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KOBI’s Classical Music Appreciation (version 6.1)
• A concise summary of classical music covering 4 main periods : Baroque, Classical,
Romantic and Modern.
• Understand and recognize the unique characteristics of each music era.
• Learn about the life and music of over 50 famous composers and their signature works
• An essential collection of over 100 classical masterpieces to listen to via YouTube
hyperlinks (last verified in March 2020)
Bar
oq
ue
Cla
ssic
al
Ro
man
tic
Mo
der
n
JS Bach Handel Vivaldi Haydn Mozart Beethoven
Chopin Strauss II Tchaikovsky Rachmaninoff
the 10 Greatest
Classical Composers
of all time
Tonic
Ugly
Nice
Ugly
Nice
Nice
Ugly
Nice
Ugly
Nice
Ugly
Nice
Nice
What is a Semi-tone?
In music, frequency intervals
are determined similarly. Each
doubling of the frequency has
12 intervals called semi-tones.
If $100 in a bank is paid an
interest rate of 5.95%, it
compounds into exactly
$200 after 12 years.
1 1/8
1 1/4
1
1 1/3
1 1/2
1 2/3
1 7/8
2
A major breakthrough came early in the history of music when 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 ‘nicest’ sound.
What is music?
•Semi-tone positions 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 are approximate harmonic fractions of the base frequency, or tonic. Thus they sound nice with the tonic and with each other.
•Including intervals 1 and 13 there are 8 nice semi-tones for each doubling of the frequency, hence the word ‘octave’.
•When you play sounds from the nice semi-tones one after another, this constitutes the mathematical patterns which our brains naturally recognize and enjoy as music.
You might be thinking: Can’t we achieve a
similar effect using equally spaced instead of
compounding intervals? The answer is no,
because the compounding effect is a natural
property of the vibrations that produce music
and you want for eg. the holes in your flute to be
evenly spaced out.
Sound is nothing more than vibrations transmitted through the air, and its pitch is a function of the frequency of these vibrations.
Interval Freq
1 100.00
2 105.95
3 112.25
4 118.92
5 125.99
6 133.49
7 141.42
8 149.83
9 158.74
10 168.18
11 178.18
12 188.78
13 200.00
Year Acct Bal.
1 $100.00
2 $105.95
3 $112.25
4 $118.92
5 $125.99
6 $133.49
7 $141.42
8 $149.83
9 $158.74
10 $168.18
11 $178.18
12 $188.78
13 $200.00
Interval Freq
C 1 100.00
C# 2 105.95
D 3 112.25
D# 4 118.92
E 5 125.99
F 6 133.49
F# 7 141.42
G 8 149.83
Ab 9 158.74
A 10 168.18
Bb 11 178.18
B 12 188.78
C 13 200.00
Actually middle C has a
frequency of 261.63 Hz, I just
used 100 Hz to keep it simple.
What is a Scale?
C D E F G A B C
Playing all the notes in an octave one after another
is called a scale. This is the C-major scale. You
may recognize it as do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti & do.
KEYBOARD
• On a keyboard, the nice semi-tones are represented by white keys and are called notes.
• The ugly semi-tones (called accidentals) are wedged between them as smaller black keys. This is a design feature which allows one hand to stretch across an entire octave.
• Only the notes have names, which are the letters A-G. As an after thought, the accidentals are named after the adjacent notes. 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.
When the capability to vibrate at the pre-determined semitones are built into a physical device, the result is a musical instrument, say a piano. The beauty of instruments is that musicians do not need to understand the science behind the music they play, they need only practice their technique.
MAJOR & MINOR SCALES
• Scales that use the intervals 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 are called major scales. There is a complimentary set of minor scales using the intervals 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11. The C-minor scale is C, D, D#, F, G, Ab, Bb.
• The substitution of some accidentals for notes in the minor scales makes music sound ‘sombre’ whereas music written in the major scales is said to be ‘happy’.
High Baroque Classical
1650
1700
1750
1800
1600
Early Baroque
Purcell 1695 1659
Pachelbel 1706 1653
D. Scarlatti 1757 1685
Corelli 1713 1653
Albinoni 1751 1671
Vivaldi 1741 1678
J.S. Bach 1750 1685
Handel 1759 1685
Baroque
ART
MUSIC
the BAROQUE MUSIC PERIOD
Renaissance
Renaissance
1550
1500
Up to the Middle Ages music was composed primarily in single notes which were sung and is called Medieval Music. This carried into the Renaissance where a more down-to-earth approach was gradually taken towards everything, including music. The result was the dramatic leap forward in music known as the Baroque Period.
Baroque architecture Baroque art
I shall have the TOP TEN COMPOSERS of all time in blue bars
Mid Baroque
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.
(1567 – 1643)
Claudio MONTEVERDI
• Cantate Domino #
An Italian musician and composer who
was at the forefront of the transition from
Renaissance to Baroque music. His
music has both modal and tonal features.
Monteverdi’s opera L’Orfeo is the earliest
opera still performed regularly today.
TONAL MUSIC AND COUNTERPOINT
• For the longest time, up to the Renaissance era, the ugly semitones were simply ignored and left out. Such music is said to be Modal. Although a gross oversimplification, you can equate Modal music to a piano without the black keys.
• In Modal music it is not easy to play two melodies on different scales together because they would ‘clash’ (see next page). And, if you played two melodies on the same scale together, they would just sound boring – which is why medieval music sounds monotonous, somber and somehow a bit off.
