Transcript Kobi Classical Music 4.3

Classical
Haydn
Modern
Vivaldi
Baroque
Handel
Romantic
JS Bach
Chopin
Strauss II
Tchaikovsky
Mozart
Beethoven
the Top 10
Greatest Composers
of all time
Rachmaninoff
KOBI’s Classical Music Appreciation
(version 4.3)
• A concise summary of classical music covering the 4 main periods of music:
Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern.
• Understand and recognize the unique characteristics of each music era and their
relationship to parallel architectural and art movements.
• Learn about the life and music of 55 famous composers and their signature works
• An essential collection of over 100 classical masterpieces to listen to via YouTube
hyperlinks
HOW THIS SLIDESHOW WORKS
• Use the <LEFT> and <RIGHT> keys to navigate. The <SPACE> bar or a
<mouse click> anywhere other than on a hyperlink will also advance the
presentation by one page.
• Use the <ESCAPE> key to end the show.
• Clicking on a hyperlink (they are underlined) will launch an orphan internet
browser window with the chosen YouTube video. On occasion there will be
advertisements, which you can click ‘skip’ after four seconds.
• You can move or resize the browser window to continue reading the slide
beneath. You should preferably close the browser window before moving on to
the next piece of music.
• You can also click anywhere outside the browser window to hide the video but
you will continue to hear it. The only way to prematurely end a video playing in
the background is to first click another link to bring back video window.
• The links to some less recognizable music are followed by a ‘#’. For those of
you who prefer to progress at a faster pace, you can skip these optional links.
What is Music?
Sound is nothing but vibrations transmitted through the air, and
its pitch is determined by the frequency of these vibrations.
Long ago, it was determined through trial and error that
musical instruments that incremented their frequencies by a
factor of 1.0595x per interval resulted in the best sound.
$100 in a bank at an interest
rate of 5.95% p.a. compounds
into $200 after 12 years.
Year
Year
In music, frequency intervals are
determined similarly. Each doubling
of the frequency is called an octave
and has 12 intervals or semi-tones.
Acct
AcctBalance
Balance
Key
KeyNo.
No.
Freq
Freq
Notes
Notes
11
$100.00
$100.00
CC
11
100.00
100.00
22
$105.95
$105.95
C#
C#
22
105.95
105.95
33
$112.25
$112.25
DD
33
112.25
112.25
44
$118.92
$118.92
D#
D#
44
118.92
118.92
55
$125.99
$125.99
EE
55
125.99
125.99
(1+1/4)C
1 E1E/=4=(1+1/4)C
66
$133.48
$133.48
FF
66
133.48
133.48
(1+1/3)C
1 1FF/=3=(1+1/3)C
77
$141.42
$141.42
F#
F#
77
141.42
141.42
88
$149.83
$149.83
GG
88
149.83
149.83
99
$158.74
$158.74
Ab
Ab
99
158.74
158.74
10
10
$168.18
$168.18
AA
10
10
168.18
168.18
11
11
$178.18
$178.18
Bb
Bb
11
11
178.18
178.18
12
12
$188.78
$188.78
BB
12
12
188.78
188.78
(1+7/8)C
1 B7B/=8=(1+7/8)C
13
13
$200.00
$200.00
CC
13
13
200.00
200.00
2
1
1 D1D/8==(1+1/8)C
(1+1/8)C
(1+1/2)C
1 G1G/=2=(1+1/2)C
1 A2A/=3=(1+2/3)C
(1+2/3)C
What is the difference between
random noise and music?
6 semi-tones are (approximate) harmonic
fractions of the base frequency. i.e. the
sound nice with the first semi-tone or with
each other in certain combinations.
When you put together only sound from the
nice semi-tones and exclude the 5 ugly
semi-tones, this constitutes the
mathematical patterns which our brains
naturally recognize and enjoy as music.
The nice semi-tones are called notes and
are in position 3, 5, 6, 8, 10,12. If you
include 1 and 13 (i.e. the next 1) you get 8
notes, hence the word ‘octave’.
Why not just have equal intervals
between semi-tones?
The compounding effect is a natural
property of the vibrating strings used in
instruments. Pitch doubles each time you
halve a string’s length.
What is a Musical Scale?
Yeara Acct Balance
actually middle C has
frequency of 261.63 Hz, I just
1 it simple.$100.00
used 100 Hz to keep
2
KEYBOARD
This is called the C-major scale. You
may recognize it as do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti.
Key No.
Freq
C
1
100.00
$105.95
C#
2
105.95
3
$112.25
D
3
112.25
4
$118.92
D#
4
118.92
E
5
125.99
E = (1+1/4)C
F
6
133.48
F = (1+1/3)C
Standard music notation is in the 5-stave
F#
7
141.42
G
8
149.83
Ab
9
158.74
format. It leaves no room for the black keys
so they are just denoted through the
G = (1+1/2)C
adjoining white keys. The black key after C is
known as C-sharp (C#). It can also be called
D-flat (Db) as it is the black key before D.
A
10
168.18
Bb
11
178.18
B
12
188.78
C
13
200.00
On a keyboard,5the 7 nice
semi$125.99
tones or notes 6are represented
$133.48
by white keys while the 5 ugly
7
$141.42
ones are wedged
between
the
8 black keys.
$149.83
notes as smaller
This
is a design feature
which$158.74
allows
9
one hand to just stretch across
10
$168.18
an entire octave. Only the notes
11
$178.18
have names, which
are the
letters A-G. C is12arbitrarily
$188.78
chosen as position 1.
13
$200.00
Notes
D = (1+1/8)C
C D E F G A B C
A = (1+2/3)C
B = (1+7/8)C
Besides the note C , composers can and do choose any of the other keys as position 1, but this will result in some
black keys being in the ‘nice’ 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 positions. For example, the D-Major scale is D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#.
There is a complimentary set of scales called the Minor scale using the 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11 intervals. If we use A as
first key, the notes of this Minor sequence all happen to be white keys.
It is said that the Major scales sound ‘happy’ while the Minor scales sound ‘sad’.
the BAROQUE MUSIC PERIOD
Baroque is a Portuguese term that loosely translates as ‘deformed’ and the term was first applied to the overly
ornate architecture of the post-Renaissance era. Baroque music too was often characterized by embellishment.
Although they may not overlap exactly, the practice is to
co-name the eras of various disciplines of the arts as they
were all were influenced by the same social changes
1685
Handel
1685
D. Scarlatti
1671
1678
Baroque art
Corelli
1653
Pachelbel
Purcell
1750
1741
1713
1706
Charpentier
1659
1751
J.S. Bach
Vivaldi
1653
1643
1757
Albinoni
1685
Baroque architecture
1759
THE TOP TEN
COMPOSERS of all
time will be in blue
1704
1695
1800
1750
1700
1650
1600
1550
1500
MUSIC
Renaissance
Renaissance
ART
Early Baroque
Mid Baroque
Baroque
High Baroque
Classical
The Geography of Music I - the BAROQUE Period
The Baroque period began
with Keyboard instruments
dominating in the North and
String instruments popular in
the South. Brass Instruments
on the other hand were
favoured in the West.
