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2 episodes with first symphony
April 2, 1800. Prussian composer Ludwig van Beethoven leads the premiere of his First Symphony in Vienna, Austria. This episode originally aired in 2024.Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more.History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Composed as Napoleon's forces were threatening Austria, Haydn's Mass in Time of War features an extraordinarily ominous use of timpani and ends with a plea for peace. Beethoven's spirited First Symphony bears the influence of Haydn but also foreshadows the development of his own compositional style. MacMillan's eloquent Larghetto is based on his choral setting of Psalm 51. Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/haydn-mass-in-time-of-war
Now 19 years old, Victoria composer Camilo Aybar put the finishing touches on his first symphony in 2021. It wasn’t only composed during the pandemic, but inspired by it. The symphony features 5 movements, each representing a different phase of the pandemic: Outbreak, Lockdown, Restart Process, Variants of Concern, and Vaccine. Aybar’s story caught the […]
Brimming with wry wit and affectionate warmth, Shostakovich's Second Piano Concerto was a gift for his teenage son. Here, it's a showcase for the brilliant Lahav Shani, who conducts from the keyboard. Beethoven's powerful Egmont Overture captures the brave struggle for freedom and justice, while Brahms' stormy and heroic First Symphony is the culmination of years of labor by the composer. Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/shani-shostakovich-and-brahms
We get a rare opportunity to look at a country's first symphony, and it wasn't written until 1917! John and Evan explore Pejačević's symphony and show you what to listen for, what sets her symphony apart from others of the time, and how WWI directly affected her and this very work. Support Classical Breakdown: https://weta.org/donatefmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rachmaninov's majestic First Symphony churns with youthful romantic fervor and ethereal mystery — perfect for a December outing. Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, inspired by Norway's national folk hero, includes the instantly familiar dream-like fantasy of “The Hall of the Mountain King.” Johannes Moser brings his “remarkably visceral and vivid playing” (Gramophone) to Lutosławski's wild and enchanting Cello Concerto. Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/grieg-and-rachmaninov
Fundraiser link here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1026719635067?aff=oddtdtcreator On October 29th, 1931, The Rochester Philharmonic in New York State presented the world premiere of a new symphony by the composer William Grant Still. A symphonic premiere is always something to look out for in musical history, but this one had an even greater significance. The premiere of Wiliam Grant Still's First Symphony, subtitled “Afro American,” was the first time a symphony written by a Black American composer was performed by a leading orchestra. William Grant Still was a man of many firsts, whether he was the first Black American conductor to conduct a major orchestra, the first to have an opera performed by a major company, the first Black American to conduct an orchestra in the South of the United States, and much more. Today we're going to focus in on Grant Still's first symphony, a symphony that Grant Still had long thought about, conceptualized, and dreamed of. It was also a symphony wrapped up in the roiling currents of Black America at the time, with the Harlem Renaissance in full swing and Alain Locke's tract The New Negro sparking discussion and debate all over the country. It was a symphony that attempted to do something no one had ever done before; that is, to marry together the genre of the Blues with that of symphonic music. Until 1950, it was THE most performed symphony written by an American composer. But until 10 or 15 years ago, it had all but disappeared from the stage, but due to the explosion of interest in Black American composers of the past and present, this brilliant symphony is making its way back onto stages all over the world. The way that Grant Still constructed this meeting of two genres of music was ingenious and innovative from start to finish, and so today on the show we'll explore all of the historical context of the symphony, what Grant Still was trying to do with his monumental new endeavor, and of course, all of the music itself. I want to thank John McWhorter for his brilliant contributions to this episode, as well as the Aalborg Symphony for embarking on a fantastic recording of the symphony, which you will hear throughout this episode.
Five years into the celebrated Naxos Music of Brazil series, we reach Vol. 21 and the music of Oscar Lorenzo Fernández (1897-1948), who was a key figure in the cultural life of Rio de Janeiro. Lorenzo Fernández's two symphonies suffered neglect after the composer's untimely death at the age of fifty. Raymond Bisha introduces the world premiere recording of the powerful First Symphony, and the first modern studio recording of the programmatic Second Symphony.
Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell presents The Elements, a suite of five works for violin and orchestra, commissioned by Bell and written by leading American composers Kevin Puts (Earth), Edgar Meyer (Water), Jake Heggie (Fire), Jennifer Higdon (Air), and CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery (Space). Conductor Juraj Valčuha frames the program with Weber's Oberon Overture and Shostakovich's jaunty, mischievous First Symphony. The June 15 performance of The Elements with Joshua Bell is a part of the 2023/24 Season of CSO MusicNOW. Learn more: cso.org/performances/23-24/cso-classical/the-elements-with-joshua-bell
Tugan Sokhiev conducts Tchaikovsky's youthful First Symphony, nicknamed Winter Dreams for its cozy evocation of Russian winters. Chopin's exuberant Piano Concerto No. 1 features Russian pianist Yulianna Avdeeva, described by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as “a one-woman powerhouse” who “stole the show.” Andrzej Panufnik's Heroic Overture, composed in 1952, is a tribute to the courageous spirit of the Polish people. Learn more: cso.org/performances/23-24/cso-classical/chopin-and-tchaikovsky
April 2, 1800. Prussian composer Ludwig van Beethoven leads the premiere of his First Symphony in Vienna, Austria.Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more.History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
SynopsisIn St. Petersburg on today's date in 1897, the First Symphony of Sergei Rachmaninoff had its disastrous premiere.Now, there are bad reviews and then there are really bad reviews. When Rachmaninoff opened up a newspaper the next day he read, “If there were conservatory in hell, and if one of its students were instructed to write a symphony based on the seven plagues of Egypt, and if he were to compose a symphony like Rachmaninoff's, he would have fulfilled his task brilliantly and delighted the inmates of hell.”Ouch!What must have really hurt was that the review was written by a fellow composer, Cesare Cui, and the premiere was conducted — poorly, it seems — by another composer colleague, Alexander Glazunov.The whole affair was so painful that Rachmaninoff needed therapy before he could compose again, and when he left Russia for good in 1917, he left the symphony's manuscript behind, and in the turmoil of the Bolshevik revolution it was lost. However, the original orchestral parts for the 1897 premiere survived. They were rediscovered in 1945, two years after Rachmaninoff's death, and a belated — and this time successful — second performance took place that same year.Music Played in Today's ProgramSergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943): Symphony No. 1; St. Petersburg Philharmonic; Mariss Jansons, cond. EMI 56754
Ludwig Van Beethoven began to lose his hearing at age 28. By age 44, his hearing loss was complete, most likely caused by compression of the eighth cranial nerve associated with Paget's disease of bone. Despite his deafness, Beethoven continued to compose symphony music. He never gave up. FRUMESS is POWERED by www.riotstickers.com/frumess GET 200 DIECUT STICKERS FOR $69 RIGHT HERE - NO PROMO CODE NEED JOIN THE PATREON FOR LESS THAN A $2 CUP OF COFFEE!! https://www.patreon.com/Frumess
Classical music so often feels divorced from pop culture, but we don't need to dive too deep into the history books to see how much composers of the past embraced the cultural traditions of their homelands. Béla Bartók traveled across Hungary documenting folk songs, Gustav Mahler wove popular tunes into his First Symphony, and even Mozart composed background music for playing the popular card games of his day. Is it possible for today's composers to once again marry concert music with aspects of popular culture? Juan Pablo Contreras thinks so. The Mexican composer-conductor thrives on combining Western classical and Mexican folk music into a single soundscape that's all his own. And in his dazzling 2022 orchestral work Lucha Libre!, he's also incorporating one of his country's most beloved traditions: the choreographed wrestling spectacles that emerged in the 1950s, in which wrestlers act as superheroes waging battles between good and evil. Commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Lucha Libre! transforms the stage into a live wrestling match, with six of the orchestral musicians wearing the iconic luchador masks. For Contreras, the work is not only an example of his artistic mission to bring people into the concert hall with music that feels relevant and exciting, but also a way for him to pay homage to the virtuosity of classical musicians. "For me, classical musicians are like superheroes," Contreras says on the latest episode of the Classical Post podcast. "They do something almost impossible with their instrument. They are very gifted, and they have to do things in collaboration with other musicians so the magic happens. The same thing happens in lucha libre — everything is choreographed, so even if the teams are rivals, they have to work together to give the people a good spectacle." In this episode, recorded just before the work's LA premiere, we talk more about the genesis of the piece, how Contreras collaborated with local communities to shape the work, and how he hopes Lucha Libre! inspires people to consider their own superhero persona. Plus, he shares how film and architecture inspire his creativity, the importance of daily meditation, and his favorite West Hollywood spot for Peruvian paella. Stream Lucha Libre!, performed by the Orquestra Latino Mexicana — a group Contreras founded in his hometown of Guadalajara — on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to music. — Classical Post® **is created and produced by Gold Sound Media® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can grow your audience to make a lasting impact in your community.