• The Baroque era saw the introduction of Tonality which made music more dynamic. Again just think of Tonal music as adding the black keys back to music. The Tonal scales greatly facilitated the combination of multiple melodies in a way that sounded nice; we call this counterpoint or polyphony, a defining feature of Baroque music.
Early BAROQUE Music
This short piece by Monteverdi
retains a distinct medieval feel
to it. It should give you an idea
of what Modal music sounds
like.
The lack of the black keys in
days of yore explains why
standard music notation is in
the 5-stave format which
leaves no room for the
accidentals.
In the Early Baroque, musical instruments began to play a greater but still supporting role to the human voice. Music had yet to advance to the level we recognize as Classical Music, but it was getting there….
# means optional
listening, you can
skip this link to
move along faster.
Interval Freq
C 1 100.00
2 105.95
D 3 112.25
4 118.92
E 5 125.99
F 6 133.49
7 141.42
G 8 149.83
9 158.74
A 10 168.18
11 178.18
B 12 188.78
C 13 200.00
Interval Freq
D 1 100.00
2 105.95
E 3 112.25
F 4 118.92
5 125.99
G 6 133.49
7 141.42
A 8 149.83
9 158.74
B 10 168.18
C 11 178.18
12 188.78
D 13 200.00
Why is Tonal Music Better?
The great breakthrough in Baroque music was the realization that the black keys were not useless after all. They allowed you to find complimentary or contrasting melodies easily, greatly facilitating Counterpoint.
1 1/8
1 1/4
1
1 1/3
1 1/2
1 2/3
1 7/8
2
If you tried to transpose from C to D
scale without any black keys, by
shifting everything up 2 semitones,
you’d end up with 2 ugly semitones
1 1/8
1
1 1/3
1 1/2
1 2/3
2
MODAL D SCALE
Interval Freq
D 1 100.00
2 105.95
E 3 112.25
4 118.92
F# 5 125.99
G 6 133.49
7 141.42
A 8 149.83
9 158.74
B 10 168.18
11 178.18
C# 12 188.78
D 13 200.00
However, if you have the black
keys, you can transpose the C
scale to D exactly, and it continues
to sound nice.
TONAL D SCALE
1 1/8
1 1/4
1
1 1/3
1 1/2
1 2/3
1 7/8
2
Again I am using
100 for illustrative
purposes
The C-scale is the same in Tonal
and Modal, which is why C is used
as the first key and not A.
C SCALE
1.19
1.78
(1653 – 1706)
Johann PACHELBEL
• Canon in D major
A composer from Nuremberg Germany who
brought organ music to new heights. He had
many pupils including the older brother of JS
Bach, who in turn taught his younger brother.
Canon - A piece of music
where one or more
underlying melodies are
repeated throughout (like in
row, row your boat)
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. Also an indication
that tonal music had arrived.
BAROQUE MUSIC AS WE KNOW IT
• Present day’s classical repertoire really only begins with the Middle Baroque period - that was when musical instruments finally evolved to a level compatible with modern times.
• The invention of new rich sounding instruments such as the harpsichord, violin, cello, harp, trumpet and oboe allowed instrumental music to finally come of age. Music with human voices (Choral music) was no longer the norm.
• Tonal scales facilitated great advances in the use of counterpoint and Pachelbel’s Canon in D major is a prime example of counterpoint in its purest form. Listen as the multiple melodies are layered in gradually as the music progresses.
• Music had made great strides but it is still in transition. Based on the pace and construction of Pachelbel’s Canon you can sense that he still thought of the instruments as substitutes for human voices. It could easily be sung by a few people.
Middle BAROQUE Composers
(1659 – 1695)
Henry PURCELL
Middle BAROQUE Composers
• Abdelazer Suite Rondeau
The only native English composer of any
international repute up until the 19th century.
His style is representative of the grand
brass-heavy style of English orchestral
music. He was the most progressive of the
mid-baroque composers and many of his
works were generations ahead of his time.
Rondeau - music with a rhythmic
and cyclical pattern, similar in
concept to poetry.
• Concerto Grosso in D major
A famous Italian violinist and composer
of the Middle Baroque. He is largely
responsible for the violin technique we
use today and he also invented the
Concerto Grosso format. He is however
best know as the man who taught
Vivaldi to play the violin.
(1653 – 1713)
Arcangelo CORELLI
Concerto - a piece of orchestral music with a
dominant solo instrument standing out.
Concerto Grosso - a concert where a small set of
main instruments is contrasted against a larger
group of supporting ones.
SOUTHERN EUROPE
The master makers of string instruments such as
Stradivari and Amati 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.
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.
This resulted in horns being a
major feature of the larger
orchestral works of composers like
Purcell and Handel.
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.
In the Baroque period the Keyboard dominated in the North of Europe while Strings were popular in the South. Brass Instruments on the other hand were favoured in the West.
The Geography of Music I - the BAROQUE Period
CENTRAL EUROPE
No famous instrument makers, no
notable composers or musicians…
yet.
However, as the various music
styles merged, the distinction
between geographical regions
would be no more. You will see
later that Austria emerges as the
music capital of the world.
This map is drawn in with modern
borders. Historically, much of
Germany and parts of Italy were
really part of the Austria-based
Habsburg empire in the 17th
century.
PURCELL CORELLI PACHELBEL
HANDEL VIVALDI BACH
NORTH SOUTH WEST
MID
BAROQUE
HIGH
BAROQUE
The Transition to HIGH BAROQUE
As we enter the High Baroque period we see in each of the three musical regions of Europe the ‘passing of the torch’ to 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.