NORTHERN EUROPE
The master organ builders such as Silbermann and Schnitger were
all German. This made the Pipe Organ, and by association the
Harpsichord, popular in the North.
Consequently, all the famous organists like Buxtehude, Pachelbel
and later JS Bach were all from Northern Europe.
This map is drawn in modern terms.
In actual fact, much of Germany and
parts of Italy were really part of the
Austria-based Habsburg empire in
the 17th century.
WESTERN EUROPE
The Kings of England and
France often had to resort
to grand musical pageantry
and fanfare to woo the
loyalty of the masses.
CENTRAL EUROPE
No famous instrument makers,
no notable composers or
musicians… yet.
This resulted in horns being
a major feature of the larger
orchestral works of
composers like Purcell and
Handel.
SOUTHERN EUROPE
The master makers of string instruments such as Amati,
Guarneri and Stradivari were all Italian.
This resulted in the popularity of string instruments in the
South, in particular the violin. This then led to famous
violinists like Corelli, and later Vivaldi.
However, as the various music
styles merged, the distinction
between North and South came
to an end. You will see in the
next section that Austria (in the
middle) emerges as the music
capital of the world.
Middle BAROQUE Composers
Johan PACHELBEL
THE STYLE OF MIDDLE BAROQUE MUSIC
• New instruments introduced in the Baroque era include
the harpsichord, violin, cello, harp, trumpet and oboe. As
instruments became more sophisticated, they underwent
a status transition from a supporting to a leading role.
• Present day’s classical repertoire begins with the Middle
Baroque period as that was when musical instruments
finally evolved to a level compatible with modern times.
(1653 – 1706)
A German composer who brought organ
music to new heights. He was the music
teacher of the older brother of JS Bach,
who then tutored his younger brother.
•
Canon in D major
Canon - A piece of music where
one or more underlying melodies
are repeated throughout (like in row,
row your boat)
CLICK
THIS
LINK
• Middle Baroque Music is a slower style that is a carryover
from the choral music of the Renaissance. This style
utilized multiple melodies played on sustaining
instruments such as the violin and organ, as if each
melody is a person singing. This is called polyphony (or
counterpoint).
• Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major is a prime example of
polyphony. Listen as the voices are layered in gradually.
• As classical music was in its infancy, none of the top-10
classical composers are from the mid-baroque period.
Appending the key in which the music is written (in
this case D major) is a common way of distinguishing
music as they were mostly composed without names.
Middle BAROQUE Composers
Henry PURCELL
Marc-Antoine CHARPENTIER
(1659 – 1695)
(1643 – 1704)
The only native English composer
of any international repute up until
the 19th century. His works are
representative of the grand brassheavy style of English orchestral
music.
Charpentier studied music in Italy
and brought baroque music home
with him to France. He is not that
well known as a composer outside
of France today except perhaps for
his religious choral works.
•
• Prelude from Te Deum #
Abdelazer Suite
Rondeau
Rondeau - music with a
rhythmic and cyclical pattern,
similar in concept to poetry.
a.k.a. Marche pour les Trompettes. A
segment of this serves as the theme
music for the Eurovision Song Contest
(btw it is also a Rondeau)
Arcangelo CORELLI
(1653 – 1713)
A famous Italian violinist and
composer of the era. He is largely
responsible for modern violin
technique and the Concerto Grosso.
Corelli’s was Vivaldi’s teacher.
•
Concerto Grosso
in D major
Concerto Grosso - a concert where a small
set of instruments is contrasted against a
larger group of supporting ones.
Concerto - a piece of orchestral music with a
dominant solo instrument standing out.
The Transition to HIGH BAROQUE
As we enter the High Baroque period we see in each region of Europe
the ‘passing of the torch’ to one of the 3 Great Baroque composers
HIGH BAROQUE MUSIC
• During the High Baroque period,
a faster style evolved because of
the limitations of then popular
plucking instruments like the
harpsichord and the mandolin.
These did not have the ability to
sustain a note.
NORTH
SOUTH
WEST
MID
BAROQUE
PACHELBEL
CORELLI
PURCELL
HIGH
BAROQUE
JS BACH
VIVALDI
HANDEL
• The result was ‘pure’
instrumental music totally
divorced from the concept of
human voice substitution.
• This more advanced style of
music was characterized by a fast
lively rhythmic pace of short
notes.
• There was also an abundance of
embellishment (alternating
quickly between a note and the
one next to it repeatedly to
extend its duration)
High BAROQUE Composers
Domenico SCARLATTI
not to be confused with
his father Alessandro
Scarlatti
(1685 – 1757)
A musician from Naples who composed
mostly for the Spanish and Portuguese
royal courts. He is known best today for
his 555 keyboard sonatas, many of
which contain Hispanic folk tunes.
HARPSICHORD
• Sonata in D Minor K.1 #
• Good: Unlike wind and to an extent string
musical instruments, it allowed you to play
multiple notes at the same time.
Sonata - a musical piece for one
instrument alone, usually in 3
movements. Each movement is further
broken down into the exposition,
development and recapitulation.
He wrote many sonatas
in the same key, so
they are further
distinguished by their
Kirkpatrick Catalogue
number.
• A major instrument of the Baroque period was
the harpsichord, basically a harp laid on its side
and plucked mechanically via a keyboard.
• Bad: Unlike some other musical instruments,
the harpsichord is unable to sustain a note and
every note on the harpsichord has the same
duration and a similar volume.
Johann Sebastian BACH
• Considered by most to be the greatest composer of the Baroque Period now,
but in his day he was more famous as an organist.
• A pious Lutheran, Bach worked as musical director in various German
churches throughout his life, never seeking to promote himself.
• JS Bach was a master of polyphony and is renowned for his numerous
masterpieces written for organ and harpsichord.
(1685 – 1750)
Prelude - a short
introductory piece
of music
Cantata - a vocal composition
accompanied by musical
instruments
Originally part of Bach’s Orchestral Suite No.3.
It was rearranged by the famous violinist Wilhelmj
150 years later such that the whole piece could be
played on only 1 of the violin’s 4 strings.
• Cantata 147
• Air on a G-String
• Harpsichord Concerto No.5
• Brandenburg Concerto No.3
• Prelude No.6 in D minor
• Toccata and Fugue in D minor
• Minuet & Badinerie
Both French Dances. A Minuet is a dance with
minute (i.e. small) steps. A Badinerie is a type of
dance that is brief and lively. The Badinerie is the
more famous part and starts at time index 1:56.
Toccata - Italian for touch,
indicating the piece of
music with quick fingering
• Minuet in G Major
Fugue - music where various melodies are
replayed in different pitches, chasing each
other. Less rigid in structure than a canon.
