perform a historical work, even if the tempo is written with an Italian instruction, we do not know exactly how fast the piece should be played. Bach was particularly noted for his complex improvisations, during the Classical era, the composer-performer Mozart was noted for his ability to improvise melodies in different styles. During the Classical era, some virtuoso soloists would improvise the cadenza sections of a concerto, during the Romantic era, Beethoven would improvise at the piano. The instruments currently used in most classical music were largely invented before the mid-19th century and they consist of the instruments found in an orchestra or in a concert band, together with several other solo instruments. The symphony orchestra is the most widely known medium for music and includes members of the string, woodwind, brass. The concert band consists of members of the woodwind, brass and it generally has a larger variety and number of woodwind and brass instruments than the orchestra but does not have a string section. However, many bands use a double bass. Many of the used to perform medieval music still exist. Medieval instruments included the flute, the recorder and plucked string instruments like the lute. As well, early versions of the organ, fiddle, Medieval instruments in Europe had most commonly been used singly, often self accompanied with a drone note, or occasionally in parts. From at least as early as the 13th century through the 15th century there was a division of instruments into haut, during the earlier medieval period, the vocal music from the liturgical genre, predominantly Gregorian chant, was monophonic, using a single, unaccompanied vocal melody line. Polyphonic vocal genres, which used multiple independent vocal melodies, began to develop during the medieval era, becoming prevalent by the later 13th
Classical music
Classical music
–
Nineteenth-century composer and pianist
Clara Schumann is one of only a few female composers mentioned in the Concise Oxford History of Music.
Classical music
–
The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra performs
Tchaikovsky 's
Fourth Symphony.
Classical music
–
A youth
concert band in performance.
2.
London Symphony Orchestra
–
The London Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1904, is the oldest of Londons symphony orchestras. It was set up by a group of players who left Henry Woods Queens Hall Orchestra because of a new rule requiring players to give the orchestra their exclusive services, the LSO itself later introduced a similar rule for its members. From the outset, the LSO was organised on co-operative lines and this practice continued for the orchestras first four decades. The profit-sharing principle was abandoned in the era as a condition of receiving public subsidy for the first time. In the 1950s the orchestra debated whether to concentrate on work at the expense of symphony concerts. By the 1960s the LSO had recovered its position, which it has retained subsequently. In 1966, to perform alongside it in works, the orchestra established the LSO Chorus, originally a mix of professional and amateur singers. As a self-governing body, the orchestra selects the conductors with whom it works, at some stages in its history, it has dispensed with a principal conductor and worked only with guests. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in the Barbican Centre in the City of London, among its programmes there have been large-scale festivals celebrating composers as diverse as Berlioz, Mahler and Bernstein. At the turn of the century there were no permanent salaried orchestras in London. The main orchestras were those of Covent Garden, the Philharmonic Society and he would then engage another player to deputise at him for the original concert and the rehearsals for it. The treasurer of the Philharmonic Society described the system thus, A and he sends B to the first rehearsal. B, without knowledge or consent, sends C to the second rehearsal. Not being able to play at the concert, C sends D, in 1904, the manager of the Queens Hall, Robert Newman and the conductor of his promenade concerts, Henry Wood, agreed that they could no longer tolerate the deputy system. After a rehearsal in which Wood was faced with dozens of unfamiliar faces in his own orchestra, Newman came to the platform and announced, Gentlemen, in future there will be no deputies. Orchestral musicians were not highly paid, and removing their chances of better-paid engagements permitted by the deputy system was a financial blow to many of them. The principal movers were three players and a trumpeter, John Solomon. Busby organised a meeting at St. Andrews Hall, not far from the Queens Hall, invitations were sent to present and former members of the Queens Hall Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
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Bernard Haitink and the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Hall, June 2011
London Symphony Orchestra
–
Clockwise from top left:
Adolf Borsdorf, Thomas Busby, John Solomon and Henri van der Meerschen, founding fathers of the LSO
London Symphony Orchestra
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Hans Richter, first conductor of the LSO
London Symphony Orchestra
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Elgar and the LSO, Queen's Hall, 1911
3.
Symphonic
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A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often written by composers for orchestra. Symphonies are scored for string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments which altogether number about 30–100 musicians, Symphonies are notated in a musical score, which contains all the instrument parts. Orchestral musicians play from parts which contain just the music for their instrument. A small number of symphonies also contain vocal parts, the word symphony is derived from the Greek word συμφωνία, meaning agreement or concord of sound, concert of vocal or instrumental music, from σύμφωνος, harmonious. The word referred to a variety of different things, before ultimately settling on its current meaning designating a musical form. In late Greek and medieval theory, the word was used for consonance, as opposed to διαφωνία, in the Middle Ages and later, the Latin form symphonia was used to describe various instruments, especially those capable of producing more than one sound simultaneously. Isidore of Seville was the first to use the word symphonia as the name of a two-headed drum, in late medieval England, symphony was used in both of these senses, whereas by the 16th century it was equated with the dulcimer. In German, Symphonie was a term for spinets and virginals from the late 16th century to the 18th century. 16, published in 1607, Lodovico Grossi da Viadanas Sinfonie musicali,18, published in 1610, and Heinrich Schützs Symphoniae sacrae, op. 6, and Symphoniarum sacrarum secunda pars, op,10, published in 1629 and 1647, respectively. Except for Viadanas collection, which contained purely instrumental and secular music, the opera sinfonia, or Italian overture had, by the 18th century, a standard structure of three contrasting movements, fast, slow, fast and dance-like. It is this form that is considered as the direct forerunner of the orchestral symphony. The terms overture, symphony and sinfonia were widely regarded as interchangeable for much of the 18th century, when composers from the 17th century wrote pieces, they expected that these works would be performed by whatever group of musicians were available. A performance of the piece might be done with a basso continuo group as small as a single cello, during the 18th century, the symphony was cultivated with extraordinary intensity. It played a role in areas of public life, including church services. Since the normal size of the orchestra at the time was quite small, laRue, Bonds, Walsh, and Wilson trace the gradual expansion of the symphonic orchestra through the 18th century. At first, symphonies were string symphonies, written in just four parts, first violin, second violin, viola, occasionally the early symphonists even dispensed with the viola part, thus creating three-part symphonies. A basso continuo part including a bassoon together with a harpsichord or other chording instrument was also possible, the first additions to this simple ensemble were a pair of horns, occasionally a pair of oboes, and then both horns and oboes together
Symphonic
–
Symphonies are extended compositions written for
orchestra. Pictured here is a performance of the 8th Symphony of
Gustav Mahler in the Kölner Philharmonie. The orchestra is the Wuppertaler Sinfonieorchester, conducted by Heinz-Walter Florin.
4.