• High Baroque music was thus characterized by a fast lively rhythmic pace of short notes. It was also very common to embellish music by alternating quickly between two adjacent notes repeatedly, otherwise known as a trill. All this was beyond the capability of human singing.
• The idea that instruments were just a substitute for the human voice was abandoned once and for all and instrumental music finally matured into its own independent branch of music.
High BAROQUE Composers
THE HARPSICHORD
• A major instrument of the Baroque period was the harpsichord, essentially a harp laid on its side and plucked mechanically via a keyboard. It is easily distinguished from a piano as the white keys were black and the black keys were white in those days.
• Good: Unlike wind and to an extent string musical instruments, it allowed you to play multiple notes at the same time.
• Bad: The harpsichord is unable to sustain a note and every note on the harpsichord has the same short duration. Also notes did not become louder even if you hit the keys harder.
• Sonata in D Minor K.1 #
A musician from Naples who composed
mostly for the Spanish and Portuguese
royal courts. He is known best today for
his 555 Harpsichord sonatas, many of
which contain Hispanic folk tunes.
Scarlatti wrote many sonatas
in the same key, so they are
further distinguished by their
Kirkpatrick Catalogue
number.
(1685 – 1757)
Domenico SCARLATTI
Sonata - a musical piece for one
instrument alone, usually in 3
movements. Each movement is
further broken down into the
exposition, development and
recapitulation.
not to be confused
with his father
Alessandro
Scarlatti
Johann Sebastian BACH
• Considered by some 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 his own popularity.
• JS Bach was a master of counterpoint and is renowned for his numerous
masterpieces written for the organ and the harpsichord. He also made
major contributions in the areas of modulation and four part harmony.
• Cantata 147
• Harpsichord Concerto No.5
• Prelude No.6 in D minor
• Minuet & Badinerie
• Air on a G-String
• Brandenburg Concerto No.3
• Concerto for Oboe in F major, 2nd mvt
• Toccata and Fugue in D minor
(1685 – 1750)
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.
Cantata - a vocal composition
accompanied by musical
instruments
Toccata - Italian for touch,
indicating the piece of music
with quick fingering
Fugue - music where various melodies are
replayed in different pitches, chasing each
other. Less rigid in structure than a canon.
Prelude - a short
introductory piece
of music
Changing the key the music is
written in, in the middle of a piece Playing four melodies
at a time using chords
Quintessential example of the
fast tempo of the high baroque
Antonio Lucio VIVALDI
(1678 – 1741)
• An Italian composer and a violin virtuoso. Vivaldi is best known for his
concertos for string instruments.
• 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.
• He was also an ordained priest, earning him the nickname, the Red Priest
(the colour of his hair).
• Concerto in E Major - Spring
• Concerto in G Minor - Summer
• Concerto in F Major - Autumn
• Concerto in F Minor - Winter
• Concerto for Mandolin in C Major
• Concerto for Lute in D Major, 2nd movement
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 #
These two are concertos for
plucking instruments. The
lute concerto is usually
performed on the guitar
nowadays since nobody
really plays the lute
anymore.
Gloria is Vivaldi’s most famous
oratorios – a sort of a play with
music, singing, but no acting.
• Gloria #
Movement - longer pieces of
music are usually broken
down into 3 or 4 movements,
like the chapters in a book.
George Frideric HANDEL
• Water Music Suite No.1 - Allegro
• Water Music Suite No. 2 – Alla Hornpipe
• Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
• Concerto Grosso in A minor
• Fireworks Music - La Rejouissance #
(1685 – 1759)
• A German composer who moved to England and lived there for 50
years. He totally eclipsed all local English composers, while he was
alive and 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.
• His music has some similarities to Purcell’s but they never met. Handel
simply adopted the English Baroque style after he arrived in London.
• Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah Oratorio
• Zadok the Priest Anthem #
A choral anthem that has been sung at the
coronation of every British monarch since
Handel wrote it.
Fireworks Music was commissioned to mark the end of the
War of Austrian Succession. It was played in conjunction with
a massive fireworks display, hence its name.
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.
The signature tune
most immediately
recognize as Handel
A widely recognized
processional overture
for 2 oboes and
strings from the
Solomon Oratorio
Other High BAROQUE Composers
• Oboe Concerto in D Minor,
2nd mvt
• Adagio in G Minor
A great Italian opera composer of the
period. Albinoni’s name is particularly
associated with the oboe for which he
wrote several concertos. Tragically, much
of his huge body of work was lost in the
WWII fire bombing of Dresden.
(1671 – 1751)
Tomaso ALBINONI
• Réjouissance,
Suite in A Minor for Flute #
(1681 – 1767)
Although every bit as famous as fellow
Germans Bach and Handel in his day, the
self-taught Telemann did not stand the test of
time as well. Later generations of music
lovers felt he lacked innovation and favoured
quantity (over 3000 works) over quality.
Georg TELEMANN
Suite - a single or set of shorter musical pieces,
often extracted from a larger work like an opera or ballet.
Classical
1650
1700
1750
1800
1600
Baroque
ART
MUSIC
the Galant Movement
Rococo
Renaissance
Renaissance
1550
1500
Rameau 1764 1683
CPE Bach 1788 1714
The Galant Style was an sub-style of the late Baroque period. Typical of the Rococo movement it is born of, its music was a lighter, more frivolous style that rebelled against the rigid formality of Baroque music. Unlike its better known art, architecture and furniture cousins, Galant music was a smaller phenomenon and is often left out of the musical era timeline. In Germany the style was called the Sensitive Style (Empfindsamer Stil)
Rococo
architecture
Rococo art
High Baroque Early Baroque Mid Baroque
Although they may not overlap exactly, you many notice that it is common
practice to co-name the eras of various disciplines of the arts as they were
often influenced by the same social changes
The ROCOCO Composers
Jean-Philippe RAMEAU
(1683 – 1764)
• Suite in G minor #
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.