A simple tune once attributed to Bach,
but now believed to be a work of Petzold
which Bach copied into his notebook
Antonio Lucio VIVALDI
• An Italian composer and a violin virtuoso. Vivaldi is best known for his
concertos for string instruments.
• He was also an ordained priest, earning him the nickname, the Red Priest
(red refers to his hair).
• He worked for 3 decades as a music director in a Venetian orphanage that
was also home to an orchestra and choir. Later in life he began travelling to
various parts of the Habsburg Empire and composed works for nobility,
including Emperor Charles VI.
(1678 – 1741)
These two are concertos for plucking
instruments. The lute concerto is
usually performed on the guitar
nowadays since nobody really plays
the lute anymore.
The Four Seasons are a set of 4 violin
concertos, each portraying seasonal
scenes such hunting, singing birds,
storms etc. They are without doubt
Vivaldi’s most famous works.
These are the best early examples of
programme music – music that tells a
story without the use of lyrics. You can
check what the storyline is for each
season by looking at the accompanying
sonnets see here #
The Four Seasons
• Concerto No.1 Spring
• Concerto for Mandolin in C Major
• Concerto for Lute in D Major,
2nd movement
Movement - longer pieces of music are
usually broken down into movements, like the
chapters in a book. ‘mvt’ is the abbreviation
• Gloria #
• Concerto No.2 Summer
• Concerto No.3 Autumn
• Concerto No.4 Winter
Gloria is Vivaldi’s most famous
oratorios - sort of a combination of
opera and concert.
George Frideric HANDEL
• A German composer who composed in the English Baroque style. He
lived in England for 50 years, totally eclipsing all local English
composers, even for a century after his death.
• He is known for the majestic grandeur of his compositions, no doubt
made possible by the generosity of the British monarchs and the
prosperity of the British Empire.
• You may notice some similarity to Purcell’s style but they never met.
Purcell died before Handel ever set foot in England. Handel simply
adopted the English style after he arrived in London.
(1685 – 1759)
Part of Handel’s Solomon oratorio. Messiah
was another of his famous oratorios
The Water Music Suites were composed when King George I decided
to have a concert on the River Thames. The king enjoyed the music
as he was leading a procession of hundreds of boats upriver while an
orchestra performed
from a barge.
• Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
• Water Music Suite No.1 - Allegro
• Messiah – Hallelujah Chorus
• Water Music Suite No. 2
• Concerto Grosso in A minor
• Fireworks Music - La Rejouissance
• Zadok the Priest Anthem
Fireworks Music was commissioned by King
George II to mark the end of the War of Austrian
Succession. It was played in conjunction with a
massive fireworks display, hence its name.
A choral anthem that has been sung at
the coronation of every British
monarch since Handel wrote it.
Other High BAROQUE Composers
Georg TELEMANN
(1681 – 1767)
Tomaso ALBINONI
(1671 – 1751)
Although every bit as famous as fellow
Germans Bach and Handel in his day, the
self-taught Telemann was largely forgotten
by the 19th century because it was felt he
was not innovative and favoured quantity
(over 3000 works) over quality.
A great Italian opera composer of his
time. Albinoni’s name is particularly
associated with the oboe for which he
wrote several concertos. Much of his
work was lost in the WWII fire bombing
of Dresden.
• Réjouissance,
Suite in A Minor for Flute #
• Oboe Concerto in D Minor,
2nd mvt
Suite - a single or set of shorter musical pieces,
often extracted from a larger work like an opera or ballet.
the ROCOCO movement
Rococo art
The Rococo style was an sub-style of the late Baroque period. It music is a lighter,
more frivolous style that rebelled against the rigid formality of Baroque music.
Unlike its better known art, architecture and furniture cousins, rococo music was a
smaller phenomenon and is often left out of the musical era timeline.
In France it was called the Elegant style (in French, Style Galante) while in Germany
it was called the Sensitive style (in German Empfindsamer Stil)
Rococo architecture
1714
1683
CPE Bach
Rameau
1788
1764
1800
1750
1700
1650
1600
1550
1500
MUSIC
Renaissance
Renaissance
ART
Early Baroque
Mid Baroque
High Baroque
Baroque
Rococo
Classical
The ROCOCO Composers
Jean-Philippe RAMEAU
Carl Phillipe Emanuel BACH
(1683 – 1764)
(1714 – 1788)
THE ISSAC
NEWTON OF
MUSIC
A French composer during the reigns of Louis
XIV and XV when Rococo was predominant.
He was known as a master of harpsichord
music in his younger days but turned to
composing opera as he got older. Rameau
also published works on musical theory.
• Suite in G minor #
When you hear it you will immediately know it
is written for the harpsichord even though it is
played on the piano in this link.
CPE Bach was the harpsichordist of
Frederick the Great and a leading composer
of the sensitive style. Although his protoromantic compositions were admired in his
lifetime, they are less popular today, a victim
of his father JS Bach’s reputation.
• Concerto for Cello in A Minor
Rameau‘s ‘Treatise On Harmony’ is a foundation
of classical music instruction. In this sense he is
better recognized for his contribution to music
theory than his actual music.
the CLASSICAL PERIOD
The Classical Period is a sister of the Neo-Classical art and architectural periods.
The concept of Classical is based on the ancient Greek and Roman
1833
philosophy of elegance through symmetry and simplicity.
The Classical Period also marks the rise of
Vienna, centred around the First
Viennese School, as the music
capital of Europe.
1782
Brahms
Paganini
1897
1840
Neo-Classical art
1752
Clementi
1797
1832
Schubert
1828
Neo-Classical architecture
1770
1732
Beethoven
Haydn
1743
1809
Boccherini
1756
1714
Gluck
Mozart
1827
1805
1791
In art, the Classicism and Romantic
periods are parallel, but in music
they come one after the other
1787
1900
1850
1820
1800
1750
1700
1650
1600
MUSIC
Early Baroque
Mid Baroque
High Baroque
Baroque
ART
Classical
Romantic
Neo-Classicism
Rococo
Romanticism
Impressionism
Early CLASSICAL PERIOD Composers
Christoph GLUCK
Music from all 4 music eras
are all confusingly called
Classical Music. So for music
of this period, we have to use
the clumsy term classical
period / era music.
Luigi BOCCHERINI
(1714 – 1787)
(1743 – 1805)
Gluck was a Bavarian composer who
focused on opera. He wrote about 40 of
them. He is recognized for modernizing
opera by doing away with performer
improvisations and recitatives.
An Italian cellist virtuoso and composer
known for his chamber music. He was
so good with the cello he could instantly
transpose and play parts meant for the
violin on the cello.
• Dance of the
Blessed Spirits
• Minuet in E Major (String Quintet)
Recitative - the monotonous half
talk-half sing style so common in
Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals.
A solemn piece of music popular at
wedding receptions. The polyphony
is very apparent in this video I chose.
CLASSICAL PERIOD Composers
Muzio CLEMENTI
FATHER OF THE
PIANOFORTE
Forte has since been
dropped from the name.
Forte means loud.