Choir
–
A choir is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical repertoire, which spans from the Medieval era to the present. Most choirs are led by a conductor, who leads the performances with arm, a body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus. The former term is often applied to groups affiliated with a church and the second to groups that perform in theatres or concert halls. Choirs may sing without instrumental accompaniment, with the accompaniment of a piano or pipe organ, with a small ensemble, choirs are often led by a conductor or choirmaster. Other than four, the most common number of parts are three, five, six, and eight, choirs can sing with or without instrumental accompaniment. Singing without accompaniment is called a cappella singing, many choirs perform in one or many locations such as a church, opera house, or school hall. In some cases choirs join up to become one mass choir that performs for a special concert, in this case they provide a series of songs or musical works to celebrate and provide entertainment to others. Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as a concert, by way of visible gestures with the hands, arms, face. The primary duties of the conductor or choirmaster are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble. The conductor or choral director typically stands on a raised platform, many choral conductors use their hands to conduct. In the 2010s, most conductors do not play an instrument when conducting, although in earlier periods of music history. In Baroque music from the 1600s to the 1750s, conductors performing in the 2010s may lead an ensemble while playing a harpsichord or the violin, conducting while playing a piano may also be done with musical theatre pit orchestras. Communication is typically non-verbal during a performance, however, in rehearsals, frequent interruptions allow the conductor to give verbal directions as to how the music should be sung. Conductors act as guides to the choirs they conduct and they choose the works to be performed and study their scores, to which they may make certain adjustments, work out their interpretation, and relay their vision to the singers. Choral conductors may also have to conduct instrumental ensembles such as if the choir is singing a piece for choir. They may also attend to matters, such as scheduling rehearsals, planning a concert season, hearing auditions
Choir
–
Evensong rehearsal in the
quire of
York Minster, showing carved choirstalls
Choir
–
Amelia Nagoski, DMA conducting a choral ensemble at Western New England University
Choir
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Egyptian Alexandria Jewish choir of Rabbin Moshe Cohen at Samuel Menashe synagogue,
Alexandria, Egypt
Choir
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An English school choir
5.
London
–
London /ˈlʌndən/ is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain and it was founded by the Romans, who named it Londinium. Londons ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its 1. 12-square-mile medieval boundaries. London is a global city in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism. It is crowned as the worlds largest financial centre and has the fifth- or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world, London is a world cultural capital. It is the worlds most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the worlds largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic, London is the worlds leading investment destination, hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth individuals than any other city. Londons universities form the largest concentration of education institutes in Europe. In 2012, London became the first city to have hosted the modern Summer Olympic Games three times, London has a diverse range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken in the region. Its estimated mid-2015 municipal population was 8,673,713, the largest of any city in the European Union, Londons urban area is the second most populous in the EU, after Paris, with 9,787,426 inhabitants at the 2011 census. The citys metropolitan area is the most populous in the EU with 13,879,757 inhabitants, the city-region therefore has a similar land area and population to that of the New York metropolitan area. London was the worlds most populous city from around 1831 to 1925, Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and The Shard. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world, the etymology of London is uncertain. It is an ancient name, found in sources from the 2nd century and it is recorded c.121 as Londinium, which points to Romano-British origin, and hand-written Roman tablets recovered in the city originating from AD 65/70-80 include the word Londinio. The earliest attempted explanation, now disregarded, is attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth in Historia Regum Britanniae and this had it that the name originated from a supposed King Lud, who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerlud. From 1898, it was accepted that the name was of Celtic origin and meant place belonging to a man called *Londinos. The ultimate difficulty lies in reconciling the Latin form Londinium with the modern Welsh Llundain, which should demand a form *lōndinion, from earlier *loundiniom. The possibility cannot be ruled out that the Welsh name was borrowed back in from English at a later date, and thus cannot be used as a basis from which to reconstruct the original name. Until 1889, the name London officially applied only to the City of London, two recent discoveries indicate probable very early settlements near the Thames in the London area
London
–
Palace of Westminster,
Buckingham Palace and
Central London skyline
London
London
London
–
The name London may derive from the
River Thames
6.
UK
–
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
UK
–
Stonehenge, in
Wiltshire, was erected around 2500 BC.
UK
–
Flag
UK
–
The
Bayeux Tapestry depicts the
Battle of Hastings, 1066, and the events leading to it.
UK
–
The
Treaty of Union led to a single united kingdom encompassing all Great Britain.
7.
United Kingdom
–
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
United Kingdom
–
Stonehenge, in
Wiltshire, was erected around 2500 BC.
United Kingdom
–
Flag
United Kingdom
–
The
Bayeux Tapestry depicts the
Battle of Hastings, 1066, and the events leading to it.
United Kingdom
–
The
Treaty of Union led to a single united kingdom encompassing all Great Britain.
8.
Barbican Centre
–
The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The Centre hosts classical and contemporary concerts, theatre performances, film screenings. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory, the Barbican Centre is member of the Global Cultural Districts Network. The London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra are based in the Centres Concert Hall, in 2013, it once again became the London-based venue of the Royal Shakespeare Company following the companys departure in 2001. The Barbican Centre is owned, funded, and managed by the City of London Corporation and it was built as The Citys gift to the nation at a cost of £161 million and was officially opened to the public by Queen Elizabeth II on 3 March 1982. The Barbican Centre is also known for its brutalist architecture, Barbican Hall, capacity 1,943, home of the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. It is one of the largest public libraries in London and has an arts library, a large music library. The Barbican Library houses the London Collection of historical books and resources, some of which date back 300 years, the library presents regular literary events and has an art exhibition space for hire. The music library has two free practice pianos for public use, the Barbican Centre had a long development period, only opening long after the surrounding Barbican Estate housing complex had been built. It is situated in an area which was bombed during World War II. The Barbican Centre, designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in the Brutalist style, has a complex layout with numerous entrances. Lines painted on the ground help would-be audience members avoid getting lost on the walkways of the Barbican Housing Estate on the way to the centre, the Barbican Centres design – a concrete ziggurat – has always been controversial and divides opinion. It was voted Londons ugliest building in a Grey London poll in September 2003, in September 2001, arts minister Tessa Blackstone announced that the Barbican Centre complex was to be a Grade II listed building. It has been designated a site of architectural interest for its scale, its cohesion. The same architectural practice also designed the Barbican Housing Estate and the nearby Golden Lane Estate, project architect John Honer later worked on the British Library at St Pancras – a red brick ziggurat. In the mid-1990s, an improvement scheme by Theo Crosby, of the Pentagram design studio, added statues. That improvement scheme added a bridge linking the Silk Street foyer area with the lakeside foyer area. The centres Silk Street entrance, previously dominated by an access for vehicles, was modified to give pedestrian access
Barbican Centre
–
The Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre
–
Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre
–
Barbican Centre, London, United Kingdom
Barbican Centre
–
The Barbican Hall of the Barbican Centre
9.
