MUSICAL MEDITATIONS: CELEBRATING CLASSICAL MUSIC

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

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Songs without Words………………………………………...…. Op. 19, No. 1: Andante con moto Op. 19, No. 4: Moderato Op. 102, No. 3: Presto

Sonata Op. posth. 164, D. 537…………………..…………………Franz Schubert Allegro, ma non troppo Allegretto, quasi Andantino Allegro vivace

Karen Harvey,

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Thank you for tuning in to today’s musical meditation. Please consider joining us next week, which will feature music of Bach, Copland, Satie and Griffes. Notes on today’s music

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (February 3, 1809 – November 4, 1847), a.k.a. Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonies, concertos, piano music, organ music and . His best-known works include the and incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream (containing the famous Wedding March), the Italian Symphony, the Scottish Symphony, the oratorio St. Paul, the oratorio , the overture , the mature Violin Concerto and the String . The melody for the Christmas carol "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" is also his. are his most famous solo piano compositions. A grandson of the philosopher , Felix Mendelssohn was born into a prominent Jewish family, and though he was recognised early as a musical prodigy, his parents were cautious and did not seek to capitalise on his talent. Mendelssohn enjoyed early success in Germany, and singlehandedly revived interest in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach with his performance of the St. Matthew Passion in 1829. He became well received in his travels throughout Europe, and his ten visits to Britain – during which many of his major works were premiered – form an important part of his adult career. Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatory, and is now among the most popular composers of the Romantic era.

Franz Peter Schubert was born in Vienna, Austria on January 31, 1797, and was the twelfth of fourteen children of parents Franz and Maria, though nine of the children died in infancy. His early musical education was from his father and then his older brother; he learned remarkably quickly and soon far exceeded their abilities. It was the famed composer Antonio Salieri who took Schubert under his wing and advanced his musical and technical talents. Along the way, Schubert made a living as a schoolteacher, though he composed at a furious rate; known as ‘The Prince of Song” for his nearly 600 vocal compositions, he also wrote works for orchestra, string quartet and piano, and slowly gained renown when several of these were published. In 1822, Schubert made the acquaintance of Beethoven, who is said to have acknowledged the younger man's gifts on a few occasions. On his deathbed, Beethoven looked into some of the younger man's works and exclaimed: "Truly, the spark of divine genius resides in this Schubert!" and also reportedly predicted that Schubert "would make a great sensation in the world." In only 31 years, Schubert did just that, succumbing to illness (probably syphilis or mercury poisoning, its then cure) on November 19, 1828. The last musical work he had wished to hear was Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131; Karl Holz, a violinist and friend, commented: "The King of Harmony has sent the King of Song a friendly bidding to the crossing".