When you hear this you will immediately know it is
written for the harpsichord even though it is played
on the piano in this link.
(1714 – 1788)
Carl Phillipe Emanuel BACH
CPE Bach was the harpsichordist of Frederick
the Great and a leading composer of the
sensitive style. Although his proto-romantic
compositions were admired in his lifetime, they
are less popular today, a victim of his father JS
Bach’s reputation.
• Cello Concerto 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 ISSAC
NEWTON OF
MUSIC
Haydn 1809 1732
Mozart 1791 1756
1827 1770 Beethoven
Boccherini 1805 1743
Paganini 1840 1782
Brahms 1897 1833
the CLASSICAL PERIOD
Classical Romantic
1650
1700
1750
1800
1850
1900
1600
Baroque Neo-Classicism Impressionism
18
20
Gluck 1787 1714
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 philosophy of elegance through symmetry and simplicity. The Classical Period also marks the rise of Vienna as the musical capital of Europe.
ART
MUSIC
Romanticism
Neo-Classical architecture
Neo-Classical art
Schubert 1828 1797
In art, the Classical and Romantic
periods are parallel, but in music they
come one after the other
Clementi 1832 1752
High Baroque Early Baroque Mid Baroque
Rococo
Luigi BOCCHERINI
(1714 – 1787)
Christoph GLUCK
Early CLASSICAL PERIOD Composers
• Dance of the
Blessed Spirits #
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.
(1743 – 1805)
• Minuet (String Quintet in E Major)
An Italian cellist virtuoso and composer
known for chamber music, particularly
string quintets. He was so good with the
cello he could transpose and play in real
time parts meant for the violin on his cello.
Recitative - the monotonous half
talk-half sing style so common in
Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals.
Music from all 4 music periods
are all confusingly called
Classical Music. So to
distinguish the music of this
period, we have to use the
clumsy term classical period
music.
A solemn piece of music popular at
wedding receptions.
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 also instrumental in the shift from polyphony to homophony (see next page).
• Its strings were hammered instead of plucked, thus it had the range versatility (7 octaves) 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.
• Sonatina No. 36
(1752 – 1832)
An Italian musician who moved to London.
While he did not invent the piano, he
manufactured and promoted them all over
Europe. Many of his compositions are
popular with today’s piano students.
Muzio CLEMENTI
Note how Mozart-like this piece is,
perhaps Clementi should have moved
to Vienna instead of London, but then
he might have also died a young
pauper instead of living to 80.
The Arrival of the PIANOFORTE
Forte has since been
dropped from the name.
Forte means loud.
Sonatina - a mini
Sonata
FATHER OF THE
PIANOFORTE
• 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 shifted from the multiple melodies of polyphony to the single melody of homophony.
This is the most common
chord, the C-Major triad.
Note how the relative
frequency values of C, E
and G just happen to be
approximately 100, 125 and
150.
HOMOPHONY THROUGH CHORDS
• A chord is when you play 3 or more notes simultaneously rather than one after another.
• The chord concept was not popular during the Baroque period as only a few instruments like the organ could play true chords. You can only play one note at a time on a wind instrument and a maximum of two notes on a string instrument. That is why orchestras have second-violins, to complete the ‘violin chords’.
• But as the piano gained popularity in the classical era, so did the use of chords. Rather than weaving multiple melodies together, composers began to focus on a single melody, enriching it with harmony through the use of chords. This became a key feature of the Classical period.
The Switch from Polyphony to HOMOPHONY
Interval Freq
C 1 100.00
C# 2 105.95
D 3 112.25
D# 4 118.92
E 5 125.99
F 6 133.49
F# 7 141.42
G 8 149.83
Ab 9 158.74
A 10 168.18
Bb 11 178.18
B 12 188.78
C 13 200.00
Franz Joseph HAYDN
• Haydn was a prominent Austrian composer of his day, 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.
• Haydn was more academic in his approach. While his music is adored
by professional musicians who are able to discern their thematic
architecture and intricate variations, to the modern casual listener much
of Haydn’s music sounds somewhat ‘boilerplate’ as it often lacks the
memorable signature tunes that characterize the works of his
contemporaries Mozart and Beethoven. (1732 – 1809)
You might recognize the
beginning of this as the
German national anthem.
Bernstein conducts without
using his hands!
These 2 are examples of what would be
more suited to the casual listener. FATHER OF THE
SYMPHONY
THE FIRST VIENNESE SCHOOL
Haydn, together with Mozart and Beethoven are often referred to as the First Viennese School of Music. The trio shaped and dominated the Classical Period, so much so that in the German speaking world the Classical Period is called Viennese Classical. Though they did not collaborate as a school in the true sense of the word, Haydn and Mozart knew each other as contemporaries while Beethoven was a student of Haydn.
• Symphony 104, London 4th mvt #
• Symphony 88 4th mvt
These 2 are what would fall under the
classical music enthusiast category.
• Symphony 45, Farewell 1st mvt
• Trumpet Concerto 3rd mvt
• Kaiser Quartet, 2nd mvt #
This has become an iconic
Haydn masterpiece - a
concerto for a trumpet is
highly unusual (nowadays).