Mahler's First Symphony unfolds with the elemental sounds of nature, foot-stomping folk dances and a stormy but ultimately heroic finale. Conductor Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider opens with the symphony's original second movement, Blumine, notable for its gentle trumpet serenade. Distinguished cellist Jian Wang takes center stage for Bloch's stirring “Hebraic Rhapsody.” Learn more: cso.org/performances/23-24/cso-classical/mahler-1
On October 29th, 1931, The Rochester Philharmonic presented the world premiere of a new symphony by the composer William Grant Still. A symphonic premiere is always something to look out for in musical history, but this one had an even greater significance. The premiere of Wiliam Grant Still's First Symphony, subtitled “Afro American,” was the first time a symphony written by a Black American composer was performed by a leading orchestra. William Grant Still was a man of many firsts, whether he was the first Black American conductor to conduct a major orchestra, the first to have an opera performed by a major company, the first Black American to conduct an orchestra in the South of the United States, and much more. Today we're going to focus in on Grant Still's first symphony, a piece that Grant Still had long thought about, conceptualized, and dreamed of. It was also a symphony wrapped up in the roiling currents of Black America at the time, with the Harlem Renaissance in full swing and Alain Locke's tract The New Negro sparking discussion and debate all over the country. It was a symphony that attempted to do something no one had ever done before, that is, to marry together the genre of the Blues with that of symphonic music. At the time of its premiere and afterwards, it was quite a success, and until 1950, it was THE most performed symphony written by an American composer. After 1950, the symphony practically disappeared from concert stages, but due to the explosion of interest in Black American composers of the past and present, this brilliant symphony is making its way back into the repertoire of orchestras all over the world. The way that Grant Still constructed this meeting of two genres of music was ingenious and innovative from start to finish, and so today on the show we'll explore all of the historical context of the symphony, what Grant Still was trying to do with his monumental new endeavor, and of course, all of the music itself. I'm also joined today by the great writer and linguist John McWhorter, who discusses the 4 Paul Laurence Dunbar poems Grant Still added to each movement as epigraphs, as well as their cultural context. Join us!
Today in 1936, the premiere of Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 1. That was 71 years after the symphony was written, which is what happens when a symphony is thought to be lost. Plus: atarting tomorrow at the Conner Prairie outdoor history museum in Indiana, it's the Headless Horseman Festival. José Serebrier writes about the strange history of Dvořák's First Symphony, The Bells of Zlonice (Classical Source) Antonín Dvořák and the lost symphony (Radio Prague International) Headless Horseman Festival at Conner Prairie Let's make beautiful music together, back us on Patreon! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support
SynopsisOn today's date in 1933, the Philadelphia Orchestra was performing at its summer home at Robin Hood Dell. Conductor Alexander Smallens led the world premiere performance of a new work by a 23-year-old composer named Samuel Barber. It was his first orchestral composition to have a major public hearing, but oddly enough, young Mr. Barber himself was not in attendance. He was in Europe that summer, and so missed the premiere of his Overture to The School for Scandal, a musical romp inspired by the 18th century English Restoration comedy of the same name by Richard Sheridan.Even before he had left the Curtis Institute of Music, where he pursued a triple major in piano, composition, and voice, Barber had begun winning prizes that enabled him to study abroad. Until the outbreak of the Second World War, Barber's musical career was quite Euro-centric. His School for Scandal Overture, in fact, was written in Italy in 1931. Barber's First Symphony premiered in Rome in 1936, and the following year was played by the Vienna Philharmonic at the 1937 Salzburg Music Festival. That led to stateside performances and commissions from conductors like Bruno Walter and Arturo Toscanini.Music Played in Today's ProgramSamuel Barber (1910 – 1981) School for Scandal Overture Baltimore Symphony; David Zinman, conductor. Argo 436 288
SynopsisBy the time of his death in 1998, pop singer Frank Sinatra was such a domineering figure in his field that he was known as “The Chairman of the Board.” By the time of his death in 1992, the same nickname might have applied to the American composer William Schuman, who was, at various times, director of publications for G. Schirmer, president of the Juilliard School, president of Lincoln Center, and on the board of many other important American musical institutions. William Schuman even looked the part of a distinguished, well-dressed CEO. Oddly enough, he came rather late to classical music.Schuman was born on today's date in 1910, and, as a teenager in New York City, was more interested in baseball than music, even though his dance band was the rage of Washington High School. It was with some reluctance that 19-year old Billy Schuman was dragged to a New York Philharmonic concert conducted by Arturo Toscanini. The program included a symphony by someone named Robert Schumann, and Billy was pretty impressed. A few years later, in 1933, when he heard the First Symphony of the contemporary American composer Roy Harris, Schuman was hooked, and soon was writing concert music himself. By 1941, when his Third Symphony premiered, Schuman was recognized as a major talent, and in 1943 he was awarded the first Pulitzer Prize for Music.Music Played in Today's ProgramWilliam Schuman (1910-1992) Symphony No. 3 New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor. Sony Classical 63163Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856) Symphony No. 1 (Spring) Berlin Philharmonic; James Levine, conductor. DG 435 856Roy Harris (1899-1979) Symphony No. 1 Louisville Orchestra; Jorge Mester, conductor. Albany/Louisville First Edition 012
Synopsis There is an ancient curse, popularly attributed to the Chinese, “May you live in interesting times!” The French composer Etienne-Nicolas Mehul, who was born on this date in 1763, certainly lived and worked in an “interesting” time, politically and musically speaking. His creative life spanned both the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire, and since Mehul live and worked in Paris, he found himself at the epicenter of some extremely “interesting” events. As one of the leading French composers of his day, he was commissioned to write patriotic works for state occasions, and had friends and supporters in high places, including Napoleon himself. His operas, both dramatic and comic, were greatly admired by his contemporaries, although sometimes these proved too “politically incorrect” for the Parisian censors. Beethoven (not always “P-C” himself) was a Mehul fan and borrowed some striking theatrical effects from one of Mehul's operas to use in his own opera, Fidelio. Apparently this admiration – and the borrowing – was reciprocated. The last movement of Mehul's First Symphony (in g minor) shows the impact of Beethoven's dramatic Fifth Symphony (in c minor) of a few years earlier. Music Played in Today's Program Étienne-Nicolas Méhul (1763 - 1817) Symphony No. 1 Les Musiciens du Louvre; Marc Minkowski, conductor. Erato 45026
Synopsis Some famous composers were notorious perfectionists – and then there was Johannes Brahms, the Perfectionist of Perfectionists. He spent 14 years tinkering with the score of his First Symphony, remember. Brahms once claimed he had written and discarded twenty string quartets before publishing his first two in the year 1873. To say Brahms was his own severest critic would be putting it mildly, but there was one other person whose opinion Brahms valued above all others, and that was Clara Schumann, one of the finest pianists of her day, the widow of his mentor Robert Schumann, and a fine composer in her own right. So it comes as no surprise that the Third String Quartet of Brahms, the Quartet in B- flat Major, published as his Opus 67, was first performed as a kind of “test run” at the Berlin home of Clara Schumann on today's date in the year 1876. The performers were the famous Joachim Quartet, led by violinist Joseph Joachim, a long-time friend of Brahms. Unlike his preceding quartets, both austere and introspective works, this one was light-hearted and cheerful – "a useless trifle," as Brahms himself put it, adding it was just his way to "avoid facing the serious countenance of a symphony." Music Played in Today's Program Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897) String Quartet No. 3 in Bb, Op. 67
Synopsis On this date in 1926, a 19-year old composer and sometime silent film piano accompanist named Dimitri Shostakovich saw his First Symphony performed by the Leningrad Philharmonic. It must have been a heady experience for the young composer, who for the past two years had earned a living of sorts accompanying silent films at various Leningrad cinemas. One evening, while accompanying a film titled Swamp and Water Birds of Sweden, the young composer was so carried away by his own improvisations of bird song that he assumed the catcalls and noisy expressions of disapproval from the audience were directed at the film, not at him. Only afterwards was he told the audience had assumed he must have been drunk. In later years, Shostakovich would tell this story with some pride – at least they had noticed his music! The Leningrad Philharmonic's performance of his Symphony, the first of his orchestral works to be performed in public, was a triumph and established Shostakovich as a major new talent. May 12th was a date Shostakovich would commemorate till the end of his life – if for no other reason than he would never again have to improvise piano accompaniment to cinematic masterworks like Swamp and Water Birds of Sweden. Music Played in Today's Program Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975) Symphony No. 1, Op. 10 Cracow Philharmonic; Gilbert Levine, conductor. Arabesque 6610
Synopsis The month of April in the year 1800 was an especially busy one for Ludwig van Beethoven. On the second of April at his first big orchestral concert in Vienna, Beethoven premiered his First Symphony, a new Piano Concerto, and his chamber Septet. Composing, writing out the parts, and rehearsing all that music was no small task. On today's date that same month, Beethoven appeared in Vienna once again, this time as piano accompanist for the popular Bohemian horn virtuoso, Johann Wenzel Stich, who went by the more marketable Italian “stage name” of Giovanni Punto. The pre-concert announcements for the Punto recital promised that Beethoven would contribute a new work for the occasion—but, apparently still recovering from his OWN big concert, Beethoven didn't get around to writing the promised Horn Sonata for Punto until the day before the recital. Beethoven and Punto took the new Sonata with them for a concert in Budapest the following month. The press in Hungary had heard of Punto, but not Beethoven, whose name they didn't even get right: “Who is this Bethover (sic)?” one press notice read, noting (quote): “The history of German music is not acquainted with such a name. Punto, of course, is VERY well known…” Music Played in Today's Program Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) Horn Sonata in F, Op. 17 Hermann Baumann, horn; Leonard Hokanson, piano Philips 416 816
