DOCSLIB.ORG

UNT Digital Library

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
UNT Digital Library /Y, // A HISTORICAL AND STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF THE SONATA, OP. 31, NO. 2, IN D MINOR OF BEETHOVEN THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of the North Texas State Teachers College in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF MUSIC By H. Allen Craw, B. A. Keene, Texas August, 1948 154I T ABLE 01 CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES . .. iv LISTuOF ILLUSTR.TIONS .*a.0 . * * . ... 0* V Chapter I. THE PERIOD OF BEETHOVEN IN MUSIC HISTORY General Historical Background A Consideration of Some Contemporaries II. ThE PERIOD OF THIS SONATA IN BEETHOVEN'S CREATIVE ACTIVITY 10 III. THE PIANO OF BEETHOVEN'S DAY AND ITS INFLUENCE ON ThI SONATA . 17 Introduction Range Action Tension Pedals How the Piano of Beethoven's Time Affected This Sonata IV. GENERAL ASPECTS OF STYLE . 30 Mood or Character Tempo Dynamics Ornamentation Variants in the Text Piano Idiom V. ANALYSIS OF FORM . 48 Introduction The First Movement - Largo -Alle0 The Second Movement - Adagio The Third Movement - Allegretto BIBLIOGRAPHY . 71 iii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Structural uiagram of the First Novement . 58 2. Structural Diagram of the second Movement . 62 3. Structural Diagram of the Third Movement . 69 iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Measures 1-7, lst movement, sonata, Op. 40, No. 2, Clementi. 7 2. System of Pitch Notation Used in This Thesis . 18 3. bars 92-93, 1st Movement of Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2 of Beethoven . * . 24 4. bars 59-63, lst Movement, Sonata, Op. 31, Ao. 2, Beethoven . .. 25 5. bars 189-192, 1st Movement, sonata, Op. 31, No. 2, Beethoven ..0.00 . 25 6. Bars 307-313, 3rd xviovement, Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2, Beethoven . 7. Bars 79-85, 3rd Movement, Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2, Beethoven . .0 . 27 8. Bar 6, 1st Movement, Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2, Beethoven . ... 0. 9. Turns from 2nd Movement of Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2, Beethoven, as Realized by Casella (a), and BUlow-Lebert (b) 40 10. Turn from Bar 20, 2nd Movement, Sonata, Op. Pi, No. 2, Beethoven, Realized by Bulow-Lebert . .*.0. 40 11. Bars 23-24, 2nd Movement, Sonata, Op. 31 No. 2, Beethoven, as Arranged by Klindworth . *.. 43 12. Bar 51, 2nd Movement, Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2, Beethoven, as Arranged by Henselt . .0*0. 44 V Figure Page 13. Bars 13-16, 1st Movement, Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2, Beethoven, as Divided between the Two Hands . 45 14. Bars 97-99, 1st Movement, Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2, Beethoven - - . 45 15. Bars 161-162, 1st Movement, Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2, Beethoven . 46 16. Bars 1-3, 2nd Movement, Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2, Beethoven . 59 17. Bars 126-128, 1st Movement, Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2, at a, and Bars 23-25, 2nd Movement, same~Sonata, at b, Beethoven . - - - - - - - . - . 60 18. Bars 43-51, 3rd Movement, Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2, Beethoven 0 . -. 64 vi CHAPTER I THE PERIOD OF BEETHOVEN IN MUSIC HISTORY General Historical Background The period in musical history which includes the last few years of the eighteenth century and the first years of the nineteenth century was a decided turning point in the evolution of the art of music. It is just at this time that Beethoven comes onto the musical horizon to lead or point the way to the new possibilities inherent in music when it is freed from the rigid rules that had bound it. This period in general history is the period of the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and the American Revolution. It is the period that shows the slow rise of the lower and middle classes in a democratic spirit which pointed to greater freedom and liberty in all spheres of human activity. The leaven which had caused the French Revolution and other upheavals of the people to secure greater freedom of thought and action appears to have been working in the field of music also. The last half of the eighteenth century and the early years of the nineteenth century is that period 1 2 known in musical history as the Classical Period. It is not important that we set definite dates to mark its beginning and ending. It is, however, important to know the trend of musical thought during that period. The music of this period is characterized as objective, showing emotional restraint, polished, refined, having mastery of form, and possessing clarity of phrasing. Its harmony shows remark- able simplicity. Many passages of instrumental works con- sisted almost solely of the primary triads. Seventh chords were used sparingly and ninth chords scarcely at all. On the whole the harmonic content of the works of the Classical Period is much less complex than the harmonic material used in the works of J. S. Bach. The melody of this music is also markedly simple and often folk-like in its clarity. In regard to form, the majority of instrumental works were cast in the sonata form. In the main the entire range of instrumental music of this period is bound by the rules and conventions which had grown up around the forms in use so that one could expect that the first subject in a sonata-allegro movement would be in the tonic key, and the second subject would be in the dominant key or in the relative minor. Everything was restrained and conventionalized so that no freedom was given to the imagination