Joseph is the first name
harp
Piano
trombone
french horn
trumpet
bassoon
clarinet
oboe
flute
violin
viola
cello
double bass
tuba
STRING Section
BRASS Section
WOODWIND Section
bass drum tenor drum snare drum PERCUSSION Section
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.
A Symphony Orchestra has 4 main sections of instruments: string, brass, wind and percussion. Each section is further subdivided into 4 groups of instruments which together cover most of the human range of hearing. There is a ‘fifth’ section consisting of more versatile solo instruments like the piano (its output spans an amazing 7 octaves) or harp and certain one-per-orchestra instruments like the xylophone.
The SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
low pitch high pitch
Except for kettle drums, drums
have only rhythm and no pitch.
FIFTH Section
kettle drum
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.
• 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’. (1756 – 1791)
• Requiem, 1st mvt
• Symphony No.40, 1st mvt
• Magic Flute, Queen of the Night Aria
• Marriage of Figaro Overture
• Piano Sonata no.16 in C major
• Rondo Alla Turca from Sonata No.11
• Piano Concerto No. 20, 2nd mvt
• Piano Concerto No. 21, 2nd mvt
• Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
1st movement 2nd movement
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
Piano Solos and Concertos Orchestral
Overture: the opening sequence of an
opera or musical play, serving as a
summary of the music to follow
Requiem: music
associated with
funerals and mourning
Operas the fantastic part is
at time index 0:43
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
• Minuet in G
• Symphony No.5, 1st mvt
• Symphony No.9, 4th mvt
• 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. 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.
• 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.
(1770 – 1827)
• Moonlight Sonata, 1st mvt
• Moonlight Sonata, 3rd mvt
• Pathetique Sonata, 2nd mvt
• Für Elise
Orchestral works
Piano Solos
Your typical grade 2
examination piece
This 9th was an unusual symphony as it had
a choral component. Are you familiar with the
hymn ‘joyful joyful we adore thee’ ?
The 5th is
Beethoven’s
most iconic
work
To Beethoven, the Moonlight Sonata 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.
Although widely recognized,
not many people identify this
with Beethoven as it is an
uncharacteristically gentle
composition.
performed by
Wilhelm Kempff, a
pianist known for
playing Beethoven
(1833 – 1897)
Johannes BRAHMS
Late CLASSICAL PERIOD Composers
Brahms was a German virtuoso
pianist who resided in Vienna.
Although he clearly lived in the
Romantic era, Brahms chose to
compose in the classical style
throughout his life. Bach, Beethoven
and Brahms are sometimes called
the 3 Bs of classical music.
(1782 – 1840)
Niccolo PAGANINI
Paganini was a virtuoso who introduced
new techniques that dramatically
increased what a violin could technically
do. His most famous work is his 24
Caprices for Solo Violin. Needless to
say, many of his compositions are very
challenging and playable by only the
most proficient of fiddlers.
• Caprice No. 24 in A minor • Hungarian Dance No.5
• Wiegenlied
and as a delightfully piano duet
Franz SCHUBERT
(1797 – 1828)
• Ave Maria
• Impromptu in G Flat Major
• Military March
A Viennese composer who spent
most of his life in bohemian semi-
poverty. He only ever performed his
works once in a concert before dying
shortly after at the age of 31. The
genius of his works was only
recognized and promoted by later
composers.
THE GREATEST VIOLINIST THAT EVER LIVED
this is the original of the
Lullaby tune
A caprice is a short
and fast piece of
informal music
Liszt 1886 1811
1849 1810 Chopin
1893 1840 Tchaikovsky
J. Strauss II 1899 1825
J. Strauss I 1849 1804
Wagner 1883 1813
Rossini 1868 1792
1950
Avant Garde
Modern Baroque Classical Romantic
1700
1750
1800
1850
1900
Romanticism Impressionism
18
20
Baroque
Mendelssohn 1847 1809
the ROMANTIC MUSIC PERIOD
ART
MUSIC
Empire-style architecture Romantic art
Schumann 1856 1813 1
88
0
Romanticism is the love child of the French and Industrial Revolutions. In tune with the times, musicians felt free to disregard convention and fully express themselves through their music.
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.
• 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.
ROMANTIC Composers
Franz LISZT
(1811 – 1886)
The Elvis Presley of his time. He
effortlessly 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. The
emotional frenzy of Liszt fans at his
concerts led to the coining of the word
Lisztomania.
• Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
• Liebestraum
This video will show just how fast the hands and
fingers must move to play Liszt’s compositions.
THE GREATEST PIANIST THAT EVER LIVED
Frederic Francois CHOPIN
(1810 – 1849)
• 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.
• Etude in C minor “Revolutionary”
• Etude in E Major “Tristesse”
Etude – a difficult short piece of music, meant for the
practice of skill.. The sound quality of this
isn’t quite as good but you can see what is meant by
practice.
live performance
• The Minute Waltz
• Waltz in C# minor
Actually it lasts 2 minutes
although it is possible play it at
double speed.
• Nocturne in E flat major
• Polonaise in A major “Military”
• Fantaisie Impromptu Nocturne - Same idea as
Nachtmusik, but more sombre.
Polonaise - a dance from Poland.
Impromptu - a whimsical
piece of music
THE ROMANTIC MUSICIAN
Beyond being an art form, music is now a hobby. Musicians had a new audience in the emerging middle class. Many people begin keeping pianos at home. Composers no longer required rich employers or sponsors. They could make a living by performing regularly, giving lessons, selling sheet music or as a music critic for the media.