Synopsis On today's date in 1887, Florence Beatrice Smith was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. She would grow up to be the first African-American woman to win widespread recognition as a symphonic composer. All that happened under her married name: Florence Price. Price studied at the New England Conservatory, with the noted American composers Frederick Converse and George Whitefield Chadwick, but settled in Chicago. In 1933, the Chicago Symphony premiered her First Symphony. In 1940, her Third Symphony premiered in Detroit, and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who was in Detroit that week, was so impressed by a rehearsal of Price's symphony that she altered her schedule to stay for that evening's performance, and even wrote about it in her newspaper column, “My Day.” And speaking of Eleanor Roosevelt, on today's date in 1939, which fell on Easter Sunday that year, the First Lady and then Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes arranged for the famous African-American contralto, Marion Anderson, to perform a free, open-air recital at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. 75,000 people attended. Marion Anderson admired Florence Price's work, and sang some of Florence Price's songs, including Songs to the Dark Virgin, a setting of a text by Langston Hughes. Music Played in Today's Program Florence Price (1887 – 1953) Symphony No. 3 The Women's Philharmonic; Apo Hsu, conductor. Koch 7518
Donald Macleod explores the turbulent life of Dmitry Shostakovich, and asks the ultimate question: Who was he? A faithful Soviet lackey… or a secret dissident? Dmitry Shostakovich, like his home country of Russia, was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. From the very beginning of his career, he pushed the boundaries, but under Stalin's stifling regime, experimental artists were enemies of the state, and Shostakovich was at the top of the wanted list. The composer was forced to censor his work and betray his own morals to survive - or was he? Some say Shostakovich was Stalin's faithful lackey; others read dissident messages in his music. This week, Donald Macleod traces five turning points in the composer's career, we start with his First Symphony. Admitted to the Conservatoire while still just a child and battling ill health, his debut made a splash for all the right reasons – and the wrong ones too. Then we hear about the fateful night that Stalin paid a visit to the opera, and Shostakovich's career as a composer was changed forever. After denouncing his music, Stalin offered Shostakovich an opportunity to rescue his reputation however, it comes at great personal cost. The death of Stalin should have meant rebirth for Shostakovich, but once again he finds himself backed into a corner, forced to make a decision that shocks and mystifies those closest to him. Music Featured: Piano Concerto No. 2 In F Major, Op. 102: II. Andante Symphony No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 10: II. Allegro Symphony No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 10: IV. Allegro molto Symphony No. 2 in B Major, Op. 14 “To October” The Nose, Op. 15, Act 2: Scene 6 Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District, Op. 29, Act 2: Scene 5 Symphony No. 4 in C minor, Op. 43: I. Allegretto poco moderato Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op 47: IV. Allegro non troppo Violin Concerto No. 1 In A Minor, Op. 99: I. Nocturne. Moderato From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op.79: III. Lullaby Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67: IV. Allegretto Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93: IV. Andante – Allegro The Gadfly Suite, Op. 97a: VII. Introduction String Quartet String Quartet No. 7 In F. Sharp Minor, Op.108: I Allegretto Hamlet Suite, Op. 116a: Ophelia's Insanity String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110: I. Largo Symphony No. 13 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 113 “Babi Yar”: IV. Fears Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Alice McKee For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001fdx8 And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we've featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
Synopsis Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 1 was first heard on this day in Budapest in 1889, with the 29-year-old composer conducting. Originally billed as a “symphonic poem,” a newspaper in Budapest even printed a detailed program, obviously supplied by Mahler himself. For subsequent performance in Europe, Mahler quickly withdrew these Cliff's Notes to his Symphony. Twenty years later, in December of 1909, Mahler conducted its American premiere at Carnegie Hall, during his first season as music director of the New York Philharmonic. The symphony drew mixed reviews: The New York Times wrote, “There are matters in it, that as absolute music, have no evident significance, and that serve merely to puzzle and perplex.” The critic for the Sun took a dislike to the symphony's finale, suggesting (quote) “when the weather is bad in Tyrol, it is beyond the power of language to characterize.” Mahler's own reactions are recorded in a letter he sent from New York to Bruno Walter back in Europe: “The day before yesterday I did my First Symphony here, without getting much reaction. However, I myself was fairly pleased with that youthful effort… The audiences here are very lovable and relatively better mannered than in Vienna. They listen attentively and very sympathetically. The critics are the same as anywhere else. I don't read any of them.” Music Played in Today's Program Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) Symphony No. 1 in D Minnesota Orchestra; Edo de Waart, cond. Virgin 61258
Synopsis On today's date in 1938, two works by the American composer Samuel Barber received their very high-profile premiere performances on a live, coast-to-coast broadcast by the NBC Symphony conducted by Arturo Toscanini. Toscanini was impressed by Barber's First Symphony, which was performed at the 1937 Salzburg Festival, so Toscanini asked the 25-year old composer for a short orchestral piece, which Toscanini might perform with the newly-formed NBC Symphony. Barber offered Toscanini his pick of two short pieces, and must have been surprised when Toscanini agreed to perform BOTH of them: a newly-composed Essay for Orchestra and Barber's arrangement for full string orchestra of a movement from a String Quartet he had written in 1936. Re-titled Adagio for Strings, it was destined to become Barber's best-known work. Barber's “Adagio” acquired a special resonance during World War Two, as a threnody for America's war dead. It was also performed at the funeral of wartime President Franklin D. Roosevelt. More recently, Barber's Adagio has been used to great effect in several successful films, including “The Elephant Man” and “Platoon.” In a memorial tribute to Barber, American composer Ned Rorem wrote, “If Barber [25 years old when the ‘Adagio' was completed] later aimed higher, he never reached deeper into the heart.” Music Played in Today's Program Samuel Barber (1910-1981) First Essay for Orchestra, Op. 12 Detroit Symphony; Neeme Järvi, cond. Chandos 9053 Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 Berlin Philharmonic; Semyon Bychkov, cond. Philips 434 108
Synopsis On today's date in 1873, a new piece by the German composer Johannes Brahms received its first performance by the Vienna Philharmonic. The piece was titled Variations on a Theme by Haydn, and was a big success at its premiere. Brahms must have heaved a great sigh of relief. For the previous 18 years, Brahms had struggled to complete his First Symphony, unconvinced that he had “the right stuff” to pull it off. In the summer of 1873, he wrote his Haydn Variations as a kind of personal test to see how audiences would react—and to bolster his own confidence. Lucky for us, it worked: Brahms returned to work on his First Symphony and went on to write four symphonies in all! On today's date in 1990, the Fourth Symphony of American composer Lou Harrison received its premiere by the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Much of Harrison's music has been influenced by non-Western traditions, especially the Javanese gamelan music, and his Symphony No. 4 is no exception. Harrison was 73 when this symphony premiered, and he dubbed it his “Last Symphony” —apparently agreeing with Brahms that four was enough. When asked what would happen should he decide to write still another, Harrison quipped, “I'll call it the ‘VERY Last Symphony.” Music Played in Today's Program Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Variations on a theme by Haydn, Op. 56a Cleveland Orchestra; Christoph von Dohnanyi, conductor. Teldec 8.44005 Lou Harrison (1917-2003) Symphony No. 4 (Last Symphony) California Symphony; Barry Jekowsky, conductor. Argo 455 590
Synopsis On today's date in 1944, a 29-year-old American composer named David Diamond had his Second Symphony premiered by the Boston Symphony under the famous Russian conductor Serge Koussevitzky. Diamond says he had written this music for the charismatic Greek maestro Dimitri Mitropoulos, then the music director of the Minneapolis Symphony. “Mitropoulos had given a fine performance of my First Symphony,” said Diamond. “When I showed him the score of the Second he said, ‘you must have the parts extracted at once!' As these were readied, I asked him whether he was planning to perform the work. He then told me he thought he would not stay on in Minneapolis, but said, ‘Why don't you send it to Koussevitzky?' I did so, and Koussevitzky [invited me to a] trial reading at Symphony Hall. When it was over, the orchestra applauded like crazy. Koussevitzky turned to me and said, ‘I will play!'” Successful as Diamond was back in 1944, for many decades thereafter his neo-Romantic symphonic scores were neglected until Gerard Schwartz's CD recordings of some of them with the Seattle Symphony sparked a revival. By then, Diamond was in his 70s, and commented: “The romantic spirit in music is important because it is timeless.” Music Played in Today's Program David Diamond (1915-2005) — Symphony No. 2 (Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond.) Delos 3093
Today we discuss John's first symphony and Walter explains his beverage consumption and debunks the myth that milk drinkers are unhinged. Hint: it's not the milk that makes them unhinged. Bon Apetit! Music: 'John & Friends' by Kevin Hejmanowski https://www.facebook.com/partunes/ glutenisnotyourproblem@gmail.com IG: @glutenisnotyourproblem FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/210939312308157/
Tom Service chooses his favourite recording of William Walton's Symphony No 1 in B flat minor. In 1932, with the spectacular success of Belshazzar's Feast behind him, Walton began his Symphony No 1. But, always a slow worker, the symphony took him two painful years to complete – painful because what lay behind most of the Symphony was the emotional upheaval that came with the end of a relationship. The result was the greatest English symphony of its time, its darkly menacing first movement bursting with seemingly elemental power, is followed by a bitter scherzo marked Presto 'con malizia' ('with malice'), a melancholic slow movement and a joyful major key finale.