(1752 – 1832)
An Italian musician who moved to
London. While he did not invent the piano,
he built and promoted them all over
Europe. Many of his compositions are
popular with today’s piano students.
• Sonatina No. 36
Sonatina - a
mini Sonata
Played by a 4 year old prodigy.
Note how Mozart-like it is, perhaps
he should have moved to Vienna
instead of London, but then he
might have also died a young
pauper instead of living to 80.
PIANO
• A major change of the Classical period was the
replacement of the harpsichord with the piano. It was at
first called the Pianoforte and was instrumental in
bringing forth the classical period.
• As strings were hammered instead of plucked, it had the
range versatility of the harpsichord but none of its
mechanical limitations.
• With the piano, musicians could play loud or soft notes
depending on how gently they hit the keys.
• They could play long or short notes depending on how
long the keys were depressed.
The CLASSICAL PERIOD
THE STYLE OF CLASSICAL PERIOD MUSIC
• While the harpsichord chained Baroque music to a consistent pace, the piano which now supplanted it
liberated composers and allowed them to weave temperament into their music.
• Music in the Classical era becomes less predictable. Music could change pace and volume and became
decidedly less ornate. It also gained depth with the introduction of the symphony.
• Emphasis also shifted from the multiple melodies of polyphony to the single melody of homophony.
HOMOPHONY THROUGH CHORDS
• With the switch to homophony, composers
begin to enrich their melodies with harmony,
through the use of chords. A chord is when
you play 3 or even 4 harmonious notes
simultaneously rather than one after another.
• You can only play one note at a time on a wind
instrument and a maximum of two notes on a
bow-string instrument like the violin. That is
why orchestras have second-violins, to
‘complete violin chords’.
• The chord concept was not popular during the
Baroque period as only a few instruments like
the organ could play true chords. But as
the piano gained popularity in the classical era,
so did the use of chords.
Year
Acct Balance
Key No.
Freq
No
1
$100.00
C
1
100.00
2
$105.95
C#
2
105.95
3
$112.25
D
3
112.25
4
$118.92
D#
4
118.92
5
$125.99
E
5
125.99
E = (1
6
$133.48
F
6
133.48
F = (1
7
$141.42
F#
7
141.42
This is the most
8 common
$149.83
chord, the C-Major triad.
9
$158.74
Note how the frequency
values of C, E10
and G just
$168.18
happen to be approximately
11
$178.18
100, 125 and 150.
G
8
149.83
Ab
9
158.74
A
10
168.18
Bb
11
178.18
12
$188.78
B
12
188.78
13
$200.00
C
13
200.00
D = (1
G = (1
A = (1
B = (1
Franz Joseph HAYDN
• Haydn spent his formative years quietly as musical director of the Esterhazy
Estate and only achieved fame after he left the estate at the aged of 59.
• Although a prominent Austrian composer of his day, in modern times his
music has been overshadowed by his student Beethoven and his
contemporary Mozart.
• ‘Papa’ Haydn is better remembered for launching the classical period by
popularizing the Symphony (he wrote 104) and Chamber Music formats
such as the Piano Trio and String Quartet.
(1732 – 1809)
Piano + violin + cello
FATHER OF THE
SYMPHONY
Bernstein conducts this
without using his hands!
• Symphony No.88,
4th
mvt
• Trumpet Concerto, 3rd mvt
This is a somewhat unique
composition as works highlighting a
brass instrument are not that common.
2 violins + viola + cello
This is universally acknowledged as
Haydn’s most famous music. However,
there are claims that it was actually
written by an admirer named Hoffstetter.
• Serenade for Strings
• Kaiser Quartet
2nd mvt
You might recognize the beginning
of this as the German national
anthem, Deutschland Uber Alles.
Developed so that people like kings
could listen to more than one instrument
at a time without having to go to a special
performance venue.
THE FIRST VIENNESE SCHOOL
Haydn, together with Mozart and
Beethoven are often referred to as the
First Viennese School of Music.
Though they did not collaborate in the
true sense of the word, they did
collectively usher in the Classical era
with their music innovations.
The SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
In the Classical Period the Concerto expanded into the Symphony, requiring an enlarged orchestra. There were
perhaps 60 musicians in a symphony orchestra in the classical era, and typically about 100 today.
The Symphony orchestra has 4 main sections of instruments: string, brass, wind and percussion. Each section is
further subdivided into 4 groups by instrument which together cover most of the enjoyable human hearing
range. There is a ‘fifth’ section consisting of more versatile solo instruments like the piano (its output spans an
amazing 7 octaves), the harp and certain one-per-orchestra instruments like the xylophone.
low pitch
FIFTH
Section
high pitch
Piano
harp
violin
viola
STRING
Section
cello
double bass
trumpet
BRASS
Section
french horn
trombone
tuba
flute
oboe
WOODWIND
Section
clarinet
bassoon
PERCUSSION
Section
kettle drum
bass drum
tenor drum
snare drum
Drums, except for the kettle drums,
have no pitch, only rhythm.
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
• A prodigy Austrian pianist-violinist who starting performing at age 6, Mozart
would compose entire symphonies in his head instead of developing them
on paper. He was a prolific composer, with over 600 works in all, many of
them in his signature light and playful style.
• He tried to make a living as a free musician instead of seeking musical
patronage but unfortunately the concept of the young independent musician
had yet to come of age. He died a pauper at the early age of 35.
(1756 – 1791)
• Mozart’s popularity has been maintained through the generations and he
probably has the largest number of instantly recognizable passages of
music today, including ‘twinkle, twinkle little star’.
Symphonies and Operas
Requiem: music
associated with
funerals and mourning
Piano Solos and Concertos
• Piano Sonata no.16 in C major
•
Symphony No.40, 1st mvt
• Rondo Alla Turca from Sonata No.11
•
Requiem, 1st mvt
• Piano Concerto No. 20, 2nd mvt
•
Magic Flute, Queen of the Night Aria
• Piano Concerto No. 21, 2nd mvt
•
Marriage of Figaro Overture
• Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
1st movement
2nd movement
Overture: the opening sequence of an
opera or musical play, serving as a
summary of the music to follow
Literally translates as "a little night music“ but means a
short serenade. It was meant as a chamber string
quintet but is now often performed by orchestras
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
• Beethoven was the most influential composer of the later Classical era.
A student of Haydn, he was a popular performing pianist early in his
career. Unlike Mozart, he only started performing at the age of 9.
• When Beethoven was approaching his 30s he began losing his hearing
but his genius allowed him to hear music through his eyes. He was
completely deaf by the time he composed the ninth symphony.
(1770 – 1827)
• Because of his dramatic passionate style, he is sometimes thought of
as a bridge between the Classical and Romantic periods. Besides his
symphonies, Beethoven is best know for his piano pieces, especially
his sonatas.
To Beethoven, this was simply Sonata No.14. The name
Moonlight was only added by music publishers years after
Beethoven died. Although the 1st movement is the popular
one, it is the 3rd that is the work of genius.