ROMANTIC Composers
(1810 – 1856)
Robert SCHUMANN
• Traumerei Kinderszenen
• Piano Sonata No.2 #
Schumann’s plans to be a great pianist were
derailed by a hand injury, limiting him to
composing. He also suffered from lifelong
psychiatric disorders which some claim affected
his compositions; many are quite difficult to
follow. Others argue that his music was
progressively experimental.
(1809 – 1847)
Felix MENDELSSOHN
A prominent Jewish composer and conductor
from Hamburg. His popularity was affected by
anti-Semitism after his early death, especially in
his homeland Germany, but he is now
recognized world-wide for his musical genius
once again.
• Italian Symphony
1st mvt 4th mvt
• Hebrides Overture
a.k.a. Fingal’s Cave, the place in Scotland
was where Mendelssohn got the
inspiration to write this piece of music
‘scenes from childhood’ is
Schumann’s one
‘conventional’ work which
is liked by one and all.
HE WROTE
THE WEDDING
MARCH
This is typical Schumann.
Perhaps you do need to be a
bit mad to compose music
like this?
Johann STRAUSS II
(1825 – 1899)
• The name Johann Strauss Jr. is synonymous with the Waltz, a dance in
¾ time (i.e. a 3 step dance) and he is sometimes also called the Waltz
King. Other composers may have composed one popular waltz in their
lifetime but he has easily over a dozen enduring waltzes to his name.
• His father (of the same name, see bonus section) had popularized the
waltz by touring around Europe with his band, the Strauss Orchestra.
However, it was Junior that eventually managed to elevate the waltz to
an empire-wide ballroom sensation after inheriting his father’s band.
• Emperor Waltz
• Tales from Vienna Woods
• The Blue Danube
• Viennese Blood
The second national anthem of
Austria. The Danube is a river
which passes through Vienna.
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.
This waltz uniquely features a soprano and is
from his opera Die Fledermaus. Strauss also
released a very successful solo-piano version.
• piano version #
THE WALTZ KING
Besides waltzes, Strauss also
wrote other music that was
popular, like this Polka • Tritsch-Tratsch Polka
• Voices of Spring
Signature Waltzes
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840 – 1893)
• The first truly internationally successful Russian composer, he made
several popular concert tours of Europe and America. He 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 parts of ballets.
• Violin Concerto in D Major
• Piano Concerto No.1, 1st mvt
• 1812 Overture Finale
Written to commemorate the successful defence
of Moscow against Napoleon. The original
rendition included cannon fire in the finale.
Ballets
• Nutcracker, Waltz of Flowers
• Nutcracker, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
• Nutcracker, Dance of the Reed Pipes
• Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture
• Swan Lake Finale
Orchestral
Nutcracker is a ballet written for the
enjoyment of children, which has made it
extremely popular
The Golden Age of OPERA
Richard WAGNER
• Opera Version #
• Rule Britannia Overture #
• Ride of the Valkyries
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.
(1813 – 1883)
The Bridal Chorus is
played when the bride
enters and the Wedding
March (by Mendelsohn)
is played when the
married couple exit.
Check out the original
No, Wagner did not
compose the tune.
Like many other
composers he merely
borrowed it.
Gioachino ROSSINI
(1792 – 1868)
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).
• Thieving Magpie Overture
• Barber of Seville, Figaro Aria
• William Tell Overture Finale
An extract of this has become the Lone
Ranger theme because its time signature is
similar to a galloping horse
Pronounced
as Vag-ner
Without Rossini, the world
would have no Tournedos
Rossini or Scrambled Eggs
Rossini
HE WROTE THE
BRIDAL CHORUS
The 4 Kings of the Love Tragedy
(1858 – 1924)
Giacomo PUCCINI
MADAME BUTTERFLY
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….
• Un Bel Di Vedremo Aria • Flower Duet
Leo DELIBES
• Intermezzo
• Habanera
• Toreador’s Song
Georges BIZET Giuseppe VERDI
• La Donna e Mobile
(1836 – 1891) (1838 – 1875) (1813 – 1901)
LAKME
The tragic love story of
Lakme (French misspelling of
lakshmi) set in British India in
the late 1800s. She falls for a
British officer whom her
father stabs….
CARMEN
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…..
RIGOLETTO
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.…
The most popular operas today are the romance tragedies from the Late Romantic Era
The ‘S’ in Delibes is
silent
The ‘T’ in Bizet is
silent
bonus: from il Trovatore
• the Anvil Chorus
bonus: from the Ballet Sylvia
• Sylvian Pizzicato • Nessun Dorma Aria
bonus: from Turandot
1950
Avant Garde
Modern Baroque Classical Romantic
1700
1750
1800
1850
1900
Romanticism Impressionism Baroque
the MODERN MUSIC PERIOD (pre-war)
Saint-Saens 1921 1835
Mahler 1911 1860
1918 1862 Debussy
Massenet 1912 1842
18
80
Dvorak 1904 1841
Grieg 1907 1843
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 (see next page).
The modern period also saw the emergence of France as the new cultural capital and immigration of music talent to the USA.
Elgar 1934 1857
Ravel 1937 1875
Rachmaninoff 1943 1873
Art Nouveau architecture
Faure 1924 1845
ART
MUSIC
If you recall, music that is based on the 7 nice semitone intervals (in position 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12) is called Tonal, meaning it sounds nice and happy to humans. There are also the minor scales which sound sad.