Avery Fisher Hall
–
David Geffen Hall is a concert hall in New York Citys Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex on Manhattans Upper West Side. The 2,738 seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic, David Geffen has donated $100 million US dollars to rename the Hall after himself. The facility was renamed David Geffen Hall in 2015, the hall underwent renovations in 1976 to address acoustical problems that existed since it opened. Another smaller renovation attempted to address unresolved problems in 1992, by 2012, it became clear that construction would not start before 2017. The shell of the building will be intact and work will focus on improving the hall’s acoustics, modernizing patron amenities. Lincoln Center chairwoman Katherine Farley said, It will be an opportunity for a name on a great New York jewel. Fishers three children agreed to the deal for $15 million, architects hired the acoustical consulting division of Bolt, Beranek and Newman to design the original interior acoustics for the hall. Their acousticians recommended a 2,400 seat shoebox design with narrowly spaced parallel sides, Lincoln Center officials initially agreed with the recommendation, and BBN provided a series of design specifications and recommendations. BBN engineers told Lincoln Center management the hall would sound different from their initial intent, the first of Lincoln Centers buildings to be completed, Philharmonic Hall opened September 23,1962, to mixed reviews. The concert, featuring Leonard Bernstein, the New York Philharmonic, the opening week of concerts included performances by a specially invited list of guest orchestras, who regularly appeared at Carnegie Hall each season, as well as the new halls resident ensemble. Several reporters panned the hall, while at least two conductors praised the acoustics, while the initial intention had been that Philharmonic Hall would replace Carnegie Hall, which could then be demolished, that scenario did not take place. It included demolishing the interior, selling its pipe organ to Californias Crystal Cathedral. While initial reaction to the improvements was favorable and some remained steadfast, overall feelings about the new halls sound soured. Ehle stated, The seating capacity is large and the sidewalls are too far apart to provide reflections to the center seats. The ceiling is high to increase reverberation time but the clouds are too high to reinforce early reflections adequately, the bass is weak because the very large stage does not adequately reinforce the low string instruments. The maple was specially selected to minimize its grain pattern, the new components are filled with fiberglass to deaden vibrations. However, both sides abandoned talks after four months, beginning in 2005, the Mostly Mozart Festival has experimented with extending the stage for the Mostly Mozart orchestra farther out into the seats from the main stage for the Festivals summer season. David Geffen Hall is used today for many events, both musical and non-musical, the PBS series Live from Lincoln Center also features performances from the Hall
Avery Fisher Hall
–
View of the hall from the south
Avery Fisher Hall
–
The interior of David Geffen Hall (2007)
10.
The Dream of Gerontius
–
The Dream of Gerontius, Op.38, is a work for voices and orchestra in two parts composed by Sir Edward Elgar in 1900, to text from the poem by John Henry Newman. It relates the journey of a mans soul from his deathbed to his judgment before God. Elgar disapproved of the use of the oratorio for the work. The piece is regarded as Elgars finest choral work. The work was composed for the Birmingham Music Festival of 1900 and it was badly performed at the premiere, but later performances in Germany revealed its stature. Elgar was not the first composer to think about setting John Henry Newmans poem The Dream of Gerontius, dvořák had considered it fifteen years earlier, and had discussions with Newman, before abandoning the idea. Elgar knew the poem well, he had owned a copy since at least 1885 and this copy contained handwritten copies of extensive notes that had been made by General Gordon, and Elgar is known to have thought of the text in musical terms for several years. Throughout the 1890s, Elgar had composed several works for the regular festivals that were a key part of Britains musical life. In 1898, based on his reputation, he was asked to write a major work for the 1900 Birmingham Triennial Music Festival. He was unable to work on the poem that he knew so well until the autumn of 1899. By the time Elgar had completed the work and Novello had printed it, the Birmingham chorus, all amateurs, struggled to master Elgars complex, demanding and somewhat revolutionary work. Matters were made worse by the death of the chorus master. The conductor of the premiere, Hans Richter, received a copy of the score only on the eve of the first orchestral rehearsal. The soloists at the Birmingham Festival on 3 October 1900 were Marie Brema, Edward Lloyd, the first performance was, famously, a near disaster. The choir could not sing the music adequately, and two of the three soloists were in poor voice. Elgar was deeply upset at the debacle, telling Jaeger, I have allowed my heart to open once – it is now shut against every religious feeling & every soft, gentle impulse for ever. Shortly after the premiere, the German conductor and chorus master Julius Buths made a German translation of the text, Elgar was present, and he wrote It completely bore out my idea of the work, the chorus was very fine. Buths presented it in Düsseldorf again on 19 May 1902 in conjunction with the Lower Rhenish Music Festival, the soloists included Muriel Foster, and Elgar was again in the audience, being called to the stage twenty times to receive the audiences applause
The Dream of Gerontius
–
Manuscript score, signed by
Elgar and the performers of the premiere
The Dream of Gerontius
–
Edward Elgar, around the time of composition
The Dream of Gerontius
–
Notable Gerontius soloists,
Edward Lloyd and
Marie Brema, (top);
Gervase Elwes and
Elena Gerhardt, (below)
The Dream of Gerontius
–
Cardinal Newman, author of the poem set by Elgar
11.
Symphony No. 2 (Mahler)
–
Symphony No.2 by Gustav Mahler, known as the Resurrection Symphony, was written between 1888 and 1894, and first performed in 1895. Apart from the Eighth Symphony, this symphony was Mahlers most popular and it was his first major work that established his lifelong view of the beauty of afterlife and resurrection. In this large work, the further developed the creativity of sound of the distance and creating a world of its own. Mahler completed what would become the first movement of the symphony in 1888 as a single-movement symphonic poem called Totenfeier, some sketches for the second movement also date from that year. Mahler wavered five years on whether to make Totenfeier the opening movement of a symphony, in 1893, he composed the second and third movements. While thoroughly aware he was inviting comparison with Beethovens Symphony No, 9—both symphonies use a chorus as the centerpiece of a final movement which begins with references to and is much longer than those preceding it—Mahler knew he wanted a vocal final movement. Finding the right text for this movement proved long and perplexing, when Mahler took up his appointment at the Hamburg Opera in 1891, he found the other important conductor there to be Hans von Bülow, who was in charge of the citys symphony concerts. Bülow, not known for his kindness, was impressed by Mahler and his support was not diminished by his failure to like or understand Totenfeier when Mahler played it for him on the piano. Bülow told Mahler that Totenfeier made Tristan und Isolde sound to him like a Haydn symphony, as Bülows health worsened, Mahler substituted for him. Bülows death in 1894 greatly affected Mahler, at the funeral, Mahler heard a setting of Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstocks Die Auferstehung, where the dictum calls out Rise again, yes, you shall rise again / My dust. It struck me like lightning, this thing, he wrote to conductor Anton Seidl, Mahler used the first two verses of Klopstocks hymn, then added verses of his own that dealt more explicitly with redemption and resurrection. He finished the finale and revised the orchestration of the first movement in 1894 and this song was probably written in 1892 or 1893. Mahler initially devised a programme for the work, which he shared with a number of friends. He even had one of these versions printed in the book at the premiere in Dresden on 20 December 1901. In this programme, the first movement represents a funeral and asks questions such as Is there life after death, as generally happened, Mahler later withdrew all versions of the programme from circulation. The work was first published in 1897 by Friedrich Hofmeister, the rights were transferred to Josef Weinberger shortly thereafter, and finally to Universal Edition, which released a second edition in 1910. A third edition was published in 1952, and a fourth, critical edition in 1970 and its world premiere performance was given on 18 October 2005 at the Royal Albert Hall in London with Gilbert Kaplan conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reproductions of earlier editions have been released by Dover and by Boosey & Hawkes, the Kaplan Foundation published an extensive facsimile edition with additional materials in 1986
Symphony No. 2 (Mahler)
–
Gustav Mahler in 1892
12.
Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)
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The Symphony No.8 in E-flat major by Gustav Mahler is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire. The work was composed in a single inspired burst, at Maiernigg in southern Austria in the summer of 1906, the fusion of song and symphony had been a characteristic of Mahlers early works. In his middle compositional period after 1901, a change of direction led him to three purely instrumental symphonies. The Eighth, marking the end of the period, returns to a combination of orchestra. The structure of the work is unconventional, instead of the framework of several movements. Part I is based on the Latin text of a 9th-century Christian hymn for Pentecost, Veni creator spiritus, the two parts are unified by a common idea, that of redemption through the power of love, a unity conveyed through shared musical themes. In the period following the death, performances were comparatively rare. However, from the century onwards the symphony has been heard regularly in concert halls all over the world. Conversely, it has also been compared—by Deryck Cooke—to Ludwig van Beethovens Symphony No.9 as a defining statement for its century. By the summer of 1906, Mahler had been director of the Vienna Hofoper for nine years, throughout this time his practice was to leave Vienna at the close of the Hofoper season for a summer retreat, where he could devote himself to composition. Since 1899 this haven had been at Maiernigg, near the town of Maria Wörth in Carinthia, southern Austria. In these restful surroundings Mahler completed his Symphonies No,5, No.6 and No.7 symphonies, his Rückert songs and his song cycle Kindertotenlieder. Until 1901, Mahlers compositions had been influenced by the German folk-poem collection Des Knaben Wunderhorn. The music of Mahlers many Wunderhorn settings is reflected in his Symphonies No,4, which all employ vocal as well as instrumental forces. From about 1901, however, Mahlers music underwent a change in character as he moved into the period of his compositional life. 5, No.6 and No.7 were written, all as purely instrumental works, portrayed by Mahler scholar Deryck Cooke as more stern, more tautly symphonic, with a new granite-like hardness of orchestration. Mahler arrived at Maiernigg in June 1906 with the manuscript of his Seventh Symphony. These outlines show that Mahler had fixed on the idea of opening with the Latin hymn, hymne From Mahlers later comments on the symphonys gestation, it is evident that the four-movement plan was relatively short-lived
Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)
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Gustav Mahler in 1907
Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)
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Munich, September 1910: Final rehearsal for the world premiere of Mahler's Eighth Symphony in the Neue Musik-Festhalle
Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)
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Mahler's composing hut at Maiernigg, where the Eighth Symphony was composed in summer 1906
Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)
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A performance of Mahler's Eighth in Vienna in 2009 illustrates the scale of the instrumental and vocal forces employed.
13.
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
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The Symphony No.9 in D minor, Op.125, is Ludwig van Beethovens final complete symphony. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the works in classical music. It is almost universally considered by critics to be one of Beethovens greatest works, the symphony was the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony. The words are sung during the movement by four vocal soloists. They were taken from the Ode to Joy, a written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785 and revised in 1803. In the 2010s, it stands as one of the most performed symphonies in the world, the Philharmonic Society of London originally commissioned the symphony in 1817. The main composition work was done between autumn 1822 and the completion of the autograph in February 1824, the symphony emerged from other pieces by Beethoven that, while completed works in their own right, are also in some sense musical sketches for the future symphony. 80, basically a concerto movement, brings in a choir. As in the Ninth Symphony, the vocal forces sing a theme first played instrumentally, going further back, an earlier version of the Choral Fantasy theme is found in the song Gegenliebe, for piano and high voice, which dates from before 1795. According to Robert W. Gutman, Mozarts K.222 Offertory in D minor, Misericordias Domini, written in 1775, contains a melody that foreshadows Ode to Joy. When his friends and financiers heard this, they urged him to premiere the symphony in Vienna in the form of a signed by a number of prominent Viennese music patrons. This was the composers first on-stage appearance in 12 years, the hall was packed with an eager audience, while no complete list of premiere performers exists, many of Viennas most elite performers are known to have participated. The soprano and alto parts were sung by two young singers, Henriette Sontag and Caroline Unger. German soprano Henriette Sontag was eighteen years old when Beethoven personally recruited her to perform in the premiere of the Ninth, also personally recruited by Beethoven, 20-year-old contralto Caroline Unger, a native of Vienna, had gained critical praise in 1821 appearing in Rossinis Tancredi. After performing in Beethovens 1824 premiere, Unger then found fame in Italy, Italian composers Donizetti and Bellini were known to have written roles specifically for her voice. Although the performance was directed by Michael Umlauf, the theatres Kapellmeister. However, two earlier, Umlauf had watched as the composers attempt to conduct a dress rehearsal of his opera Fidelio ended in disaster. So this time, he instructed the singers and musicians to ignore the almost totally deaf Beethoven, at the beginning of every part, Beethoven, who sat by the stage, gave the tempos
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
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Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven in 1820. Beethoven was almost completely deaf when he composed his ninth symphony.
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
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A page from Beethoven's manuscript of the 9th Symphony
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
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Caroline Unger, who sang the contralto part at the first performance and who is credited with turning Beethoven to face the applauding audience.
14.