By turns majestic, lyrical and iconoclastic, Beethoven's Violin Concerto has been a signature work for Anne-Sophie Mutter ever since it propelled her to fame as a teenager. Riccardo Muti presents it alongside Brahms' First Symphony, another 19th century landmark whose moods come in vast waves, from brooding, restless melancholy to ecstatic joy. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Carl Grapentine in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/21-22/cso-classical/muti-mutter-beethoven-violin-concerto
Synopsis Following the successful premiere of his First Symphony in 1876, the New England composer John Knowles Paine finished a Second, which he gave a German subtitle: “Im Fruehling” or “In Springtime.” In 19th century America, “serious” music meant German music, and “serious” musicians like Paine all studied in Germany. Returning home, Paine became the first native-born American to win acceptance as a symphonic composer, and, accepting a teaching post at Harvard, became that school's first professor of music. On today's date in 1880, when Paine's “Spring” Symphony was premiered at Sanders Theater, the normally staid Bostonians went nuts. One critic who was present, recalled that “ladies waved their handkerchiefs, men shouted in approbation, and the highly respected John S. Dwight, arbiter in Boston of music criticism, stood in his seat frantically opening and shutting his umbrella as an expression of uncontrollable enthusiasm.” Paine's music remained tremendously popular in his own day. In 1883 George Henschel, then the conductor of the Boston Symphony, was sent the following poetic suggestion about his programming: Let no more Wagner themes thy bill enhance And give the native workers just one chance. Don't give that Dvorák symphony a-gain; If you would give us joy, oh give us Paine! Music Played in Today's Program John Knowles Paine (1839 - 1906) — Symphony No. 2 (New York Philharmonic; Zubin Mehta, cond.) New World 350 On This Day Births 1839 - American composer and organist Dudley Buck, in Hartford, Conn.; 1844 - Spanish composer and violinist Pablo de Sarasate, in Pamplona; 1892 - French composer Arthur Honegger, in Le Harve; 1903 - American composer and jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke, in Davenport, Iowa; Deaths 1832 - Italian-born composer Muzio Clementi, age 80, in Evesham, England; 1870 - Czech-born composer and pianist Ignaz Moscheles, age 75, in Leipzig; 1910 - German composer Carl Reinecke, age 85, in Leipzig; 1991 - American composer Elie Siegmeister, age 82, in Manhasset, N.Y.; Premieres 1785 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, K. 467, at the Burgtheater in Vienna, with the composer as soloist; 1837 - Mercadante: opera "Il Giuramento" (The Oath), in Milan; 1875 - Goldmark: opera "Die Königin von Saba" (The Queen of Sheba), in Vienna at the Court Opera (Hofoper); 1877 - Borodin: Symphony No. 2, in St. Petersburg, by the Russian Musical Society, Eduard Nápravik conducting (Julian date: Feb. 26); 1880 - Paine: Symphony No. 2 ("Spring"), at Sanders Theater in Boston, by the Boston Philharmonic, Bernard Listermann conducting; The following day, the orchestra of the Harvard Musical Association performed the same work downtown at Boston's Musical Hall, with Carl Zerrahn conducting; 1888 - Franck: symphonic poem "Pysché," in Paris; 1912 - Gliere: Symphony No. 3 ("Ilya Murometz") in Moscow (Gregorian date: Mar. 23); 1916 - Granados: "Intermezzo & Epilogue," from "Goyescas," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting; 1922 - Loeffler: "Irish Fantasies" (Nos. 2, 3 & 5 only) for voice and orchestra, by the Boston Symphony, with Pierre Monteux conducting and tenor John McCormack the soloist; 1932 - Wallingford Riegger: "Dichotomy" for orchestra, in Berlin; 1952 - David Diamond: Quintet for clarinet and strings, at Town Hall in New York City, by clarinetist David Oppenheim, Nathan Gordon and Lillian Fuchs (violins), and Aaron Twerdowsky and Bernard Greenhouse (cellos); 1963 - Henze: opera "Il re cervo" (The Stag King), in Kassel at the Staatstheater; This is the 2nd version of Henze's opera "König Hirsch" which was first staged in an abridged version in Berlin on September 24, 1956; The complete original version of the opera was eventually staged in Stuttgart on May 7, 1985; 1964 - John Harbison: "Sinfonia," in Cambridge, Mass., with violinist Rose Mary Harbison and the Bach Society Orchestra of Harvard, Gregory Biss conducting; 1977 - John Harbison: "Diotima" for orchestra, in Boston, with the Boston Symphony, Joseph Silverstein conducting; Others 1937 - Frank Capra's film "The Lost Horizon" opens at the Four Stars Theater in Los Angeles, featuring a classic film score composed by Dmitri Tiomkin (and conducted by Max Steiner). Links and Resources On John Knowles Paine More on Paine at Harvard
Synopsis Today marks the birthday of the British composer Ruth Gipps, who lived from 1921 to 1999. She wrote five symphonies, dozens of concertos, chamber works, and vocal scores. Gipps said she found it “difficult to understand young people who don't know what they want to be when they grow up.” She published her first music at 8, and by her twenties had also become a professional oboist and pianist. Her triple career peaked in 1945, when in Birmingham, she performed the Glazunov Piano Concerto on the first half of a concert, then, on the second, played the English horn part in the premiere performance of her own First Symphony. Vaughan Williams was one of her composition teachers, and her music was, like his, firmly based in melody and traditional harmony. Ironically, this counted against her in the years following World War II when music that wasn't atonal and avant-garde was deemed old-fashioned. Even so, in 1981, Gipps was included in the Queen's Honors List, but Dame Ruth probably derived as much pleasure from her MG as her MBE: an avid sports car enthusiast, her obituary noted that, heavily swathed, Gipps enjoyed driving her roadster though whatever the British climate threw at her. Music Played in Today's Program Ruth Gipps (1921 – 1999) — Symphony No. 2, Op. 30 (Munich Symphony Orchestra; Douglas Bostock, cond.) Cameo Classics 9046 (also Classico 274)
A program of rich, Romantic intensity features Rachmaninov's ravishing Second Piano Concerto, performed by the brilliant Czech pianist Lukáš Vondráček. Elgar's Enigma Variations are miniature portraits of friends, family members and the composer himself, alternately noble, yearning and blustery in character. Barber's First Symphony is a mid-century gem, alive with soaring lyricism, bold colors and majestic climaxes. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Steven Rings in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/21-22/cso-classical/alsop-rachmaninov-piano-concerto-no-2
La Prima Sinfonia nasce in un periodo di particolare fertilità compositiva, tanto che venne abbozzata in pochi giorni e completata in meno di un mese, tra il gennaio e il febbraio del 1841. La freschezza creativa, la spensierata leggerezza dei suggelli tematici di quest'opera sono in parte spiegate dai sottotitoli assegnati, e successivamente rimossi, dei vari movimenti: Risveglio della primavera - Sera - Compagni di lieti giochi - Piena primavera, brevi accenni programmatici che, lungi da alcun tipo di descrittivismo bucolico, suggeriscono il sentimento unitario con cui è stata pensata l'intera composizione. The First Symphony was born in a period of particular compositional fertility, so much so that it was drafted in a few days and completed in less than a month, between January and February 1841. The creative freshness, the carefree lightness of the thematic seals of this work are partly explained by the subtitles assigned, and subsequently removed, of the various movements: Spring awakening - Evening - Companions of happy games - Full spring, brief programmatic hints which, far from any kind of bucolic descriptivism, suggest the unitary feeling with which it is the whole composition was thought of. Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856) – Sinfonia n. 1 in si bemolle maggiore "La Primavera", op. 38 1. Andante un poco maestoso - Allegro molto vivace [00:05] 2. Larghetto [09:56] 3. Scherzo. Molto vivace [15:50] 4. Allegro animato e grazioso [21:26] The Cleveland Orchestra George Szell, conductor (recording - october 1958)
The colossal Fifth and reposed Sixth Symphonies of 1808 showed two approaches to the heroic of the genre, and with the near-simultaneous work on the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies, Beethoven seems to continue to be inspired by characteristics that generate two sides of a coin in reshaping the dramatic possibilities of the symphonic genre, this time by “wield[ing] the rapier [Eighth] as well as the hammer [Seventh].” (Lockwood, Beethoven's Symphonies, 172). It is the rapier of wit, drawing on the idea of scherzo, that best characterizes Beethoven's reconsideration of the genre in the last symphony of his so-called Heroic period. One of the most significant developments Beethoven brought to the symphony he had inherited from Haydn and Mozart was to transform the Minuet and Trio movements that typified late eighteenth-century symphonies into Scherzos, which became central to the symphonies of Beethoven and many of his successors. Haydn himself prefigured this evolution in his string quartets, and he would say near the end of his life, “I wish someone would write a really new minuet.” As Elaine Sisman points out, “Although Haydn did not mention them, Beethoven's scherzos are usually considered to be the consummation of Haydn's wish.” (Sisman, “The Spirit of Mozart from Haydn's Hands,” 49.) Scherzos are, by definition, humorous. They thwart conventions—traditionally those of tempo, meter, and phrase length—and in so doing aim to delight, but also bring special attention to the conventions by denying them. This is particularly exemplified in the third movements of Beethoven's First, Second, and Fourth Symphonies, which tend towards a beautiful aesthetic, while the Third, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Symphonies expand and intensify the scherzo even further, with moments suggesting the sublime, essentially consigning the gallantry of the minuet to a faded memory. While the scherzos of these latter symphonies suggest some sublime moments, as a rule they are not designed to overpower through an incomprehensible experience, but rather use the very fact that listeners can understand them by understanding what is unconventional about them, and through such novelty the audience experiences delight. In the Eighth Symphony, Beethoven expanded the scherzo character to encompass the entire symphony. Through unexpected structural twists, surprising rhythms and key relationships, and transparent orchestral textures, this symphony indeed recaptures some of the animating spirit of Beethoven's First Symphony, “a salute to the symphonic ideal of a previous age” (“Beethoven,” Grove Music Online), while at the same time innovates using witty and subtle twists that thwart some of the basic expectations of the symphonic genre, and thereby call them into question for reconsideration, much as had earlier occurred with the scherzo begging reconsideration of the context of the minuet.