Orchestral works
The 5th is
Beethoven’s most
iconic work
• Minuet in G
Piano Solos
•
Moonlight Sonata, 1st mvt
• Symphony No.5, 1st mvt
•
Moonlight Sonata, 3rd mvt
• Symphony No.9, 4th mvt
•
Für Elise
•
Pathetique Sonata, 2nd mvt
Your typical grade 2
examination piece
This was an unusual symphony as it had
a choral component. Are you familiar with
the hymn ‘joyful joyful we adore thee’ ?
Other Notable CLASSICAL PERIOD Composers
Franz SCHUBERT
Niccolo PAGANINI
Johannes BRAHMS
(1797 – 1828)
(1782 – 1840)
(1833 – 1897)
An Austrian composer who
spent most of his short life in
bohemian semi-poverty. The
genius of his works was only
recognized and promoted by
later composers.
• Ave Maria
• Impromptu
in G Flat Major
Probably the greatest violinist who
ever lived. He introduced new
techniques that dramatically increased
what a violin could technically do. It is
speculated that he had a genetic
abnormality which gave his hands the
flexibility of a contortionist.
Although he clearly lived in the
Romantic era, Brahms chose
to compose in the classical
style throughout his life. He
was also a virtuoso pianist.
• Caprice No. 24 in A minor
• Wiegenlied
Vanessa Mae’s
modern rearrangement #
• Hungarian Dance No.5
You might recognize
this as the Lullaby
the ROMANTIC MUSIC PERIOD
Romanticism is the love child of the French
and Industrial Revolutions. In tune with the
times, musicians were free to fully express
themselves through their music, which
they did.
1825
J. Strauss II
1840
Tchaikovsky
1811
Liszt
1813
Romantic art
Wagner
1883
Schumann
1810
Chopin
1849
J. Strauss I
1849
1809 Mendelssohn
1792
1893
1886
1813
1804
1899
Empire-style architecture
1856
1847
Rossini
1868
1950
1900
1880
1850
1820
1800
1750
1700
MUSIC
Baroque
Baroque
ART
Classical
Romantic
Romanticism
Impressionism
Modern
Avant Garde
ROMANTIC Composers
Google the word Lisztomania
Franz LISZT
THE STYLE OF ROMANTIC MUSIC
• Above all, Romantic music placed a strong importance
on expressing raw emotion and energy. Music was
also increasingly used to portray locations, events and
even mythological or fictional characters.
(1811 – 1886)
The Elvis Presley of his time and possibly the
greatest pianist who ever lived. He easily
improvised the works of earlier composers in
his performances. It was said that this
Hungarian virtuoso was able to play the
piano as if he had 3 hands. Liszt is also the
inventor of the symphonic poem format.
• Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
• Liebestraum
There is an orchestral version of this beautiful
piece that is often bastardized as circus music,
perhaps because it is Hungarian.
• The symmetry and elegance of the classical period
was abandoned. Composers no longer stuck to the
formats of old like the concertos and sonatas. In this
era we see the birth of new formats like rhapsodies,
symphonic poems, fantasies and etudes. There are
also new dances like ballet and the waltz.
• Romantic music continued to move further away from
the steady predictable music of the Baroque. This was
done through the use of bold dramatic contrasts in
pitch (hands jumping all over the keyboard), tempo
(pace alternating between fast and slow) and
dynamics (volume shifting between loud and soft).
• Many pieces became technically demanding, as many
composers like Liszt were virtuosos and wrote
performance music for themselves.
Frederic Francois CHOPIN
• An extremely talented Polish composer who moved to Paris in his youth
to further his career. Through most of his adult life Chopin suffered from
poor health, and died at the age of 39.
• Chopin (pronounced Show-parn) was a new type of musician. He
preferred not to perform too much in public and did not seek sponsorship.
Instead, he made a living by publishing his music.
• Thus he wrote mostly solo piano pieces which are practiced by practically
all piano students today. His works are known for their technical difficulty.
(1810 – 1849)
Etude – a difficult short piece of music,
meant for the practice of skill
The sound quality of this live performance
isn’t quite as good but you can see how difficult it is
• Etude in C minor “Revolutionary”
Actually it lasts 2 minutes
although it is possible play
it at double speed.
Impromptu - a whimsical
piece of music
• Fantasy Impromptu
• Etude in E Major “Tristesse”
Nocturne - Same idea as
Nachtmusik, but less
playful.
• The Minute Waltz
• Waltz in C sharp minor
• Nocturne in E flat major
• Polonaise in A major “Military”
Polonaise - a dance from Poland.
THE ROMANTIC MUSICIAN
Beyond being an art form, music is now a hobby.
Musicians had a new audience in the emerging
middle class. Composers no longer required rich
employers or sponsors. They could make a living
by performing regularly, giving lessons, selling
sheet music or even by critiquing other’s music.
ROMANTIC Composers
Felix MENDELSSOHN
Robert SCHUMANN
The wedding
march is taken
from music he
wrote for
A Midsummer’s
Night Dream.
(1809 – 1847)
A Jewish composer. His popularity was
affected by anti-Semitism after his early
death, especially in his homeland
Germany, but he is now recognized worldwide for his musical genius.
• Italian Symphony
1st movement
4th movement
(1810 – 1856)
Schumann’s plans to be a great pianist were
derailed by a hand injury, limiting him to
composing and writing critiques. He also
suffered from lifelong psychiatric disorders which
hampered his composing but he still managed to
produce many beautiful works of music.
• Piano Concerto in A Minor #
• Traumerei Kinderszenen
• Hebrides Overture
a.k.a. the Fingal’s Cave , the place in
Scotland was where Mendelssohn got the
inspiration to write this piece of music
Schumann’s most iconic piece. Although a very
romantic (with small r) piece, the meaning of
‘traumerei kinderszenen’ is ‘scenes from childhood’.
Johann STRAUSS II
• The name Johann Strauss II is synonymous with the Waltz, a dance in ¾
time (i.e. a 3 step dance). He composed hundreds of them and is
sometimes also called the Waltz King. Many of his grand waltzes refer to
his hometown Vienna in their names.
• His father (of the same name, see corner) had popularized the waltz by
touring around Europe with his band, the Strauss Orchestra. However, it
was Johann Strauss II that managed to elevate the waltz to an empirewide ballroom sensation after inheriting his father’s band.
(1825 – 1899)
THE WALTZ KING
• Emperor Waltz
a.k.a. the Kaiser Walzer. It was
composed for the occasion when
the Austrian Emperor visited the
German Kaiser in 1889, although it
is not known who the ‘emperor’ in
the title refers to.
Johann STRAUSS I
• Tales from the Vienna Woods
• The Blue Danube
The second national anthem of
Austria. The Danube is a river
which passes through Vienna.
• Voices of Spring
• Viennese Blood
This waltz uniquely features a
soprano, and is sometimes sung in
his opera Die Fledermaus.
Strauss II also released a very
successful solo-piano version.