Missa Solemnis (Beethoven)
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The Missa solemnis in D major, Op.123, is a solemn mass composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819 to 1823. It was first performed on 7 April 1824 in St and it is generally considered one of the composers supreme achievements and, along with Bachs Mass in B minor, one of the most significant Mass settings of the common practice period. Written around the time as his Ninth Symphony, it is Beethovens second setting of the Mass, after his Mass in C major. Gloria, Quickly shifting textures and themes highlight each portion of the Gloria text, the movement ends with the first of the works two massive fugues, on the text In gloria Dei patris. Amen, leading into a recapitulation of the initial Gloria text, Credo, The movement opens with a chord sequence that will be used again in the movement to effect modulations. The Credo, like the Gloria, is an often disorienting, Sanctus, Up until the Benedictus of the Sanctus, the Missa solemnis is of fairly normal classical proportions. Agnus Dei, A setting of the plea miserere nobis that begins with the voices alone in B minor yields, eventually. After some fugal development, it is suddenly and dramatically interrupted by martial sounds, the orchestration of the piece features a quartet of vocal soloists, a substantial chorus, and the full orchestra, and each at times is used in virtuosic, textural, and melodic capacities. The writing displays Beethovens characteristic disregard for the performer, and is in places both technically and physically exacting, with many sudden changes of dynamic, metre and tempo. This is consistent throughout, starting with the opening Kyrie where the syllables Ky-ri are delivered either forte or with sforzando, but the final e is piano. The orchestral parts also include many demanding sections, including the solo in the Sanctus. A typical performance of the work runs 80 to 85 minutes. The work was dedicated to Archduke Rudolf of Austria, archbishop of Olomouc, Beethovens foremost patron as well as pupil, the copy presented to Rudolf was inscribed Von Herzen—Möge es wieder—Zu Herzen gehn. Some critics have been troubled by the problem that, as Theodor W. Adorno put it, in many ways, it is an atypical work, even for Beethoven. Missing is the exploration of themes through development that is one of Beethovens hallmarks. The massive fugues at the end of the Gloria and Credo align it with the work of his late period—but his simultaneous interest in the theme and variations form is absent. Instead, the Missa presents a musical narrative, almost without repetition, particularly in the Gloria and Credo. Donald Tovey has connected Beethoven to the tradition in a different way, Not even Bach or Handel can show a greater sense of space
Missa Solemnis (Beethoven)
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In this famous portrait of Beethoven by
Joseph Karl Stieler, Beethoven can be seen working on the Missa solemnis in D major.
15.
La damnation de Faust
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La damnation de Faust, Op.24 is a work for four solo voices, full seven-part chorus, large childrens chorus and orchestra by the French composer Hector Berlioz. He called it a légende dramatique and it was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 6 December 1846. The French composer was inspired by a translation of Goethes dramatic poem Faust and produced a work that, like the masterpiece on which it is based. Conceived at various times as an oratorio and as an opera its travelogue form. Berlioz himself was eager to see the work staged, but once he did, most of the works fame has come through concert performances. Berlioz read Goethes Faust Part One in 1828, in Gérard de Nervals translation, I read it incessantly, at meals, in the theatre, in the street. He was so impressed that a suite entitled Eight Scenes from Faust became his Opus 1, the Metropolitan Opera premiered it first in concert and then on stage and revived it in concert at Carnegie Hall on 10 November 1996. Filmmaker Terry Gilliam made his debut at Londons English National Opera in May 2011. Three instrumental passages, the Marche Hongroise, Ballet des sylphes, hearing peasants sing and dance, he realizes that their simple happiness is something he will never experience. An army marches past in the distance, Faust doesnt understand why the soldiers are so enthusiastic about glory and fame. Depressed, Faust has returned to his study, even the search for wisdom can no longer inspire him. Tired of life, he is about to commit suicide when the sound of bells and an Easter hymn remind him of his youth. Suddenly Méphistophélès appears, ironically commenting on Fausts apparent conversion and he offers to take him on a journey, promising him the restoration of his youth, knowledge, and the fulfillment of all his wishes. Méphistophélès and Faust arrive at Auerbachs tavern in Leipzig, where Brander, the other guests offer an ironic Amen, and Méphistophélès continues with another song about a flea that brings his relatives to infest a whole royal court. Disgusted by the vulgarity of it all, Faust demands to be somewhere else. On a meadow by the Elbe, Méphistophélès shows Faust a dream vision of a woman named Marguerite. He calls out her name, and Méphistophélès promises to lead Faust to her, together with a group of students and soldiers, they enter the town where she lives. Faust and Méphistophélès hide in Marguerites room, Faust feels that he will find in her his ideal of a pure and innocent woman
La damnation de Faust
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Hector Berlioz
16.
Gurre-Lieder
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Gurre-Lieder is a large cantata for five vocal soloists, narrator, chorus and large orchestra, composed by Arnold Schönberg, on poems by the Danish novelist Jens Peter Jacobsen. In 1900, Schönberg began composing the work as a cycle for soprano, tenor. It was written in a lush, late-romantic style heavily influenced by Richard Wagner, according to Schönberg, however, he finished them half a week too late for the contest, and this decided the fate of the work. Later that year, he expanded his original conception, composing links between the first nine songs as well as adding a prelude, the Wood Doves Song. He worked on this version sporadically until around 1903, when he abandoned the task of orchestrating the work. He had also come under the spell of Gustav Mahler, whom he had met in 1903, in Des Sommerwindes wilde Jagd, Schönberg also introduced the first use of Sprechgesang, a technique he would explore more fully in Pierrot Lunaire of 1912. The orchestration was completed in November 1911. Franz Schreker conducted the premiere of the work in Vienna on 23 February 1913, by this time, Schönberg was disenchanted with the style and character of the piece and was even dismissive of its positive reception, saying I was rather indifferent, if not even a little angry. I foresaw that this success would have no influence on the fate of my later works, I had, during these thirteen years, developed my style in such a manner that to the ordinary concertgoer, it would seem to bear no relation to all preceding music. I had to fight for new work, I had been offended in the most outrageous manner by criticism, I had lost friends. And I stood alone against a world of enemies, violinist Francis Aranyi called it the strangest thing that a man in front of that kind of a hysterical, worshipping mob has ever done. It would be wrong to assume that Schoenberg considered Gurre-Lieder a composition of no merit, a few months after the premiere he wrote to Wassily Kandinsky, I certainly do not look down on this work, as the journalists always suppose. For although I have certainly developed very much since those days, I have not improved, I consider it important that people give credence to the elements in this work which I retained later. The Dutch first performance, directed by Schoenberg himself, was in March 1921, clark had tried to have the premiere the previous year, on 14 April 1927, but these plans fell through. Leopold Stokowski conducted the American premiere on 8 April 1932, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, soloists, stokowskis performances on 9 and 11 April 1932 were recorded live by RCA. Bell Laboratories had been recording the Philadelphia Orchestra in high fidelity and stereophonic sound. A performance of Gurre-Lieder without intermission runs over an hour and a half, riccardo Chaillys 1990 Decca recording, for example, lasts more than 100 minutes and takes two compact discs. In 2014 the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam was the first company to stage the Gurre-Lieder, the cantata is divided into three parts
Gurre-Lieder
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Ruins of
Gurre Castle, 2007
17.