of the composer. His thoughts were expected to conform to the patterns then in use. 3 It is at the end of the eighteenth century that we see this leaven of unrest and desire for freedom of ideas made manifest for the first time in music. It is then that the first seeds of the Romantic Movement begin to spring into life. As in the other arts of literature and painting, the Romantic Movement in music possessed a spirit of discontent for the artistic formulae and conventions of the immediate past. Composers felt a need for and demanded more freedom of thought and ideas. They called for new forms in which to express the ideas that clamored for expression in their souls. Music for them must express personal feelings; it must be subjective; it must not be shackled by useless rules concerning its form, content, and phraseology. In order to express more fully their own individuality they must be given free reign to compose how and what they liked. They must search out new harmonic and tonal possibilities. It is just at this turning point in the stream of musical history that Beethoven comes on the stage of action. He comes at the time when the transition from the Classical to the Romantic Period takes place. It is neither possible to catalog his works as belonging to the Classical Period, nor to the Romantic Period. With respect to the forms used., Beethoven could be considered a classicist because he made great use of the sonata form as a vehicle of expression for his thoughts. It is the way in which Beethoven uses the 4 sonata form that makes him, to some degree at least, a romanticist. In any case, it was Beethoven who paved the way for the flowering of Romanticism by the composers immediately following him. It was he who first put imagina- tive content and soul into music. In fact his early works in the field of programme music are quite notable. A Consideration of Some Contemporaries In order to understand to the fullest degree the com- positions of any composer, it is always well to consider the works of contemporary composers. By so doing, one may see things in their proper perspective and not be tempted to over or underestimate the worth of the composition or compositions under consideration. Franz J y (1732-1809) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791).--The two composers of this period who have won undying fame for writing great music are Haydn and Mozart. It is not because of the sonatas for piano of either man, however, that their reputation was established. The sonatas of both Haydn and Mozart are works that are not too definitely written in the piano idiom. They could have just as well been written for the harpsichord. While it is true that the early sonatas of Beethoven are reminiscent of the sonatas of Haydn, it is also true that the sonatas of Haydn are not compositions that can be very favorably compared to those of Beethoven. The Sonata 5 in D major of Haydn has many dynamic changes and heavy accents which make it to some extent comparable to the Beethoven sonatas. It is in other fields, such as the symphony and chamber music, that Haydn is at his best. Mozart is not at his greatest in his sonatas for the piano. He wrote some nineteen of them, of which the Sonatas in C minor, K.V. 457; in A major, K.V. 331; in D major, K.V. 576; and in D major, K.V. 284 are among the greatest. Mozart is known, however, more for his symphonic works, his chamber music, and his piano concertos than for his piano sonatas. It was then neither Haydn nor Mozart who really developed the first truly piano style. It is to the two composers to be discussed next that credit is due to at least a certain degree for the first establishment of a true piano idiom. These two composers, Clementi and Dussek, it will be seen, were known to write excellently for the key- board. Their works are always pianistic, but they lack the spark of genius, the soul that Beethoven put into his sonatas.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • La Generazione Dell'ottanta and the Italian Sound
    LA GENERAZIONE DELL’OTTANTA AND THE ITALIAN SOUND A DISSERTATION IN Trumpet Performance Presented to the Faculty of the University of Missouri-Kansas City in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS by ALBERTO RACANATI M.M., Western Illinois University, 2016 B.A., Conservatorio Piccinni, 2010 Kansas City, Missouri 2021 LA GENERAZIONE DELL’OTTANTA AND THE ITALIAN SOUND Alberto Racanati, Candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2021 ABSTRACT . La Generazione dell’Ottanta (The Generation of the Eighties) is a generation of Italian composers born in the 1880s, all of whom reached their artistic maturity between the two World Wars and who made it a point to part ways musically from the preceding generations that were rooted in operatic music, especially in the Verismo tradition. The names commonly associated with the Generazione are Alfredo Casella (1883-1947), Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882-1973), Ildebrando Pizzetti (1880-1968), and Ottorino Respighi (1879- 1936). In their efforts to create a new music that sounded unmistakingly Italian and fueled by the musical nationalism rampant throughout Europe at the time, the four composers took inspiration from the pre-Romantic music of their country. Individually and collectively, they embarked on a journey to bring back what they considered the golden age of Italian music, with each one yielding a different result. iii Through the creation of artistic associations facilitated by the fascist government, the musicians from the Generazione established themselves on the international scene and were involved with performances of their works around the world.