•
piano version #
(1804 – 1849)
• Radetzky March
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
• The first truly internationally successful Russian composer, he made
several popular concert tours of Europe and America. His wrote music
without reference to his Russian heritage, which left him open to criticism
from nationalistic (and less successful) peers at home.
• Tchaikovsky’s works are known for their sweeping melodic content, which
is a reason why his music is so easily appreciated by the common man.
• Ballet had been recently introduced from France when he came of age and
it quickly became a mainstay of Russian musical culture. Thus several of
Tchaikovsky’s best known works are ballets.
(1840 – 1893)
Nutcracker is a ballet written for the
enjoyment of children, which has
made it extremely popular
His best work in my opinion, I picked
a performance with all 3 movements
Orchestral
Ballets
• Violin Concerto in D Major
• Nutcracker, Waltz of Flowers
• Piano Concerto No.1, 1st mvt
• Nutcracker, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
• 1812 Overture Finale
• Nutcracker, Dance of the Reed Pipes
• Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture
Written to commemorate the defence of
Moscow against Napoleon. The original
rendition included cannon fire.
• Swan Lake Finale
The Golden Age of OPERA
Gioachino ROSSINI
Pronounced
as Vag-ner
(1792 – 1868)
Richard WAGNER
(1813 – 1883)
The Bridal Chorus is
played when the bride
enters and the Wedding
March (by Mendelsohn)
is played when the
married couple exit.
Rossini’s fame and popularity as an opera
composer exceeded all those before him. Because
of his style of building a signature tune to a climax,
he was nicknamed “Mr. Crescendo”. Rossini retired
at the age of 38 after writing 38 operas, to pursue
cooking (and eating, especially foie gras).
A German opera composer who saw opera as
a multi-discipline work of art and not just a form
of music. Unlike his predecessors, he wrote his
own lyrics, designed his own sets and even
built his own opera house. The Bridal Chorus
is taken from one of his operas, Lohengrin.
• Thieving Magpie Overture
• Rule Britannia Overture #
• Barber of Seville, Figaro Aria
• Ride of the Valkyries
• William Tell Overture Finale
An extract of this has become the Lone
Ranger theme because its time signature
is similar to a galloping horse
Without Rossini, the world
would have no Tournedos
Rossini or Scrambled
Eggs Rossini either
Check out the original
• Opera Version #
No, Wagner did not
compose the tune.
Like many other
composers he merely
borrowed from it.
The 4 Kings of the Love Tragedy
The most popular operas performed today are the romance tragedies from the Late Romantic Era
Giacomo PUCCINI
Leo DELIBES
(1858 – 1924)
(1836 – 1891)
The ‘S’ in Delibes
is silent
Georges BIZET
Giuseppe VERDI
(1838 – 1875)
The ‘T’ in Bizet
is silent
(1813 – 1901)
MADAME BUTTERFLY
LAKME
The tragic love story of Cio-Cio
San set in the early 1900s. Her
husband, a U.S. Navy officer
runs off shortly after they wed,
intending never to return. But
he does when he discovers she
bore him a son….
The tragic love story of
lakme (french misspelling
of lakshmi) set in Brithish
India in the late 1800s. She
falls for a British officer
whom her father stabs….
The tragic love story of Don
Jose, who falls in love with a
gypsy Carmen and even
goes to jail for her. Carmen
meanwhile turns her attention
to a dashing bullfighter…..
The tragic love story of Gilda
based on a story by Victor
Hugo. She falls in love with a
promiscuous Duke and to
save her, her father Rigoletto
takes desperate measures.…
•
•
Intermezzo
•
•
Habanera
•
Toreador’s Song
• Un Bel Di
Vedremo Aria
Flower Duet
CARMEN
RIGOLETTO
La Donna e Mobile
bonus: from Verdi’s il Trovatore
•
the Anvil Chorus
the MODERN MUSIC PERIOD (Early)
With the decline of empires and the rise of democracy and
meritocracy, tradition and conformity was displaced by
creativity, individualism and nationalism. Composers who
traditionally evolved harmoniously in a common direction now
splintered into different schools.
Like the musicians, music itself too began to lose its harmony
as tonality was diluted by the increasing use of musical
dissonance.
Rachmaninoff
1873
1875
Ravel
1857
1937
Elgar
1845
1934
Faure
1835
1924
Saint-Saens
1862
The modern period also
saw the emergence of
France as the new cultural
capital and immigration
of music talent to the USA.
1842
1921
Debussy
Massenet
1860
1844
1943
1912
Mahler
1911
Rimsky-Korsakov
1843
1918
1908
Grieg
1907
Art Nouveau architecture
1841
1904
Romanticism
Impressionism
1950
Romantic
1900
1880
Baroque
Classical
1850
Baroque
1800
1750
1700
MUSIC
ART
Dvorak
Modern
Avant Garde
a New Alternative to Tonal Music
Futurism Art
CHROMATIC MUSIC
• If you recall, music that is composed using only the 7 consonant (nice)
keys is called Tonal, meaning it sounds nice to humans. Including the 5
dissonant (ugly) keys on the other hand results in just noise.
• In the tonal system, the major scales give rise to happy music and the
minor scales sad music. During the Romantic period some musicians
resort to using the ugly keys in order to convey emotional states other
than happiness and sadness with their music.
• In the modern era, some composers expand on the concept and begin
to experiment with ways to incorporate more non-tonal scales and
chords. Such dissonant music is termed chromatic as it adds ‘colour’.
• Real life analogy: to add more colour to your party, you expand your
guest list to include distant relatives and extended acquaintances.
• In the extreme, chromatic music can become atonal and will sound
eerie or chaotic. This is often used to depict evil, confusion or horror
in movies.
•
Avignon period Picasso
It can be said that chromatic music is the music equivalent of avant
garde art of the early 20th century.
CLASSIFYING the MODERN Composers
Impressionist art
Symbolism art
Bauhaus art
Academism art
ART
Dissonant
MUSIC
Tonal
Atonal
Impressionist
post-Romantic
neo-Classical
THE STYLES OF THE MODERN ERA
Broadly speaking, modern era composers can be classified according to their tonality:
• neo-Classical - those who preferred the symmetry and elegance of the classical era and
chose to adhere to the established system of musical scales.
• post-Romantic - those who continued with the concept of romantic music, incorporating
some dissonance into the melody or harmony of their works.
• Impressionists - an experimental group of composers who utilised musical dissonance to
structure surreal compositions.
• Atonal - an even more extreme group called the Second Viennese School led by Arnold
Schoenberg. They eschewed tonality altogether, resulting in some very chaotic non-music.
the Early Neo-CLASSICAL Composers
The ‘T’ in
Massenet is
silent
Edward ELGAR
(1857 – 1934)
Jules MASSENET
(1842 – 1912)
A self-taught composer who rose up through
the ranks in class-conscious Victorian
England till he was appointed Master of the
King’s Music. He is said to be the first
musician to record his works.