A German Requiem (Brahms)
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A German Requiem, To Words of the Holy Scriptures, Op.45 by Johannes Brahms, is a large-scale work for chorus, orchestra, a soprano and a baritone soloist, composed between 1865 and 1868. It comprises seven movements, which together last 65 to 80 minutes, a German Requiem is sacred but non-liturgical, and unlike a long tradition of the Latin Requiem, A German Requiem, as its title states, is a Requiem in the German language. Brahmss mother died in February 1865, a loss that caused him much grief, Brahmss lingering feelings over Robert Schumanns death in July 1856 may also have been a motivation, though his reticence about such matters makes this uncertain. His original conception was for a work of six movements, according to their places in the final version. By the end of April 1865, Brahms had completed the first, second, Brahms completed all but what is now the fifth movement by August 1866. Johann Herbeck conducted the first three movements in Vienna on 1 December 1867 and this partial premiere went poorly due to a misunderstanding in the timpanists score. Sections marked as pf were played as f or ff, essentially drowning out the rest of the ensemble in the section of the third movement. The first performance of the six movements premiered in the Bremen Cathedral six months later on Good Friday,10 April 1868, with Brahms conducting, the performance was a great success and marked a turning point in his career. In May 1868 Brahms composed a movement, which became the fifth movement within the final work. The new movement, which was scored for soprano soloist and choir, was first sung in Zürich on 12 September 1868 by Ida Suter-Weber, with Friedrich Hegar conducting the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich. In contrast to the traditional Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, which employs a standardized text in Latin, Brahmss first known use of the title Ein deutsches Requiem was in an 1865 letter to Clara Schumann in which he wrote that he intended the piece to be eine Art deutsches Requiem. Brahms was quite moved when he found out later that Robert Schumann had planned a work of the same name. German refers primarily to the rather than the intended audience. Brahms told Carl Martin Reinthaler, director of music at the Bremen Cathedral and this theme—transition from anxiety to comfort—recurs in all the following movements except movements 4 and 7, the central one and the final one. Although the idea of the Lord is the source of the comfort, in the Bremen performance of the piece, Reinthaler took the liberty of inserting the aria I know that my Redeemer liveth from Handels Messiah to satisfy the clergy. Movement 1 and 7 begin Selig sind, taken from the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount in 1 and these two slow movements also share musical elements, especially in their ending. Movements 2 and 6 are both dramatic,2 dealing with the transient nature of life,6 with the resurrection of the dead, movements 3 and 5 are begun by a solo voice. In the third movement, the baritone requests Herr, lehre doch mich, in the fifth movement, the soprano and chorus sing different text, corresponding to each other
A German Requiem (Brahms)
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Johannes Brahms around 1866
18.
Stabat Mater (Rossini)
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Stabat Mater is a work by Gioachino Rossini based on the traditional structure of the Stabat Mater for chorus and soloists. Initially he used his own librettos and compositions for a portion of the work and, eventually, the remainder by Giovanni Tadolini, Rossini presented the completed work to Varela as his own. It was composed late in his career after retiring from the composition of opera and he began the work in 1831 but did not complete it until 1841. In 1831 Rossini was traveling in Spain in the company of his friend the Spanish banker, Alexandre Aguado, in the course of the trip, Fernández Varela, a state councillor, commissioned a setting of the traditional liturgical text, the Stabat Mater. Rossini managed to complete part of the setting of the sequence in 1832, having written only half the score, he asked his friend Giovanni Tadolini to compose six additional movements. Rossini presented the work to Varela as his own. It was premiered on Holy Saturday of 1833 in the Chapel of San Felipe el Real in Madrid, when Varela died, his heirs sold the work for 2,000 francs to a Parisian music publisher, Antoine Aulagnier, who printed it. Rossini protested, claiming that he had reserved publication rights for himself, although surprised by this, Aulangier went ahead and arranged for a public performance at the Salle Herz on October 31,1841, at which only the six pieces by Rossini were performed. In fact, Rossini had already sold the rights for 6,000 francs to another Paris publisher. Lawsuits ensued, and Troupenas emerged the victor, Rossini finished the work, replacing the music by Tadolini, before the end of 1841. Rossinis extensive operatic career had divided the public into admirers and critics, so long as this man lives, hell always be the mode. Wagner concluded his polemic with the observation, That dreadful word. And money is fetched out, to pay the best of lawyers, to get documents produced, I know somebody who for five francs will make you five waltzes, each of them better than that misery of the wealthy masters. At the time when Wagner wrote this, he was still in his late twenties, the Escudiers reported that, Rossinis name was shouted out amid the applause. The entire work transported the audience, the triumph was complete, three numbers had to be repeated. and the audience left the theater moved and seized by an admiration that quickly won all Paris. In March Gaetano Donizetti led the Italian premiere in Bologna with great success, the soloists included Clara Novello and Nikolay Ivanov. Donizetti reported the reaction, The enthusiasm is impossible to describe. Even at the rehearsal, which Rossini attended, in the middle of the day
Stabat Mater (Rossini)
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Portrait of Gioachino Rossini by
Vincenzo Camuccini,
Museo Teatrale alla Scala in Milan.
19.
Oedipus rex (opera)
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Oedipus rex is an Opera-oratorio after Sophocles by Igor Stravinsky, scored for orchestra, speaker, soloists, and male chorus. Oedipus rex was written towards the beginning of Stravinskys neoclassical period and he had considered setting the work in Ancient Greek, but decided ultimately on Latin, in his words a medium not dead but turned to stone. It has also presented on stage as an opera, the first such performance being at the Vienna State Opera on 23 February 1928. It was subsequently presented three times by the Santa Fe Opera in 1960,1961, and 1962 with the composer in attendance, in January 1962 it was performed in Washington, D. C. by the Opera Society of Washington with the composer conducting. In 1960 at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, a production by Colin Graham, directed by Michel Saint-Denis, conducted by Colin Davis, Oedipus was sung by Australian tenor Ronald Dowd with actor Michael Hordern as narrator. Although the performances narration was in English, the company moved from its normal English-language practice and this was part of a double bill, the second opera being Bartoks Bluebeards Castle. Another filmed rendition survives from 1973, conducted by Leonard Bernstein during his sixth and last lecture for the Charles Eliot Norton chair at Harvard University. The Narrator greets the audience, explaining the nature of the drama they are about to see, and setting the scene, Thebes is suffering from a plague, Oedipus, king of Thebes and conqueror of the Sphinx, promises to save the city. Creon, brother-in-law to Oedipus, returns from the oracle at Delphi and declaims the words of the gods, Thebes is harboring the murderer of Laius and it is the murderer who has brought the plague upon the city. Oedipus promises to discover the murderer and cast him out and he questions Tiresias, the soothsayer, who at first refuses to speak. Angered at this silence, Oedipus accuses him of being the murderer himself, provoked, Tiresias speaks at last, stating that the murderer of the king is a king. Terrified, Oedipus then accuses Tiresias of being in league with Creon, with a flourish from the chorus, Jocasta appears. Jocasta calms the dispute by telling all that the oracles always lie, an oracle had predicted that Laius would die at his sons hand, when in fact he was murdered by bandits at the crossing of three roads. This frightens Oedipus further, he recalls killing an old man at a crossroads before coming to Thebes, a messenger arrives, King Polybus of Corinth, whom Oedipus believes to be his father, has died. However, it is now revealed that Polybus was only the foster-father of Oedipus, who had been, in fact, an ancient shepherd arrives, it was he who had found the child Oedipus in the mountains. At last, the messenger and shepherd state the truth openly, Oedipus is the child of Laius and Jocasta, killer of his father, the messenger reports the death of Jocasta, she has hanged herself in her chambers. Oedipus breaks into her room and puts out his eyes with her pin and he departs Thebes forever as the chorus at first vents their anger, and then mourns the loss of the king they loved. Many insights to this opera are found in Leonard Bernsteins analysis of it in his sixth, Bernstein stated that Oedipus Rex is the most awesome product of Stravinskys neoclassical period
Oedipus rex (opera)
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Igor Stravinsky
20.
