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Große Fuge
The ''Grosse Fuge'' (, also known in English as the ''Great Fugue'' or ''Grand Fugue''), Op. 133, is a single-movement composition for string quartet by Ludwig van Beethoven. An immense double fugue, it was universally condemned by contemporary music critics. A reviewer writing for the ' in 1826 described the fugue as "incomprehensible, like Chinese" and "a confusion of Babel". However, critical opinion of the work has risen steadily since the early 20th century and it is now considered among Beethoven's greatest achievements. Igor Stravinsky described it as "an absolutely contemporary piece of music that will be contemporary forever". The ''Grosse Fuge'' was originally composed as the final movement of Beethoven's Quartet No. 13 in B major, Op. 130, written in 1825; but Beethoven's publisher was concerned about the dismal commercial prospects of the piece and wanted the composer to replace the fugue with a new finale. Beethoven complied, and the ''Grosse Fuge'' was published ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Late String Quartets (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's late string quartets are: :*Opus 127: String Quartet No. 12 in E major (1825) :*Opus 130: String Quartet No. 13 in B major (1825) :*Opus 131: String Quartet No. 14 in C minor (1826) :*Opus 132: String Quartet No. 15 in A minor (1825) :*Opus 133: '' Große Fuge'' in B major (1825; originally the finale to Op. 130; it also exists in a piano four-hands transcription, Op. 134) :*Opus 135: String Quartet No. 16 in F major (1826) These six works are Beethoven's last major completed compositions. Extremely complex and largely misunderstood by musicians and audiences of Beethoven's day, the late quartets are now widely considered to be among the greatest musical compositions of all time, and have inspired many later composers. Overview Prince Nikolai Galitzin commissioned the first three quartets (12, 13 and 15) and in a letter dated 9 November 1822, offered to pay Beethoven "what you think proper" for them. Beethoven replied on 25 January 1823 with his price ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age resulted in List of compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, more than 800 works representing virtually every Western classical genre of his time. Many of these compositions are acknowledged as pinnacles of the symphony, symphonic, concerto, concertante, chamber music, chamber, operatic, and choir, choral repertoires. Mozart is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Classical music, Western music, with his music admired for its "melodic beauty, its formal elegance and its richness of harmony and texture". Born in Salzburg, Mozart showed Child prodigy, prodigious ability from his earliest childhood. At age five, he was already competent on keyboard and violin, had begun to compose, and performed before European r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; ; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period (music), classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time, he gained prominence at the House of Habsburg, Habsburg court in Vienna. There he brought about the practical reform of opera's dramaturgical practices for which many intellectuals had been campaigning. With a series of radical new works in the 1760s, among them ''Orfeo ed Euridice'' and ''Alceste (Gluck), Alceste'', he broke the stranglehold that Metastasio, Metastasian ''opera seria'' had enjoyed for much of the century. Gluck introduced more drama by using orchestral recitative and cutting the usually long da capo aria. His later operas have half the length of a typical baroque opera. The strong influence of French opera encouraged Gluck to move to Paris in November 1773. Fusing the traditions of Italian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Subject (music)
In music, a subject is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based. In forms other than the fugue, this may be known as the theme. Characteristics A subject may be perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, separate from the work in which it is found. In contrast to an idea or motif, a subject is usually a complete phrase or period. The ''Encyclopédie Fasquelle'' defines a theme (subject) as " y element, motif, or small musical piece that has given rise to some variation becomes thereby a theme". Thematic changes and processes are often structurally important, and theorists such as Rudolph Reti have created analysis from a purely thematic perspective. Fred Lerdahl describes thematic relations as "associational" and thus outside his cognitive-based generative theory's scope of analysis. In different types of music Music based on a single theme is called monothematic, while music based on several themes is c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Motif (music)
In music, a motif () or motive is a short musical idea, a Salience (neuroscience), salient recurring Figure (music), figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a musical composition, composition. The motif is the smallest structural unit possessing theme (music), thematic identity. History The defines a motif as a "melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic cell (music), cell", whereas the 1958 maintains that it may contain one or more cells, though it remains the smallest analyzable element or phrase within a subject (music), subject. It is commonly regarded as the shortest subdivision of a Theme (music), theme or Phrase (music), phrase that still maintains its identity as a musical idea. "The smallest structural unit possessing thematic identity". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Grove and Éditions Larousse, Larousse also agree that the motif may have harmonic, melodic and/or rhythmic aspects, Grove a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sonata Form
The sonata form (also sonata-allegro form or first movement form) is a musical form, musical structure generally consisting of three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. It has been used widely since the middle of the 18th century (the early Classical music era, Classical period). While it is typically used in the first Movement (music), movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement. The teaching of sonata form in music theory rests on a standard definition and a series of hypotheses about the underlying reasons for the durability and variety of the form—a definition that arose in the second quarter of the 19th century. There is little disagreement that on the largest level, the form consists of three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation; however, beneath this general structure, sonata form is difficult to pin down to a single model. The standa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Piano Four Hands