A French neo-classic composer whose
works were pushed aside after his death
by ‘more modern’ music. He may have
been forgotten had he not composed a
wonderfully melancholic piece of music…
• Pomp and Circumstance
March No.1
• Meditation, from Thais
The chorus
Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet
A march dedicated to the coronation
of King Edward VII. Strangely it is
always played at American school
graduation ceremonies.
Perhaps you will recognize
this as a iconic piece from
the silent movies.
the French post-ROMANTICS
All the ‘S’ are pronounced
Camille SAINT-SAENS
(1835 – 1921)
A modern renaissance man from France who
besides composing also wrote about science,
mathematics, history and philosophy. He and
his student Faure led the emergence of Paris
as the musical world’s new capital.
Gabriel FAURE
(1845 – 1924)
Faure is noted for his refined and sensitive
music compositions although he is less known
than his student Ravel. He advanced the tonal
theories of Rameau which had stood for 200
years by introducing new forms of harmony.
• The Aquarium
• Sicilienne from Pelleas et Melisande #
• The Swan
• Dolly Suite
Both of these are famous segments are from his Carnival of
the Animals. The Aquarium elicits a sense of mysterious
wonder while the Swan gives a sense of sadness and closure.
A famous one piano duet that is a favourite of
twins. To the casual listener, it will seem as the
pianist has more than 2 hands.
The Geography of Music II - the Rise of the NATIONALISM
Up to the Romantic era, everyone who was anyone in the music world (except Purcell, Chopin and Tchaikovsky)
was either German, Austrian, Italian or occasionally French. If an exceptionally talented musician was unfortunate
enough to be born of another nationality, he would have to immigrate to one of the big 5 countries or be
condemned to obscurity.
MAP OF PRE-1900 COMPOSERS
GREAT BRITAIN
RUSSIA
Purcell
Handel (German)
Clementi (Italian)
Tchaikovsky
HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
FRANCE
Pachelbel
JS Bach
CPE Bach
Telemann
Charpentier
Rameau
Chopin (Polish)
Bizet
Dilibes
IBERIA
Scarlatti (Italian)
ITALY
Corelli
Vivaldi
Paganini
Verdi
Boccherini
Albinoni
Rossini
Puccini
HABSBURG
AUSTRIA
PRUSSIAN
GERMANY
Haydn
Mozart
Schubert
Gluck
Beethoven
Brahms
Listz
Straus I
Strauss II
Mendelsohn
Schumann
Wagner
Prussia and Austria were
only formally separated in
the mid 19th Century
This was set to change as empires crumbled and nationalist fervour swept across Europe. Many musicians began
to incorporate the musical heritage of their homeland instead of composing in the dominant pan-European style.
Early Nationalist Composers
Edvard GRIEG
Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
(1843 – 1907)
(1844 – 1908)
A brilliant neo-classic composer and pianist
whose works are often performed today. He
often collaborated with his Norwegian literary
contemporaries. Grieg is the only famous
composer that Norway ever produced.
The most famous of the Tsarist Russian
nationalist composers (a.k.a. the Five) but
he was not well known outside of Russia.
He worked on folk songs and wrote operas
based on Russian myths and stories.
• Piano Concerto in A minor
• Flight of the Bumble Bee
• In the Hall of the Mountain King
• Morning Mood
• Violin Version
Both these two famous
segments are from his
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1
A wonderful performance by
Ji-Hae Park, in a medley
including other fast pieces.
Sergei Vasilievich RACHMANINOFF
• The most well known of the post-romantic composers. He is often also
classified as the last romantic composer but his fiery and complex
compositions clearly put him in the modern era.
• One of the trademarks of Rachmaninoff’s compositions is that his
instruments talk to each other, i.e. take turns carrying the main melody.
• Rachmaninoff was already a budding composer in Russia but had to leave
Russia because of the communist revolution at the age of 44. This might
have been the luckiest thing to happen to him for he eventually made his
way to the U.S. and achieved world fame.
(1873 – 1943)
I picked a version of Rachmaninoff
playing the concerto itself. Its old,
so the fidelity is only so so.
• Italian Polka
• Prelude in G Minor
• Vocalise
• Piano Concerto No.2, 1st mvt
• Piano Concerto No.2, 3rd mvt
• Symphony No.2, end of 3rd mvt
Vocalise was originally written as a song. It is
unusual as it has no lyrics and is to be sung
with any single vowel of the singer’s choosing.
• Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, variation 18
• Soprano Version #
Rhapsody: an irregular and
improvised piece of music
This longer performance will show the
link to Paganini’s Caprice No.24 clearly.
• All 24 variations #
Other Composers that went to America
Pronounced as Vo-sjak.
Gustav MAHLER
(1860 – 1911)
A leading post-romantic German composer
conductor. While talented, he was
constrained by anti-Semitic forces and he
had to move to America. His works only
became popular after a post WWII revival.
• Symphony No.5,
Adagietto
Antonin DVORAK
(1841 – 1904)
Dvorak was a Nationalist neo-Classical
composer who would draw inspiration from
Czech and Slavic folk music. When he was in
his 50s he lived in America where he
championed the idea of developing African
American & Native Indian music.
• Songs My Mother Taught me
• Humoresque
Adagio is a slow piece of music while
an Adagietto is an Adagio that is to be
played light-heartedly.
• New World Symphony
2nd movement
4th movement
The IMPRESSIONISTS
Claude DEBUSSY
Maurice RAVEL
A meticulous composer and
orchestrator who had to live in
Debussy’s shadow until the latter’s
death. Ravel was a more flexible
composer and he did not compose all
his works in the impressionist style.
• Bolero
(1862 – 1918)
A French composer who made heavy use
of non-traditional scales and chords. He
disliked the term impressionist music
although his music is often paired with
Monet paintings today. He simply said his
music was different.
• Arabesque
(1875 – 1937)
THE STYLE OF IMPRESSIONIST MUSIC
•
Surreal – in contrast to Romantic Music which was about
raw emotion, Impressionist Music imparted more of an
abstract sense of mood.
•
Static – their music does not seem to have a beginning or
an end, and it does not appear to move forward.
•
In many cases impressionist use of musical dissonance
goes way over the top and is simply too chaotic for novices
to appreciate. Try [Ravel’s Scarbo] or [Debussy’s Preludes
Book 1] and you’ll see what I mean.
• Clair de Lune
This means moonlight: Unlike in the case
with Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, it was
Debussy’s intention to portray the
moonlight, shining over a body of water.
the MODERN Composers (Late)
After WWII, we see the final end of centuries of
Germanic domination of the musical world. We also
see the rise of the Russian communist composers as
the advent of the radio, TV and vinyl records directed
the focus of Western musicians to vocalist music.