Astor Piazzolla, born a century ago, revolutionized the Argentine tango with urbane sophistication. His Aconcagua — named for an Andean mountain — is alternately pensive and streetwise in spirit. Giancarlo Guerrero leads a program bookended by Buxtehude's Chaconne, vibrantly orchestrated by Mexican composer Carlos Chávez, and Beethoven's witty and confident First Symphony. Learn more: cso.org/performances/21-22/cso-classical/guerrero-conducts-piazzolla-and-beethoven/
Astor Piazzolla, born a century ago, revolutionized the Argentine tango with urbane sophistication. His Aconcagua — named for an Andean mountain — is alternately pensive and streetwise in spirit. Giancarlo Guerrero leads a program bookended by Buxtehude's Chaconne, vibrantly orchestrated by Mexican composer Carlos Chávez, and Beethoven's witty and confident First Symphony.
Synopsis On today's date in 1944, a 29-year-old American composer named David Diamond had his Second Symphony premiered by the Boston Symphony under the famous Russian conductor Serge Koussevitzky. Diamond says he had written this music for the charismatic Greek maestro Dimitri Mitropoulos, then the music director of the Minneapolis Symphony. “Mitropoulos had given a fine performance of my First Symphony,” said Diamond. “When I showed him the score of the Second he said, ‘you must have the parts extracted at once!' As these were readied, I asked him whether he was planning to perform the work. He then told me he thought he would not stay on in Minneapolis, but said, ‘Why don't you send it to Koussevitzky?' I did so, and Koussevitzky [invited me to a] trial reading at Symphony Hall. When it was over, the orchestra applauded like crazy. Koussevitzky turned to me and said, ‘I will play!'” Successful as Diamond was back in 1944, for many decades thereafter his neo-Romantic symphonic scores were neglected until Gerard Schwartz's CD recordings of some of them with the Seattle Symphony sparked a revival. By then, Diamond was in his 70s, and commented: “The romantic spirit in music is important because it is timeless.” Music Played in Today's Program David Diamond (1915-2005) — Symphony No. 2 (Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond.) Delos 3093
Join Russell Gant for the last Thursday Concert with the Florida Orchestra for this season featuring TFO's principal trumpet, Robert Smith, playing the much-loved Trumpet Concerto by Haydn. Plus, Daniel Black conducts Beethoven's First Symphony.
Acclaimed musician Kishi Bashi previews his multimedia performance of "Improvisations on EO9066" by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. It explores Japanese internment during WWII.
Synopsis On today's date in 1941, this notice appeared in the “Radio Concerts” section of The New York Times, as the 3pm listing for New York's WABC: “Bernard Herrmann directs the Columbia Symphony in the world premiere of his Symphony No. 1.” The notice also offered these words from the 30-year-old composer: “My symphony was written in my spare time during radio and motion-picture commitments.” Herrmann's First Symphony was a joint commission by the CBS Network and the New York Philharmonic. Herrmann was a very busy young man much in demand in those days: he had composed and conducted music for Orson Welles's radio plays, and in 1940 he wrote his first big film score for “Citizen Kane,” directed by Orson Welles. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, Herrmann would provide the music for classic Alfred Hitchcock thrillers like “Vertigo,” “North by Northwest,” and “Psycho.” But all that was still off in the future back in 1941 – and it's possible the over-worked Herrmann was a little more distracted than usual when conducted that radio premiere of his new symphony: His wife, Lucille, had gone into labor just prior to the broadcast and gave birth to their daughter two hours after the performance. Music Played in Today's Program Bernard Herrmann (1911 – 1975): Symphony No. 1 (National Philharmonic; Bernard Herrmann, cond.) Unicorn-Kanchana 2063
Synopsis On today's date in 1941, this notice appeared in the “Radio Concerts” section of The New York Times, as the 3pm listing for New York's WABC: “Bernard Herrmann directs the Columbia Symphony in the world premiere of his Symphony No. 1.” The notice also offered these words from the 30-year-old composer: “My symphony was written in my spare time during radio and motion-picture commitments.” Herrmann's First Symphony was a joint commission by the CBS Network and the New York Philharmonic. Herrmann was a very busy young man much in demand in those days: he had composed and conducted music for Orson Welles's radio plays, and in 1940 he wrote his first big film score for “Citizen Kane,” directed by Orson Welles. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, Herrmann would provide the music for classic Alfred Hitchcock thrillers like “Vertigo,” “North by Northwest,” and “Psycho.” But all that was still off in the future back in 1941 – and it's possible the over-worked Herrmann was a little more distracted than usual when conducted that radio premiere of his new symphony: His wife, Lucille, had gone into labor just prior to the broadcast and gave birth to their daughter two hours after the performance. Music Played in Today's Program Bernard Herrmann (1911 – 1975): Symphony No. 1 (National Philharmonic; Bernard Herrmann, cond.) Unicorn-Kanchana 2063
Synopsis In 1961, a new and difficult work for strings announced the arrival of a composer with a new and difficult name for non-Polish speakers to pronounce: Krzysztof Penderecki. Having lived as a young man under Nazi occupation and then under Poland's repressive and ultra-conservative Communist regime, it's not surprising, perhaps, that as a young composer Penderecki developed an ultra-modern, rebelliously experimental musical style. The success of his “Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima” made Penderecki famous worldwide. Subsequent choral works, operas, and more experimental orchestral works followed for the next dozen years or so. By 1973, however, he accepted a commission for a symphony and on today's date that year, Penderercki himself conducted the first performance of his First Symphony, with the London Symphony at Peterbourough Cathedral in central England. While his First Symphony remained in his aggressively experimental style, Penderecki would go on to write several more, each in much more conservative musical language, influenced by more traditional composers like Bruckner and Shostakovich. "[My composing in this style],” explained Penderecki, “maybe goes a little back in time, but it goes back in order to go forward. Sometimes it's good to look back and to learn from the past." Music Played in Today's Program Krzysztof Penderecki (b. 1933): Threnody for the Victims for Hiroshima (National Polish Radio Symphony; Antoni Wit, cond.) Naxos 8.554491 Krzysztof Penderecki (b. 1933): Symphony No. 1 (National Polish Radio Symphony; Antoni Wit, cond.) Naxos 8.554567
Synopsis In 1961, a new and difficult work for strings announced the arrival of a composer with a new and difficult name for non-Polish speakers to pronounce: Krzysztof Penderecki. Having lived as a young man under Nazi occupation and then under Poland's repressive and ultra-conservative Communist regime, it's not surprising, perhaps, that as a young composer Penderecki developed an ultra-modern, rebelliously experimental musical style. The success of his “Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima” made Penderecki famous worldwide. Subsequent choral works, operas, and more experimental orchestral works followed for the next dozen years or so. By 1973, however, he accepted a commission for a symphony and on today's date that year, Penderercki himself conducted the first performance of his First Symphony, with the London Symphony at Peterbourough Cathedral in central England. While his First Symphony remained in his aggressively experimental style, Penderecki would go on to write several more, each in much more conservative musical language, influenced by more traditional composers like Bruckner and Shostakovich. "[My composing in this style],” explained Penderecki, “maybe goes a little back in time, but it goes back in order to go forward. Sometimes it's good to look back and to learn from the past." Music Played in Today's Program Krzysztof Penderecki (b. 1933): Threnody for the Victims for Hiroshima (National Polish Radio Symphony; Antoni Wit, cond.) Naxos 8.554491 Krzysztof Penderecki (b. 1933): Symphony No. 1 (National Polish Radio Symphony; Antoni Wit, cond.) Naxos 8.554567
Mahler's Second Symphony begins with the funeral for the hero of his First Symphony. The dramatic music rages with sorrow and anger...but also hope, for life after death.