Piano four hands (, , ) is a type of piano duet involving two players playing the same piano simultaneously. A duet with the players playing separate instruments is generally referred to as a ''piano duet, piano duo''.Bellingham, Jane"piano duet" ''The Oxford Companion to Music'', Ed. Alison Latham, Oxford Music Online, accessed 31 March 2012 Music written for piano four hands is usually printed so that left-hand pages contain only the part for the pianist sitting on the left, while right-hand pages contain only the part for the pianist sitting on the right. The upper part (right) is called ''primo'' while the lower part (left) is called ''secondo''. Repertoire Arrangements By far the greater proportion of music "à quatre mains" consists of arrangements of orchestral and vocal music, vocal compositions and of string quartet, quartets and other groups for stringed instruments. Indeed, scarcely any composition of importance for any combination of instruments exists which has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gneixendorf
Gneixendorf is a village near Krems in Lower Austria. It was the location of Stalag XVII-B, the setting of the Billy Wilder film ''Stalag 17''. The stone-age pre-history, the history of Christian orders settlement and rule and their stately renaissance buildings, followed by a manorial history, particularly of the van Beethoven and von Schweitzer families between 1820 and 1935 and the World War II break with the STALAG XVII B Prisoner-of-War camp 1940-1945 are all comprehensively documented by "Chronik von Gneixendorf", published in 2009 by Verschoenerungsverein Gneixendorf. See also Krems-Gneixendorf. Gneixendorf has been incorporated with the town of Krems since 1968. The composer Ludwig van Beethoven spent the period September–December 1826 in Gneixendorf as the guest of his younger brother Johann Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name '' Yochana ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nikolaus Johann Van Beethoven
Nikolaus Johann van Beethoven (2 October 1776 – 12 January 1848) was a German landowner and a brother of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Life He was born in Bonn, youngest son of Johann van Beethoven and his wife Maria Magdalena Keverich. He trained to be a pharmacist; he moved in 1795 to Vienna, where his brothers Ludwig and Kaspar lived. He wished to be known as Johann, in memory of their late father. He worked in Vienna as a pharmacist's assistant, and in 1808 he opened a pharmacy in Linz. In 1809, Napoleon invaded Austria, establishing base camp in Linz for wounded soldiers. Johann supplied the French army with their medical needs; this enabled Johann to prosper. In 1812 Johann announced that he intended to marry Thérèse Obermeyer, his housekeeper. Ludwig van Beethoven, returning home from a stay at the spa resort of Teplitz, visited his brother in Linz. He regarded the proposed marriage as unsuitable, and tried to dissuade him. He also appealed to the local authori ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Contra Dance
Contra dance (also contradance, contra-dance and other variant spellings) is a form of folk dance, folk dancing made up of long lines of couples. It has mixed origins from English country dance, Scottish country dance, and French dance styles in the 17th century. Sometimes described as New England folk dance or Appalachian folk dance, contra dances can be found around the world, but are most common in the United States (periodically held in nearly every state), Canada, and other English-speaking world, Anglophone countries. A contra dance event is a social dance that one can attend without a partner. The dancers Contra dance form, form couples, and the couples form sets of two couples in long lines starting from the stage and going down the length of the dance hall. Throughout the course of a dance, couples progress up and down these lines, dancing with each other couple in the line. The dance is led by a caller (dance), caller who teaches the Contra dance choreography, sequence o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cavatina
(Italian for "little song") is a musical term, originally meaning a short song of simple character, without a second strain or any repetition of the air. It is now frequently applied to any simple, melodious air, as distinguished from brilliant arias or recitatives, many of which are part of a larger movement or scena in oratorio or opera. " Ecco, ridente in cielo" from Gioachino Rossini's opera ''The Barber of Seville'', "Porgi amor" and " Se vuol ballare" from Mozart's ''The Marriage of Figaro'' are well-known ''cavatinas.'' A famous piece that bears the name, although without words, is the 5th movement of Beethoven's String Quartet in B-flat major, Opus 130. Ralph Vaughan Williams also gave the title of "Cavatina" to the 3rd movement of his Symphony No. 8. Camille Saint-Saëns wrote a Cavatine for trombone and piano. In opera, the term has been described as: a musical form appearing in operas and occasionally in cantatas and instrumental music....In opera the cavatina i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karl Holz (violinist)
Karl Holz (1798 – 9 November 1858) was an Austrian violinist. He played second violin in Ignaz Schuppanzigh's string quartet and served as secretary to Ludwig van Beethoven during the last few years of the composer's life. He was also close with Franz Schubert. Early career In Vienna in 1819, the violinist Joseph Böhm assembled a new string quartet, and Holz – a civil servant in the Austrian government by profession – joined as second violin. In 1823, the violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh returned to the city after several years away. He had formed a string quartet in Vienna in the 1790s; Schuppanzigh was an old friend of Beethoven's and had given the first performance of the composer's first six string quartets Op. 18. Böhm's quartet disbanded, and Holz joined Schuppanzigh's reformed quartet. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