During the Romantic period some musicians experimented with new ways to imbue their music with passion. In the modern era, some composers expand on this experimentation by resorting to non-tonal scales and chords. Blending in the 5 ugly semitones resulted in music that was less pleasing to the ear but they discovered this could also be used to convey additional emotional states such as serenity or mystery. Such dissonant music is termed chromatic as it adds ‘colour’.
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.
It can be said that chromatic music is the music equivalent of Avant Garde art of the early 20th century.
CHROMATIC MUSIC
Avignon period Picasso
Futurism Art
Tonal
CLASSIFYING the MODERN Composers
Symbolism art Impressionist art
Academism art
Dissonant
Bauhaus art
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 long 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.
Atonal Impressionist post-Romantic neo-Classical
MUSIC
ART
Edward ELGAR
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.
• Pomp and Circumstance
March No.1
(1857 – 1934)
A march dedicated to the coronation
of King Edward VII. Perplexingly it is
always played at American school
graduation ceremonies.
Jules MASSENET
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 that went so well
with the silent movies.
(1842 – 1912)
• Meditation, from Thais
The ‘T’ in
Massenet
is silent
the Neo-CLASSICAL Composers
HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
Pachelbel
JS Bach
CPE Bach
Telemann
HABSBURG PRUSSIAN
AUSTRIA GERMANY
Haydn Gluck
Mozart Beethoven
Schubert Brahms
Listz Mendelsohn
Straus I Schumann
Strauss II Wagner
ITALY
Corelli Boccherini
Vivaldi Albinoni
Paganini Rossini
Verdi Puccini
FRANCE
Rameau
Chopin (Polish)
Bizet
Dilibes
GREAT BRITAIN
Purcell
Handel (German)
Clementi (Italian)
RUSSIA
Tchaikovsky
Prussia and Austria were
only formally separated in
the mid 19th Century
IBERIA
Scarlatti (Italian)
The Geography of Music II - the Rise of the NATIONALISM
Up to the Romantic era, almost everyone who was anyone in the music world 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
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.
Nationalist Composers
A famous progression
that only ever gets louder
and faster.
Edvard GRIEG
• Piano Concerto in A minor
• In the Hall of the Mountain King
• Morning Mood
(1843 – 1907)
A brilliant neo-classic composer and
pianist whose works are often performed
today. He often collaborated with his
Norwegian literary contemporaries. Grieg is
perhaps the only famous composer that
Norway has ever produced.
• Flight of the Bumble Bee
Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
(1844 – 1908)
The most famous of the Tsarist Russian
composers (a.k.a. the Five) but
nonetheless was not well known outside
of Russia in his lifetime. He worked on
folk songs and wrote operas based on
Russian myths and stories.
• Violin Version
A wonderful performance by Ji-Hae Park,
in a medley including other fast pieces
that I simply had to include.
Sergei Vasilievich RACHMANINOFF
(1873 – 1943)
• The most well known of the post-romantic composers. An
accomplished pianist, he often played the piano in his own orchestral
works.
• Rachmaninoff is often classified as the last romantic composer but his
use of chromatic ornamentations clearly put him in the modern era.
• Rachmaninoff was already a budding composer in Russia but had to
escape to the West at the age of 44 because of the communist
revolution. 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.
• Italian Polka
• Prelude in G Minor
• Vocalise • Symphony No.2 3rd mvt
• Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
• Piano Concerto No.2
1st movement 3rd movement
I purposely picked a recording of the concerto
with Rachmaninoff playing the concerto
himself. Its old, so the fidelity is only so so.
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.
• Soprano Version #
Rhapsody: an irregular and improvised piece of music.
Rachmaninoff starts off with Paganini’s Caprice No.24
and evolves it into a romantic composition. The most
famous variation, No.18 starts at time index 16:22.
Gustav MAHLER
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
(1860 – 1911)
Adagio is a slow piece of music
while an Adagietto is an Adagio
that is to be played light-heartedly.
Antonin DVORAK
• Songs My Mother Taught me
• Humoresque No.7
• New World Symphony
2nd movement 4th movement
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 wrote music
inspired from African American & Native Indian
themes.
(1841 – 1904)
Pronounced as Vo-sjak.
Other Composers that went to America
Humoresque is a term
coined by Schumann for
a short good-humoured
piece of music.
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.
• The Aquarium
• The Swan
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.
the French post-ROMANTICS
All the ‘S’ are pronounced
Gabriel FAURE
(1845 – 1924)
Faure advanced the musical theories of
Rameau which had stood for 200 years by
inventing ways to reincorporate modal
harmony. He is noted for his refined and
sensitive music compositions although he is
less famous today than his student Ravel.
• Pavane #
• Sicilienne from Pelleas et Melisande
Pronounced the
same as Foray
The French IMPRESSIONISTS
Maurice RAVEL
• Bolero
(1862 – 1918)
Claude DEBUSSY
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 No.1
• Clair de Lune
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.
(1875 – 1937)
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 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 too chaotic for the average person to appreciate. Try [Ravel’s Scarbo] or [Debussy’s What the West Wind Saw] and you’ll see what I mean.
the MODERN MUSIC PERIOD (post-war)
Sibelius 1957 1865
Vaughan Williams 1958 1872
1950
Avant Garde
Modern Classical Romantic
1850
1900
Romanticism Impressionism
Prokofiev 1953 1891
2000
Contemporary
Contemporary
R Strauss 1949 1865
Khachaturian 1978 1903
Shostakovich 1975 1905
Stravinsky 1971 1881
Gershwin 1937 1898
Rodrigo 1999 1901
Barber 1981 1910
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.