The final movement culminates in a resolution. The music, also reused in the First Symphony (in the Scherzo “Funeral March in Callot's manner”), is subdued and gentle, lyrical and often reminiscent of a chorale in its harmonies. Its title, “Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz” (“The Two Blue Eyes of my Beloved”), deals with how the image of those eyes has caused the Wayfarer so much grief that he can no longer stand to be in the environment.He describes lying down under a linden tree, allowing the flowers to fall on him. He wishes to return to his life before his travels. He asks that the whole affair had never occurred: “Everything: love and grief, and world, and dreams!” ---A listening guide of Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen – Die Zwei Blauen Augen with Lew Smoley
The final movement culminates in a resolution. The music, also reused in the First Symphony (in the Scherzo “Funeral March in Callot's manner”), is subdued and gentle, lyrical and often reminiscent of a chorale in its harmonies. Its title, “Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz” (“The Two Blue Eyes of my Beloved”), deals with how the image of those eyes has caused the Wayfarer so much grief that he can no longer stand to be in the environment.He describes lying down under a linden tree, allowing the flowers to fall on him. He wishes to return to his life before his travels. He asks that the whole affair had never occurred: “Everything: love and grief, and world, and dreams!” ---A listening guide of Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen – Die Zwei Blauen Augen with Lew Smoley.
The second movement, “Ging heut Morgen übers Feld” (“I Went This Morning over the Field”), contains the happiest music of the work. Indeed, it is a song of joy and wonder at the beauty of nature in simple actions like birdsong and dew on the grass. “Is it not a lovely world?” is a refrain. However, the Wayfarer is reminded at the end that despite this beauty, his happiness will not blossom anymore now that his love is gone.This movement is orchestrated delicately, making use of high strings and flutes, as well as a fair amount of triangle. The melody of this movement, as well as much of the orchestration, is developed into the ‘A' theme of the first movement of the First Symphony.---A listening guide of Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen – Ging Heut' Morgens Über's Feld with Lew Smoley.
The ink was barely dry on the score of his First Symphony in 1888 when Mahler began to toy with the idea of a new large symphonic work in c. The opening movement was soon completed and named Todtenfeier (Funeral Ceremony), but it then languished among his papers until 1891, the year in which he left the Budapest Opera to become conductor in Hamburg. There he attracted the attention of the great conductor Hans von Bulow (1830-1894), well known as a champion of new music. When Mahler played him Todtenfeier on the piano, however, Bulow covered his ears and groaned: “If what I have heard is music, I understand nothing about music. […]Compared with this, Tristan is a Haydn symphony.”---A listening guide of Symphony No. 2 - Intro with Lew Smoley.
In Saint Petersburg on today’s date in 1897 the First Symphony of Sergei Rachmaninoff had its disastrous premiere. Now, there are bad reviews and then there are REALLY bad reviews. When Rachmaninoff opened up a newspaper the next day he read: “If there were conservatory in Hell, and if one of its students were instructed to write a symphony based on the seven plagues of Egypt, and if he were to compose a symphony like Mr. Rachmaninoff's, he would have fulfilled his task brilliantly and delighted the inmates of Hell.” Ouch! What must have really hurt was that the review was written by a fellow composer, Cesare Cui, and the premiere was conducted–poorly, it seems–by another composer colleague, Alexander Glazunov. The whole affair was so painful that Rachmaninoff needed therapy before he could compose again, and when he left Russia for good in 1917, he left the symphony’s manuscript behind, and in the turmoil of the Bolshevik revolution it was lost. The original orchestral parts for the 1897 premiere, survived, however, and they were rediscovered in 1945, two years after Rachmaninoff’s death, and a belated, and this time successful, SECOND performance took place that same year.
In Saint Petersburg on today’s date in 1897 the First Symphony of Sergei Rachmaninoff had its disastrous premiere. Now, there are bad reviews and then there are REALLY bad reviews. When Rachmaninoff opened up a newspaper the next day he read: “If there were conservatory in Hell, and if one of its students were instructed to write a symphony based on the seven plagues of Egypt, and if he were to compose a symphony like Mr. Rachmaninoff's, he would have fulfilled his task brilliantly and delighted the inmates of Hell.” Ouch! What must have really hurt was that the review was written by a fellow composer, Cesare Cui, and the premiere was conducted–poorly, it seems–by another composer colleague, Alexander Glazunov. The whole affair was so painful that Rachmaninoff needed therapy before he could compose again, and when he left Russia for good in 1917, he left the symphony’s manuscript behind, and in the turmoil of the Bolshevik revolution it was lost. The original orchestral parts for the 1897 premiere, survived, however, and they were rediscovered in 1945, two years after Rachmaninoff’s death, and a belated, and this time successful, SECOND performance took place that same year.
Gillian Moore recommends recordings of Mahler's First Symphony
And now, oh how we curse the clouds --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/medusa-oblongata/support
My guest this week is composer, Dr. Matt Browne. Dr. Browne’s music has been described as “witty” and “beautifully crafted and considered.” Among many honors, Dr. Browne is the recipient of the 2017 ASCAP Foundation Rudolf Nissim Prize and has received residencies at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s first annual Composer’s Institute, Mizzou International Composer’s Festival, and the Minnesota Orchestra Composer’s Institute. Since then, Dr. Browne has collaborated with prestigious ensembles such as Minnesota Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, New York Virtuoso Singers, PUBLIQuartet, and Villiers Quartet. The question of the week is,"How can we get audiences excited about new music?" Dr. Browne and I discuss why people have an aversion to new music, the problematic way new music is presented to audiences, how his childhood affects his compositions today, the compositional process and premiere of his First Symphony, and the collaborative dynamic between composer and performer. You can find out more about Dr. Browne at his website, mattbrownecomposer.com, and follow him on Instagram @mattbrownecomposer.
On today’s date in 1933, the Philadelphia Orchestra was performing at its summer home at Robin Hood Dell. Conductor Alexander Smallens led the world premiere performance of a new work by a 23-year-old composer named Samuel Barber. It was his first orchestral composition to have a major public hearing, but oddly enough, young Mr. Barber himself was not in attendance. He was in Europe that summer, and so missed the premiere of his Overture to “The School for Scandal,” a musical romp inspired by the 18th century English Restoration comedy of the same name by Richard Sheridan. Even before he had left the Curtis Institute of Music, where he pursued a triple major in piano, composition, and voice, Barber had begun winning prizes that enabled him to study abroad. Until the outbreak of the Second World War, Barber’s musical career was quite Euro-centric. His “School for Scandal” Overture, in fact, was written in Italy in 1931. Barber’s First Symphony premiered in Rome in 1936, and the following year was played by the Vienna Philharmonic at the 1937 Salzburg Music Festival. That led to stateside performances and commissions from conductors like Bruno Walter and Arturo Toscanini.
On today’s date in 1933, the Philadelphia Orchestra was performing at its summer home at Robin Hood Dell. Conductor Alexander Smallens led the world premiere performance of a new work by a 23-year-old composer named Samuel Barber. It was his first orchestral composition to have a major public hearing, but oddly enough, young Mr. Barber himself was not in attendance. He was in Europe that summer, and so missed the premiere of his Overture to “The School for Scandal,” a musical romp inspired by the 18th century English Restoration comedy of the same name by Richard Sheridan. Even before he had left the Curtis Institute of Music, where he pursued a triple major in piano, composition, and voice, Barber had begun winning prizes that enabled him to study abroad. Until the outbreak of the Second World War, Barber’s musical career was quite Euro-centric. His “School for Scandal” Overture, in fact, was written in Italy in 1931. Barber’s First Symphony premiered in Rome in 1936, and the following year was played by the Vienna Philharmonic at the 1937 Salzburg Music Festival. That led to stateside performances and commissions from conductors like Bruno Walter and Arturo Toscanini.
Plenty of composers wrote more symphonies than Beethoven, but few did more to change the way the symphony sounded. Beethoven's First Symphony reflects the fact that he learned from Mozart and Haydn.
By the time of his death in 1998, pop singer Frank Sinatra was such a domineering figure in his field that he was known as “The Chairman of the Board.” By the time of HIS death in 1992, the same nickname might have applied to the American composer William Schuman, who was, at various times, director of publications for G. Schirmer, president of the Juilliard School, president of Lincoln Center, and on the board of many other important American musical institutions. William Schuman even LOOKED the part of a distinguished, well-dressed CEO. Oddly enough, he came rather late to classical music. Schuman was born on today’s date in 1910, and, as a teenager in New York City, was more interested in baseball than music, even though his dance band was the rage of Washington High School. It was with some reluctance that 19-year old Billy Schuman was dragged to a New York Philharmonic concert conducted by Arturo Toscanini. The program included a symphony by someone named ROBERT Schumann, and Billy was pretty impressed. A few years later, in 1933, when he heard the First Symphony of the contemporary American composer Roy Harris, Schuman was hooked, and soon was writing concert music himself. By 1941, when his Third Symphony premiered, Schuman was recognized as a major talent, and in 1943 he was awarded the first Pulitzer Prize for Music.
By the time of his death in 1998, pop singer Frank Sinatra was such a domineering figure in his field that he was known as “The Chairman of the Board.” By the time of HIS death in 1992, the same nickname might have applied to the American composer William Schuman, who was, at various times, director of publications for G. Schirmer, president of the Juilliard School, president of Lincoln Center, and on the board of many other important American musical institutions. William Schuman even LOOKED the part of a distinguished, well-dressed CEO. Oddly enough, he came rather late to classical music. Schuman was born on today’s date in 1910, and, as a teenager in New York City, was more interested in baseball than music, even though his dance band was the rage of Washington High School. It was with some reluctance that 19-year old Billy Schuman was dragged to a New York Philharmonic concert conducted by Arturo Toscanini. The program included a symphony by someone named ROBERT Schumann, and Billy was pretty impressed. A few years later, in 1933, when he heard the First Symphony of the contemporary American composer Roy Harris, Schuman was hooked, and soon was writing concert music himself. By 1941, when his Third Symphony premiered, Schuman was recognized as a major talent, and in 1943 he was awarded the first Pulitzer Prize for Music.
Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony is the story of a young man beginning his journey through life. In fact, it is Mahler himself, looking at the world with wide-eyed wonder. Originally, he titled the first movement “Spring Without End,” for its depiction of the joys of nature. Guests include Michael Tilson Thomas (San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony), Kent Nagano (Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg State Opera and Philharmonic), William Hudgins (Principal Clarinet, Boston Symphony Orchestra), Marilyn McCoy (Columbia University) and Caroline Kita (Washington University in St. Louis). James Lurie is the voice of Mahler and Laura Gragtmans is the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner.
In the second movement of his First Symphony, Gustav Mahler draws upon the dance music of his youth. As his mood becomes more exuberant, so too, does the music.Guests include Michael Tilson Thomas (San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony), Kent Nagano (Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg State Opera and Philharmonic), Marilyn McCoy (Columbia University), Philip V. Bohlman (University of Chicago), and Christian Glanz (University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna). James Lurie is the voice of Mahler and Laura Gragtmans is the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner.
Early audiences found the third movement of Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony grotesque, macabre and unsettling. Inspired by an engraving entitled “The Huntsman’s Funeral,” Mahler juxtaposes death with humor, incorporating a popular children's melody—a brilliant touch that still delights and spooks audiences today. Guests include William Hudgins (Principal Clarinet, Boston Symphony Orchestra), Dominic Seldis (Principal Bass, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra), Marilyn McCoy (Columbia University), Philip V. Bohlman (University of Chicago), and Christian Glanz (University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna). James Lurie is the voice of Mahler and Laura Gragtmans is the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner.
Some famous composers were notorious perfectionists—and then there was Johannes Brahms, the Perfectionist of Perfectionists. He spent 14 years tinkering with the score of his First Symphony, remember. Brahms once claimed he had written and discarded twenty string quartets before publishing his first two in the year 1873. To say Brahms was his own severest critic would be putting it mildly, but there was one other person whose opinion Brahms valued above all others, and that was Clara Schumann, one of the finest pianists of her day, the widow of his mentor Robert Schumann, and a fine composer in her own right. So it comes as no surprise that the Third String Quartet of Brahms, the Quartet in B-flat Major, published as his Opus 67, was first performed as a kind of "test run" at the Berlin home of Clara Schumann on today's date in the year 1876. The performers were the famous Joachim Quartet, led by violinist Joseph Joachim, a long-time friend of Brahms. Apparently Clara and Joseph liked the new quartet, but Brahms arranged for one more trial run the following month, and probably tinkered with the score right up to its first public performance by the Joachim Quartet in Berlin on October 30, 1876. Brahms had composed his Third Quartet the previous summer, while on vacation, and unlike his preceding two string quartets, both austere and introspective works, this one was light-hearted and cheerful—"a useless trifle," as Brahms himself put it, adding it was just his way to (quote) "avoid facing the serious countenance of a symphony."
Some famous composers were notorious perfectionists—and then there was Johannes Brahms, the Perfectionist of Perfectionists. He spent 14 years tinkering with the score of his First Symphony, remember. Brahms once claimed he had written and discarded twenty string quartets before publishing his first two in the year 1873. To say Brahms was his own severest critic would be putting it mildly, but there was one other person whose opinion Brahms valued above all others, and that was Clara Schumann, one of the finest pianists of her day, the widow of his mentor Robert Schumann, and a fine composer in her own right. So it comes as no surprise that the Third String Quartet of Brahms, the Quartet in B-flat Major, published as his Opus 67, was first performed as a kind of "test run" at the Berlin home of Clara Schumann on today's date in the year 1876. The performers were the famous Joachim Quartet, led by violinist Joseph Joachim, a long-time friend of Brahms. Apparently Clara and Joseph liked the new quartet, but Brahms arranged for one more trial run the following month, and probably tinkered with the score right up to its first public performance by the Joachim Quartet in Berlin on October 30, 1876. Brahms had composed his Third Quartet the previous summer, while on vacation, and unlike his preceding two string quartets, both austere and introspective works, this one was light-hearted and cheerful—"a useless trifle," as Brahms himself put it, adding it was just his way to (quote) "avoid facing the serious countenance of a symphony."
On this date in 1926, a 19-year old composer and sometime silent film piano accompanist named Dimitri Shostakovich saw his First Symphony performed in style by the Leningrad Philharmonic. It must have been a heady experience for the young composer, who for the past two years had earned a living of sorts accompanying silent films at various Leningrad cinemas. One evening, while accompanying a film titled "Swamp and Water Birds of Sweden," the young composer was so carried away by his own improvisations of bird song that he assumed the catcalls and noisy expressions of disapproval from the audience were directed at the film, not at him. Only afterwards was he told the audience had assumed he must have been drunk. In later years, Shostakovich would tell this story with some pride—at least they had noticed his music! The Leningrad Philharmonic's performance of his Symphony, the first of his orchestral works to be performed in public, was a triumph and established Shostakovich as a major new talent. Shostakovich's teacher, Maximillian Steinberg wrote that at rehearsals, Shostakovich was: "in such indescribable raptures from hearing his own music that I found it hard to restrain him from an unbridled display of his feelings." May 12th was a date Shostakovich would commemorate till the end of his life—if for no other reason than he would never again have to improvise piano accompaniment to cinematic masterworks like "Swamp and Water Birds of Sweden."
On this date in 1926, a 19-year old composer and sometime silent film piano accompanist named Dimitri Shostakovich saw his First Symphony performed in style by the Leningrad Philharmonic. It must have been a heady experience for the young composer, who for the past two years had earned a living of sorts accompanying silent films at various Leningrad cinemas. One evening, while accompanying a film titled "Swamp and Water Birds of Sweden," the young composer was so carried away by his own improvisations of bird song that he assumed the catcalls and noisy expressions of disapproval from the audience were directed at the film, not at him. Only afterwards was he told the audience had assumed he must have been drunk. In later years, Shostakovich would tell this story with some pride—at least they had noticed his music! The Leningrad Philharmonic's performance of his Symphony, the first of his orchestral works to be performed in public, was a triumph and established Shostakovich as a major new talent. Shostakovich's teacher, Maximillian Steinberg wrote that at rehearsals, Shostakovich was: "in such indescribable raptures from hearing his own music that I found it hard to restrain him from an unbridled display of his feelings." May 12th was a date Shostakovich would commemorate till the end of his life—if for no other reason than he would never again have to improvise piano accompaniment to cinematic masterworks like "Swamp and Water Birds of Sweden."
Hi everybody! For Episode 21, I traveled to an undisclosed location to interact with comedian Kirk Griffiths. Kirk is the co-host of the Proper Ebonics podcast and a very funny fella. We get a little meta talking about podcasts and comedy, and then I get him feeling a little spooked with some stories about weird stuff that happened in my house growing up. Check Kirk out on Pinterest and other social media, and then go see him perform somewhere!
This week at Orchestra Hall, Dalia Stasevska leads the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in Julia Wolfe’s “Fountain of Youth”, Peter Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and the First Symphony by Jean Sibelius. Stasevska and WRCJ’s Peter Whorf talked about the program in our studios earlier this week. Upon first hearing Tchaikovsky’s concerto, colleague and pianist Nikolai Rubinstein famously rejected the masterwork. Dalia Stasevska wonders why…
Friday, October 11, 2019 join LSO in the fourth year of a five-year journey to perform all nine of Beethoven’s symphonies, leading up to his 250th birthday in 2020. His joyful and effervescent First Symphony begins the evening; after intermission, the LSO embarks upon the victorious and revolutionary Symphony No. 3, the Eroica.
David Cannadine describes himself as “staggeringly lucky”: he found what he wanted to do early in life, and it has rewarded him richly. He is one of our most distinguished historians; his period is the 19th and early 20th century, and he’s written more than twenty books, on Churchill, on class, on the aristocracy - among many others. He’s the editor of the Dictionary of National Biography and the President of the British Academy, and a frequent broadcaster on Radio 4. He was knighted for services to scholarship in 2009. But perhaps the most surprising thing about David Cannadine is that although he was born in Birmingham and his historical research focuses on Britain, he himself lives in America; he’s spent ten years at Columbia University and is currently Professor of History at Princeton. In Private Passions he reflects on how his trans-Atlantic life changes his perspective, and enables him to see both Britain and the US as foreign countries. Although he’s now at the heart of the British establishment, he confesses that he’s always felt an outsider. His childhood in Birmingham was far from privileged, although the grand 19th-century buildings that surrounded him gave him a sense of Victorian grandeur, and his schoolteachers inspired him to aim high. They also inspired his passion for classical music, and many of the choices relate to his childhood and to his years at Cambridge and Yale. David's music includes Haydn’s Creation, Purcell’s King Arthur, Walton’s First Symphony, and Sullivan’s Iolanthe, in a performance of which, somewhat improbably, Sir David sang in the girls’ chorus. A Loftus production for BBC Radio 3 Produced by Elizabeth Burke
MONEY FM 89.3 - Prime Time with Howie Lim, Bernard Lim & Finance Presenter JP Ong
Symphony, a chat and work collaboration platform for the banking industry, has raised $165 million in fresh funds, adding Standard Chartered's SC Ventures and MUFG Innovation Partners – Mitsubishi UFJ Financial’s venture fund – to bolster its global footprint.The platform, developed specifically for the financial services industry, has seen rapid growth since its debut in 2014 and it now wants to expand to new products and markets. Queenie Chan, Head of APAC, Symphony explains.
Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado leads a program of Russian masterworks including Tchaikovsky's First Symphony, which showcases the composer's sense of drama, orchestral color and melody. Simon Trpčeski brings his “electrifying virtuosity” (The London Times) to Rachmaninov's formidable Third Piano Concerto.
Born in 1887, Florence Beatrice Price went on to become one of the first prominent African-American composers. Following a move to Chicago in 1927, her career as a composer took off, not least following the award of several prizes intended to support black composers. This success brought her to the attention of the director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who agreed to give the premiere of her First Symphony in 1933. This represented the first time a major American orchestra had ever performed a piece by an African-American composer. Raymond Bisha introduces a new recording of Price’s First and Fourth Symphonies.
About the Performance: Zubin Mehta launches his Brahms Cycle with the rich, roiling waves of power that are the First Piano Concerto and First Symphony. Joining in is enduring Philharmonic friend and pianistic dynamo Yefim Bronfman. Program: BRAHMS : Piano Concerto No. 1 Intermission BRAHMS : Symphony No. 1 Artists: Los Angeles Philharmonic Zubin Mehta conductor Yefim Bronfman piano FRI / DEC 14, 2018 - 8:00PM Upcoming concerts: www.laphil.com/calendar Upbeat Live schedule, details, and speaker bios: www.laphil.com/ubl
Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård leads two Russian masterpieces: Rachmaninov's powerful First Symphony, imbued with heroism and pathos, and Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto. Alexander Gavrylyuk, a pianist who "enchants with his incredible virtuosity and thought-provoking playing" (De Telegraaf), makes his CSO debut with this monumental work.
“Strauss can be conducted by an orangutan and it still sounds pretty nice. Mahler... not so.” Esa-Pekka Salonen reveals why so many conductors fall in love with Mahler’s enigmatic music. Join us as he brings to life the raucous First Symphony in Leicester, Basingstoke and London next week: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/soloist/63/fray__david
“It’s a wild piece by a wild young man, and should not be treated with any kind of reverence” – Esa-Pekka Salonen shares his thoughts on how provocation turns to nostalgia in Mahler’s First Symphony. Join us in April for a world of klezmer, Austrian countryside and even Frère Jacques – “with a few kicks here and there”: http://bit.ly/2tjbZRe
Jean Sibelius , born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius, was a Finnish composer and violinist of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely recognized as his country's greatest composer and, through his music, is often credited with having helped Finland to develop a national identity during its struggle for independence from Russia. Sibelius started work on his Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39, in 1898 and completed it in early 1899, when he was 33. The work was first performed on 26 April 1899 by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the composer, in an original, well received version which has not survived. After the premiere, Sibelius made some revisions, resulting in the version performed today. The revision was completed in the spring and summer of 1900, and was first performed in Berlin by the Helsinki Philharmonic, conducted by Robert Kajanus on 18 July 1900. The symphony begins with a highly original, rather forlorn clarinet solo backed by subdued timpani. - Wikipedia
Raymond Bisha introduces Boris Giltburg’s latest album of music by Sergei Rachmaninov that features the Études-tableaux Op. 33 and his ever-popular Piano Concerto No. 2. The latter charts a dramatic course: from the passion, darkness and pain of the first movement, through the dreamy idyll of the second, to the unequivocal victory of the finale. This overview might indeed reflect the path of Rachmaninov’s own life: his depression and inability to continue composing following the disastrous première of his First Symphony (ruined by an apparently drunken Glazunov on the conductor’s podium) and his fight to overcome it with the help of a hypnotherapist, one Dr Dahl, to whom the Second Piano Concerto was dedicated.
Andrew Patner's guest is Italian conductor and Rachmaninoff champion Gianandrea Noseda, who made his Chicago Symphony Orchestra debut leading the first-ever CSO performances of Rachmaninoff's 1895 First Symphony [...]
Anyone who has heard Manfred Honeck conduct his own Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in Heinz Hall or in their exemplary recordings on the Exton and Reference Recordings labels will know what a treasure he is for the world of music. This week he will conduct the New York Philharmonic in Beethoven's First Piano Concerto with Inon Barnatan and Mahler's First Symphony. He has made something of a speciality of this composer, a fellow Austrian. His recorded cycle with Pittsburgh now includes Symphonies No. 1, 3, and 5. Maestro Honeck also has special insight into the work of Anton Bruckner, another fellow Austrian. He has so far recorded Bruckner's Fourth Symphony and looks forward to recording the Ninth. In this interview you will learn something about the care and intelligence he puts into preparing his performances and his particular feeling for these great composers. The post Manfred Honeck talks to Michael Miller about Mahler, Bruckner, and Conducting appeared first on New York Arts.
It was on this day in 1865 that Finnish composer Jean Sibelius was born. On today's "A Classical Day in the Life" find out what Sibelius' Seventh Symphony has in common with Samuel Barber's First Symphony and the Doctor Atomic Symphony by John Adams.
"Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen" (Songs of a Wayfarer) is Mahler's first song cycle. While he had previously written other lieder, they were grouped by source of text or time of composition as opposed to common theme. Mahler appears to have begun composing the songs in December 1884 and to have completed them in 1885. He subjected the score to a great deal of revision, however, probably between 1891 and 1896, and some time in the early 1890s orchestrated the original piano accompaniments. As a result of this situation, various discrepancies exist between the different sources. It appears to have been in the orchestral version that the cycle was first performed, in 1896, but possible indications of an earlier, voice-and-piano performance cannot be discounted. The first movement is entitled "Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht" (When My Sweetheart is Married), and the text discusses the Wayfarer's grief at losing his love to another. He remarks on the beauty of the surrounding world, but how that cannot keep him from having sad dreams. The orchestral texture is bittersweet, using double reed instruments, clarinets and strings. The second movement, "Ging heut Morgen übers Feld" (I Went This Morning over the Field), contains the happiest music of the work. Indeed, it is a song of joy and wonder at the beauty of nature in simple actions like birdsong and dew on the grass. "Is it not a lovely world?" is a refrain. However, the Wayfarer is reminded at the end that despite this beauty, his happiness will not blossom anymore now that his love is gone. This movement is orchestrated delicately, making use of high strings and flutes, as well as a fair amount of triangle. The melody of this movement, as well as much of the orchestration, is developed into the 'A' theme of the first movement of the First Symphony. The third movement is a full display of despair. Entitled "Ich hab'ein glühend Messer" (I Have a Gleaming Knife), the Wayfarer likens his agony of lost love to having an actual metal blade piercing his heart. He obsesses to the point where everything in the environment reminds him of some aspect of his love, and he wishes he actually had the knife. The music is intense and driving, fitting to the agonized nature of the Wayfarer's obsession. The final movement culminates in a resolution. The music (also reused in the First Symphony) is subdued and gentle, lyrical and often reminiscent of a chorale in its harmonies. Its title, "Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz" (The Two Blue Eyes of my Beloved), deals with how the image of those eyes has caused the Wayfarer so much grief that he can no longer stand to be in the environment. He describes lying down under a linden tree, allowing the flowers to fall on him. He wishes to return to his life before his travels. He asks that the whole affair had never occurred: "Everything: love and grief, and world, and dreams!". Thomas Hampson Leonard Bernstein & Wiener Philharmoniker
It was on this day in 1865 that Finnish composer Jean Sibelius was born. On today's "A Classical Day in the Life" find out what Sibelius' Seventh Symphony has in common with Samuel Barber's First Symphony and the Doctor Atomic Symphony by John Adams.
Today in 1889 witnessed the premiere of Gustav Mahler's first symphony. The sonic combination of birdsong, peasant dances, arresting melodies, and distant fanfares set the stage for all future works by this late-Romantic composer. Today's "A Classical Day in the Life" explores all of this as well as Mahler's unsettling incorporation of Frère Jacques.
Kickstarter is a website allowing consumers to fund projects, including movies, games, conferences and everything else in between. "Skyrim" composer Jeremy Soule decided to use it to fund writing, recording and performing his Symphony No. 1.
In contrast to his defiant First Symphony, Brahms turned to an overall feeling of cheerfulness for his Symphony No. 2, a subtle work that displays the brilliance of the master composer. With lilting melodies and uplifting harmonies, Brahms's work will remain with you days after the performance. After a stunning NAC debut in fall 2010, young Finnish pianist Juho Pohjonen is back by popular demand, joining the NAC Orchestra for Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21, a work often referred to as the Elvira Madigan Concerto after its limpid sounds were used in the popular 1967 Swedish film of the same title.
This week's episode of the NACOcast looks at Beethoven's First Symphony. American conductor James Gaffigan is Christopher's guest. Chris and James analyze the harmonies employed in the introduction of the first movement and continue with a discussion of the sonata form.
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