Symphony of Psalms
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The Symphony of Psalms is a three-movement choral symphony composed by Igor Stravinsky in 1930 during his neoclassical period. The work was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the symphony derives its name from the use of Psalm texts in the choral parts. Stravinsky, however, insisted on the idea, which he had had in mind for some time. The choice of Psalm 150, however, was in part because of the popularity of that text, the symphony was written in Nice and Echarvines, which was Stravinskys summer home in those years. The three movements are performed without a break, and the texts sung by the chorus are drawn from the Vulgate versions in Latin, unlike many pieces composed for chorus and orchestra, Stravinsky said that “it is not a symphony in which I have included Psalms to be sung. On the contrary, it is the singing of the Psalms that I am symphonizing, the American premiere of the piece was given soon afterwards by Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with the chorus of the Cecilia Society on December 19,1930. The first recording was made by Stravinsky himself with the Orchestre des Concerts Straram, the choir, throaty, full-blooded, darkly, inwardly passionate, sing with liturgical conviction and intensity in a memorable performance. In the score preface, Stravinsky stated a preference for childrens voices for the upper two choral parts, notably, the score omits clarinets, violins, and violas. Stravinsky stated that the root of the symphony is the sequences of two minor thirds joined by a major third. Derived from the trumpet-harp motive at the beginning of the allegro in Psalm 150, Stravinsky portrays the religious nature of the text through his compositional techniques. He wrote substantial portions of the piece in fugal counterpoint, which was used widely in the church in the Renaissance and he also uses the large chorus to create a ritual atmosphere like that of the Church. The first movement of the Symphony of Psalms is marked Tempo ♩= 92” and uses the text from Psalm 39, verses 13 and 14. This movement was finished on August 15,1930, which is Assumption Day in the Catholic Church and is written as a prelude to the second movement, a double fugue. The movement is composed of flowing ostinato sections punctuated with E-minor block chords, in a known as the Psalms chord. The presence of the chorus is used to create an atmosphere in this piece as well as to appropriately set the Psalm. It enters with a minor 2nd motif, which is used both to emphasize the C♯/D octatonic scale and set the pleading text, the minor second motif in the chorus is continued throughout the movement. The use of the scale and the church modes pervade the sound of the movement. There are various ways of analyzing the structure of the first movement
Symphony of Psalms
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Psalms chord
21.
A Child of Our Time
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A Child of Our Time is a secular oratorio by the British composer Michael Tippett, who also wrote the libretto. Composed between 1939 and 1941, it was first performed at the Adelphi Theatre, London, on 19 March 1944, Tippetts oratorio deals with these incidents in the context of the experiences of oppressed people generally, and carries a strongly pacifist message of ultimate understanding and reconciliation. The texts recurrent themes of shadow and light reflect the Jungian psychoanalysis which Tippett underwent in the years immediately before writing the work, the oratorio uses a traditional three-part format based on that of Handels Messiah, and is structured in the manner of Bachs Passions. The works most original feature is Tippetts use of American spirituals, Tippett justified this innovation on the grounds that these songs of oppression possess a universality absent from traditional hymns. A Child of Our Time was well received on its first performance, a number of recorded versions are available, including one conducted by Tippett when he was 86 years old. Michael Tippett was born in London in 1905, to well-to-do though unconventional parents and his father, a lawyer and businessman, was a freethinker, his mother a writer and suffragette. He received piano lessons as a child, but first showed his musical prowess while a pupil at Stamford School in Lincolnshire, here he studied composition, first under Charles Wood and later, less successfully, with Charles Kitson. He also studied conducting, first under Sargent and later under Adrian Boult and he was briefly a member of the British Communist Party in 1935, but his sympathies were essentially Trotskyist, inimical to the Stalinist orientation of his local party, and he soon left. In addition to personal difficulties he became anxious that the political situation in Europe was leading inexorably towards war. After meeting the Jungian psychoanalyst John Layard, Tippett underwent a period of therapy which included self-analysis of his dreams, according to Tippetts biographer Geraint Lewis, the outcome of this process was a rebirth, confirming for Tippett the nature of his homosexuality while. Strengthening his destiny as a creative artist at the expense of personal relationships. The encounter with Layard led Tippett to a lifelong interest in the work and teaching of Carl Jung, in the mid-to-late 1930s several of Tippetts early works were published, including his String Quartet No. 1, Sonata No.1 for piano, and Concerto for Double String Orchestra, as his self-confidence increased, Tippett felt increasingly driven to write a work of overt political protest. In his search for a subject he first considered the Dublin Easter Rising of 1916, however, events towards the end of 1938 turned his attention away from Irish matters. Tippett had made visits to Germany, and had acquired a love for its literature and culture. He became increasingly distressed by reports of events in that country and, in November 1938 the assassination in Paris of a German diplomat, Ernst vom Rath, by Herschel Grynszpan, a 17-year-old Jewish refugee, precipitated the Kristallnacht pogrom across Germany. Over several days of violence synagogues were burned, Jewish homes and businesses attacked and destroyed, thousands of Jews were arrested, reports from Germany of these events affected Tippett profoundly, and became the inspiration for his first large-scale dramatic work. Having found his subject, Tippett sought advice on the preparation of the text from T. S. Eliot, Tippett writes, I plucked up courage and asked him if he would write it
A Child of Our Time
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Passers-by observe a wrecked Jewish business in
Magdeburg, Germany, after the
Kristallnacht pogrom of 9 November 1938. Events surrounding the pogrom inspired Tippett to write A Child of Our Time.