1901
Rodrigo
1910
1999
Barber
1903
1981
Khachaturian
1905
1978
Shostakovich
1975
Art Deco
1881
Stravinsky
1872
Vaughan Williams
1865
1865
1953
R Strauss
Gershwin
1949
1937
Impressionism
2000
1950
1900
1850
Romantic
Romanticism
1957
Prokofiev
1898
Classical
1958
Sibelius
1891
MUSIC
ART
1971
Modern
Avant Garde
Contemporary
Contemporary
the Late MODERN Composers
Igor STRAVINSKY
Richard STRAUSS
George GERSHWIN
(1882 – 1971)
(1864 – 1949)
(1898 – 1937)
A student of Rimsky-Korsakov who
lived in exile in France. He was the
only non-communist Russian
composer of the Cold War era.
Stravinsky started out as a neoclassicist but moved on to atonal
music in the 1950s.
The last of the illustrious
German/Austrian musicians. Some
still condemn him for his supposed
Nazi ties, but truth be told he was
already 75 when WWII started.
• Also Sprach Zarathustra
The first in a long lineage of
Jewish musicians that would come
to dominate American classical
music. He can be said to be the
first composer of music with an
American flavour.
• Rhapsody in Blue
• The Firebird #
The start of this piece based on
Nietzsche’s book of the same
name is the theme music for 2001
A Space Odyssey.
A bit jazzy and reminiscent of the
big band Swing Era as the ‘Blue’
implies, but a classic nonetheless.
the Late Nationalists
Jean SIBELIUS
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Vaughan is part of
his surname, and is
not his first name.
(1865 – 1957)
One of the most popular composers of
the 20th century. He was found of
basing his music on the Finnish
landscape and seasons. Sibelius’
birthday is a national holiday in Finland.
• Finlandia
Finlandia is what is known as a symphonic poem, a single
movement symphony intended to invoke images and moods to
the listener. The popular segment starts at time index 3:34.
The hymn Be Still My Soul is based on the segment starting at
time index 6:10
(1872 – 1958)
A British composer who often used
English folk tunes into his works. Unlike
most composers of the time he also
composed religious music and many of
his songs are part of the English Hymnal.
• Fantasia on Greensleeves
Greensleeves is a beautiful
Elizabethan era folk ballad
the Cold War Soviets
Sergei PROKOVIEF
(1891 – 1953)
Dimitri SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906 – 1975)
The most famous of the Soviet
Titans. He enigmatically decided to
return to communist Russia after
enjoying life in the West. He was
subject to a Stalinist purge which
put an end to his musical career.
A complex neo-classicist Soviet
pianist and composer who ran afoul
of the communist party and was
denounced twice. Fortunately, he
lived long enough to be rehabilitated
by the party.
• Romeo and Juliet,
Dance of the Knights
• Romance, from
the Gadfly Suite #
• Peter and the Wolf March
A masterpiece for Children. Each animal
is portrayed by a different instrument.
Aram KHACHATURIAN
(1903 – 1978)
A post-romantic Armenian
conductor and composer best
known for his ballet music. He
toed the Communist party line
and was well rewarded.
• Gayane Sabre Dance
Gayane is one of his famous ballets,
the other is Spartacus.
Composed for a Soviet-era movie
of the same name. It is supposedly
inspired by Massenet’s Meditation.
the Last of the Classical Composers
Samuel BARBER
Joaquin RODRIGO
(1910 – 1981)
(1901 – 1999)
The most celebrated American
classical composers of the 20th
century. He was arguably the world’s
last true classical composer.
A Spanish composer who was blind
and composed in Braille. Because of
his Hispanic heritage, he often
composed works for the guitar.
• Adagio for Strings
• Concierto de Aranjuez,
2nd movement #
• Agnus Dei
Two versions of his magnum opus. Agnus
Dei is the choral version and is so touching
that it is known to brings its audience to
tears during live performances.
Aranjuez is a town south of Madrid. It is
also when Rodrigo is buried. Rodrigo
was actually knighted Marquis of
Aranjuez because of this music he wrote.
Bonus Section: CONTEMPORARY Orchestral Music
One day in the future, historians will give this period we live in its proper name, but for now
we refer to its as Contemporary. Perhaps it will be called the Film era.
Today, instrumental music has been on the decline for close to a century but it is far from
dead. New compositions are mostly commissioned as the scores of epic movie projects.
Surprisingly, the most memorable of these are not written for artistic films; the best
contemporary orchestral music is typically associated with science fiction or fantasy movies.
Contemporary Art
Romantic
Romanticism
1950
1900
Classical
1850
1800
1750
MUSIC
ART
The Gherkin
Impressionism
Modern
Contemporary
Avant Garde
Contemporary
The MOVIE Scoring Vanguard
In the post-war days as far as movie-making was concerned, there was Hollywood, and then there
was Cinecitta; so the popular post-war composers were either Italian or American.
Nino ROTA
Leonard ROSENMAN
Jerry GOLDSMITH
Ennio MORRICONE
(1911 – 1979)
(1924 – 2008)
(1929 – 2004 )
(1928 – )
• Romeo and Juliet Suite
• The Godfather
Love Theme #
If I had room I would have
included Elmer Bernstein
• The Voyage Home
• First Contact
• Cinema Paradiso
• The Mission,
inc Gabriel’s Oboe #
John Towner WILLIAMS
• The most popular composer of film scores in our time and conductor of
the Boston Pops Orchestra for 13 years.
• Over six decades of composing, he has won 6 academy awards and
was nominated for an additional 44.
• 4 of his albums actually got into the U.S. Billboard 100 in a time
dominated by pop and rock & roll.
(1932 – )
• Williams wrote the music for every Spielberg movie except the Colour
Purple. Besides those linked below, his hits include: Jaws, E.T., Close
Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Memoirs of a Geisha, Saving
Private Ryan, Tintin, War Horse, Book Thief.
• Superman Overture #
• Star Wars, Throne Room Medley #
• Jurassic Park #
• Star Wars, Leia’s Theme and Imperial March #
• Hedwig’s Theme #
• Schindler’s List
There is a more formal
composition called the Harry
Potter Symphonic Suite but I
prefer this version.
This is definitely the most traditionally
classical of all his compositions
CONTEMPORARY Composers of Today
Odd man out,
he’s Australian
With the decline of European film industry,
popular classical composers today are primarily North American.
Stu PHILLIPS
(1929 – )
• Battlestar Galactica
(1978)
Howard SHORE
(1946 – )
• Rohan and Gondor #
• The Shire
James HORNER
(1957 – )
(1953 – )
• Wrath of Kahn
• Titanic Suite
Paul TERRACINI
• Classical
Destinations
• Cocoon #
Played by the Golden Flute
himself, James Galway
If I had room I would have
included Bill Conti
My favourite contemporary work. A romantic
composition which conjures up images of the
Age of Sail, adventure and exploration on
the high seas.
10 NAMES you can’t go wrong with when buying classical music
Itzhak PERLMAN
Carlos KLEIBER
Vladimir ASHKENAZY
Wilhelm KLEMPFF
Herbert von KARAJAN
Eugene ORMANDY
Leonard BERNSTEIN
Arthur RUBENSTEIN
Zubin MEHTA
Vladimir HOROWITZ
B/W photo = deceased