Art Deco
ART
MUSIC
(1864 – 1949)
Richard STRAUSS
• Also Sprach Zarathustra
The start of this piece based on
Nietzsche’s book of the same
name and is the theme music for
2001 A Space Odyssey.
The last of the illustrious line of
German-Austrian musicians.
Some still condemn him for his
supposed Nazi ties, but truth be
told he was already 75 when WWII
started.
(1898 – 1937)
George GERSHWIN
• Rhapsody in Blue
A bit jazzy and reminiscent of the
big band Swing Era as the ‘Blue’
implies, but a classic nonetheless.
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.
the Late MODERN Composers
Igor STRAVINSKY
• The Firebird #
(1882 – 1971)
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 neo-
classicist but moved on to atonal
music in the 1950s.
Jean SIBELIUS
• 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
(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.
• Fantasia on Greensleeves
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Greensleeves is a beautiful
Elizabethan era folk ballad
(1872 – 1958)
A British composer who often used
English folk tunes in his works. Unlike
most composers of the time he also
composed religious music and many of
his songs are part of the English Hymnal.
Vaughan is part of his
surname, and is not his
middle name.
the Late Nationalists
Aram KHACHATURIAN
(1903 – 1978)
A post-romantic Armenian
conductor and composer best
known for his ballet music. He
toed the Communist party line the
entire time and was thus more
fortunate of the trio.
• Gayane Sabre Dance
Dimitri SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906 – 1975)
• Romance, from
the Gadfly Suite #
A complex neo-classicist Soviet pianist
and composer who ran afoul of the
communist party and was denounced
twice. Unlike Prokovief, he lived long
enough to be rehabilitated by the party.
Composed for a Soviet-era movie of
the same name. It is supposedly
inspired by Massenet’s Meditation.
the Cold War Soviets
Sergei PROKOVIEF
(1891 – 1953)
• Romeo and Juliet,
Dance of the Knights
• Peter and the Wolf March
A masterpiece for Children. Each animal is
portrayed by a different instrument.
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 ruined his musical career.
Samuel BARBER Joaquin RODRIGO
• Adagio for Strings • Concierto de Aranjuez,
2nd movement #
(1910 – 1981) (1901 – 1999)
Agnus Dei is the choral version of the
adagio and is so touching that it is known to
brings its audience to tears during live
performances.
The most celebrated American classical
composers of the 20th century. He won the
Pulitzer price for music, twice. Barber was
arguably the world’s last true classical
composer.
A Spanish composer who was blind from the
age of 3 and composed in Braille. Because of
his Hispanic heritage, he is best known for his
works for the guitar although being a piano
virtuoso he himself did not play the guitar.
the New World Composers
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. • Agnus Dei
FURTHER LISTENING
CLASSICAL
Carl Maria von WEBER (1786 – 1826)
• Clarinet Concerto No.1
MODERN
Pietro MASCAGNI (1863 – 1945)
• Cavalleria Rusticana – Intermezzo
• Minuet in G Major
Christian PETZOLD (1677 – 1733)
BAROQUE
• String Quartet in F major
Roman HOFFSTETTER (1742 – 1815)
Johann STRAUSS Senior (1804 – 1849)
• Radetzky March
ROMANTIC
Emile WALDTEUFEL (1837 – 1915)
• Skater’s Waltz
Ottorino RESPOGHI (1879 – 1936)
• Ancient Airs and Dances
• Te Deum - Prelude
Marc-Antoine CHARPENTIER (1643 – 1704)
The iconic opening theme to Eurovision
once wrongly attributed to
Bach as it was found in his
wife’s notebook
father of the more
famous J Strauss
J Strauss II’s rival
in London
a.k.a. Haydn’s Serenade
Luigi DENZA (1846 – 1922)
• Funiculi, Funicula a prime specimen of
the Neapolitan Song
THE END
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 for classical orchestras are commonly 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. If you just forget the movie associations and appreciate this music for itself, you will sense their true beauty.
Contemporary Architecture Pop Art
The MOVIE Scoring Vanguard
Nino ROTA
• Romeo and Juliet Suite
• The Godfather
Love Theme #
(1911 – 1979)
Jerry GOLDSMITH
• The Enterprise
• Papillon #
(1929 – 2004 )
• The Voyage Home
Leonard ROSENMAN
(1924 – 2008)
Ennio MORRICONE
• Cinema Paradiso
• Gabriel’s Oboe #
(1928 – )
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.
If I had room I would have
included Elmer Bernstein
• Wrath of Kahn
James HORNER Howard SHORE
• Rohan and Gondor #
• The Shire
Stu PHILLIPS
• Battlestar Galactica
(1978)
CONTEMPORARY Composers of Today
• Titanic Suite #
• Cocoon
(1929 – ) (1953 – 2015) (1946 – )
With the decline of European film industry, popular classical composers today are primarily North American.
Played by the Golden Flute
himself, James Galway
If I had room I would have
included Bill Conti
(1932 – )
John WILLIAMS
• Superman Overture #
• Jurassic Park #
• Schindler’s List
Itzhak PERLMAN Vladimir ASHKENAZY
Arthur RUBENSTEIN Vladimir HOROWITZ Leonard BERNSTEIN
Zubin MEHTA
Eugene ORMANDY Herbert von KARAJAN
Seiji OZAWA Wilhelm KLEMPFF
10 NAMES you can’t go wrong with when buying classical music