A Child of Our Time
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Stamford School (photographed in 2006), where Tippett's musical abilities first became apparent
A Child of Our Time
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Herschel Grynszpan, whose actions formed the basis of A Child of Our Time
A Child of Our Time
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"Deep River, my home is over Jordan..." The final spiritual in the oratorio, sheet music version 1917
22.
Requiem (Verdi)
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The Messa da Requiem is a musical setting of the Roman Catholic funeral mass for four soloists, double choir and orchestra by Giuseppe Verdi. It was composed in memory of Alessandro Manzoni, an Italian poet, the first performance, at the San Marco church in Milan on 22 May 1874, marked the first anniversary of Manzonis death. The work was at one time called the Manzoni Requiem and it is rarely performed in liturgy, but rather in concert form of around 85–90 minutes in length. Musicologist David Rosen calls it probably the most frequently performed major choral work composed since the compilation of Mozarts Requiem, after Gioachino Rossinis death in 1868, Verdi suggested that a number of Italian composers collaborate on a Requiem in Rossinis honor. He began the effort by submitting the concluding movement, the Libera me, during the next year a Messa per Rossini was compiled by Verdi and twelve other famous Italian composers of the time. The premiere was scheduled for 13 November 1869, the first anniversary of Rossinis death, however, on 4 November, nine days before the premiere, the organising committee abandoned it. Verdi blamed this on the conductor, Angelo Mariani. He pointed to Marianis lack of enthusiasm for the project, even though he had part of the organising committee from the start. The composition remained unperformed until 1988, when Helmuth Rilling premiered the complete Messa per Rossini in Stuttgart, in the meantime, Verdi kept toying with his Libera me, frustrated that the combined commemoration of Rossinis life would not be performed in his lifetime. On 22 May 1873, the Italian writer and humanist Alessandro Manzoni, upon hearing of his death, Verdi resolved to complete a Requiem—this time entirely of his own writing—for Manzoni. Verdi traveled to Paris in June, where he commenced work on the Requiem and it included a revised version of the Libera me originally composed for Rossini. The Requiem was first performed in the church of San Marco in Milan on 22 May 1874, Verdi himself conducted, and the four soloists were Teresa Stolz, Maria Waldmann, Giuseppe Capponi and Ormondo Maini. Teresa Stolz went on to a brilliant career, Waldmann retired very young in 1875, also, Teresa Stolz was engaged to Angelo Mariani in 1869, but she later left him. The Requiem was repeated at La Scala three days later on 25 May with the soloists and Verdi again conducting. It won immediate contemporary success, although not everywhere and it received seven performances at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, but the new Royal Albert Hall in London could not be filled for such a Catholic occasion. In Venice, impressive Byzantine ecclesiastical decor was designed for the occasion of the performance and it later disappeared from the standard choral repertoire, but made a reappearance in the 1930s and is now regularly performed and a staple of many choral societies. The playwright and music critic George Bernard Shaw was an admirer of the work from its first London performance. The Requiem was performed 16 times between 1943 and 1944 by prisoners in the camp of Theresienstadt under the direction of Rafael Schächter
Requiem (Verdi)
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Alessandro Manzoni, in whose honour Verdi wrote the Requiem
Requiem (Verdi)
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Requiem poster for La Scala premiere, 1874
Requiem (Verdi)
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The second performance of the Requiem, at
La Scala on 25 May 1874, with Verdi conducting. The soloists depicted are (left to right) Ormondo Maini,
Giuseppe Capponi,
Maria Waldmann, and
Teresa Stolz
Requiem (Verdi)
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First edition title page,
Ricordi, 1874
23.
Fidelio
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Fidelio, Op.72, is a German opera with spoken dialogue by Ludwig van Beethoven, his only opera. The German libretto was prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly. The following year, Stephan von Breuning helped shorten the work from three acts to two, after further work on the libretto by Georg Friedrich Treitschke, a final version performed at the Kärntnertortheater on 23 May 1814. By convention, both of the first two versions are referred to as Leonore, the opera tells how Leonore, disguised as a prison guard named Fidelio, rescues her husband Florestan from death in a political prison. Bouillys scenario fits Beethovens aesthetic and political outlook, a story of sacrifice, heroism. With its underlying struggle for liberty and justice mirroring contemporary political movements in Europe, the finale celebrates Leonores bravery with alternating contributions of soloists and chorus. The distant origin of Fidelio dates from 1803, when the librettist, the contract included free housing for Beethoven in the apartment complex that was part of Schikaneders large suburban theater, the Theater an der Wien. Beethoven was to set a new libretto by Schikaneder, entitled Vestas Feuer, however and he spent about a month composing music for it, then abandoned it when the libretto for Fidelio came to his attention. The time Beethoven spent on Vestas Feuer was not entirely wasted, welch’ ein Augenblick. and the duet O namenlose Freude for Leonora and Florestan, both originated as music for Vestas Feuer. The success of these performances was hindered by the fact that Vienna was under French military occupation, after this premiere, Beethoven was pressured by friends to revise and shorten the opera into just two acts, and he did so with the help of Stephan von Breuning. The composer also wrote a new overture, in this form the opera was first performed on 29 March and 10 April 1806, with greater success. Further performances were prevented by a dispute between Beethoven and the theatre management, in 1814 Beethoven revised his opera yet again, with additional work on the libretto by Georg Friedrich Treitschke. This version was first performed at the Kärntnertortheater on 23 May 1814, the 17-year-old Franz Schubert was in the audience, having sold his school books to obtain a ticket. The increasingly deaf Beethoven led the performance, assisted by Michael Umlauf, the role of Pizarro was taken by Johann Michael Vogl, who later became known for his collaborations with Schubert. This version of the opera was a success, and Fidelio has been part of the operatic repertory ever since. Beethoven cannot be said to have enjoyed the difficulties posed by writing and producing an opera, in a letter to Treitschke he said, I assure you, dear Treitschke, that this opera will win me a martyrs crown. You have by your co-operation saved what is best from the shipwreck, for all this I shall be eternally grateful to you. The full score was not published until 1826, and all three versions are known as Beethovens Opus 72, the first performance outside Vienna took place in Prague on 21 November 1814, with a revival in Vienna on 3 November 1822
Fidelio
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Fidelio, playbill of the premiere, Vienna, Kärntnertortheater, 23 May 1814
Fidelio
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The theatrical mask contemplated by a
putto on the Beethoven monument by
Kaspar von Zumbusch (Vienna, 1880) commemorates Beethoven's sole opera in the city where it made its debut
Fidelio
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Florestan (
Günther Treptow) and Leonore (Karina Kutz); September 1945,
Deutsche Oper Berlin
Fidelio
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Lotte Lehmann as Leonore