    [Show full text]
  • CLEMENTI: Piano Concerto • Two Symphonies, Op
    NAXOS NAXOS These four works are among the few surviving examples of Muzio Clementi’s early orchestral music. The two Symphonies, Op. 18 follow Classical models but are full of the surprise modulations and dynamic contrasts to be found in his piano sonatas. The Piano Concerto has a dazzling solo part and some delightful orchestral touches. Clementi’s Symphonies Nos. 1-4 can be heard on Naxos 8.573071 and 8.573112. CLEMENTI: DDD CLEMENTI: Muzio 8.573273 CLEMENTI Playing Time (1752-1832) 58:19 Piano Concerto in C major, Op. 33, No. 3 21:19 7 1 Allegro con spirito 9:30 Piano Concerto • Two Symphonies, Op. 18 Two Piano Concerto • Symphonies, Op. 18 Two Piano Concerto • 2 Adagio cantabile, con grande espressione 5:27 4 7 3 Presto 6:22 3 1 3 4 Minuetto pastorale in D major, WO 36 3:57 3 2 7 Symphony in B fl at major, Op. 18, No. 1 (1787) 16:27 3 5 Allegro assai 4:57 7 6 Un poco adagio 4:37 7 Minuetto (Allegretto) and Trio 4:05 9 www.naxos.com ൿ 8 Allegro assai 2:48 Made in Germany Commento in italiano all’interno Booklet Notes in English & Symphony in D major, Op. 18, No. 2 (1787) 16:36 Ꭿ 9 Grave – Allegro assai 5:49 2014 Naxos Rights US, Inc. 0 Andante 3:12 ! Minuetto (Un poco allegro) and Trio 3:19 @ Allegro assai 4:15 Bruno Canino, Piano Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma Francesco La Vecchia Recorded at the Auditorium di Via Conciliazione, Rome, 28th-29th October 2012 (tracks 1-3) and at the OSR 8.573273 Studios, Rome, 27th-30th December 2012 (tracks 4-12) • Producer: Fondazione Arts Academy 8.573273 Engineer and Editor: Giuseppe Silvi • Music Assistant: Desirée Scuccuglia • Booklet notes: Tommaso Manera Release editor: Peter Bromley • Cover: Paolo Zeccara • Publishers / Editions: Editori s.r.l., Albano Laziale, Rome (tracks 1-3, edited by Pietro Spada); Suvini Zerboni, Milan (track 4); Johann André, Offenbach am Main / Public Domain (tracks 5-8); Jean-Jérôme Imbault, Paris / Public Domain (tracks 9-12) 88.573273.573273 rrrr CClementilementi • 3_EU.indd3_EU.indd 1 119/05/149/05/14 112:022:02.
    [Show full text]
  • Johann Nepomuk Hummel's Transcriptions
    JOHANN NEPOMUK HUMMEL´S TRANSCRIPTIONS OF BEETHOVEN´S SYMPHONY NO. 2, OP. 36: A COMPARISON OF THE SOLO PIANO AND THE PIANO QUARTET VERSIONS Aram Kim, B.M., M.M. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2012 APPROVED: Pamela Mia Paul, Major Professor Clay Couturiaux, Minor Professor Gustavo Romero, Committee Member Steven Harlos, Chair, Division of Keyboard Studies John Murphy, Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Music James Scott, Dean of the College of Music Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Kim, Aram. Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s Transcriptions of Beethoven´s Symphony No. 2, Op. 36: A Comparison of the Solo Piano and the Piano Quartet Versions. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), August 2012, 30 pp., 2 figures, 13 musical examples, references, 19 titles. Johann Nepomuk Hummel was a noted Austrian composer and piano virtuoso who not only wrote substantially for the instrument, but also transcribed a series of important orchestral pieces. Among them are two transcriptions of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36- the first a version for piano solo and the second a work for piano quartet, with flute substituting for the traditional viola part. This study will examine Hummel’s treatment of the symphony in both transcriptions, looking at a variety of pianistic devices in the solo piano version and his particular instrumentation choices in the quartet version. Each of these transcriptions can serve a particular purpose for performers. The solo piano version is an obvious virtuoso vehicle, whereas the quartet version can be a refreshing program alternative in a piano quartet concert.
    [Show full text]
  • Piano Music in Italy During the Fascist Era
    PIANO MUSIC IN ITALY DURING THE FASCIST ERA by KARIN MARIA DI BELLA .Mus., The University of Western Ontario, 1994 Mus., Washington University in St. Louis, 1996 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (School of Music) We accept this thesis as conforming tp—^-fre-^required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA January 2002 © Karin Maria Di Bella, 2002 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department The University of Vancouver, Canada Date DE-6 (2/88) Abstract This thesis investigates Italian instrumental music (specifically piano music) during the two decades between the two World Wars, the period of Italian fascism under Mussolini's rule. After two centuries of opera domination in that country, instrumental music, especially an up-to- date brand of it, was sorely lacking. A number of composers recognized this need and began to effect changes in the instrumental music scene, some with more success than others. Most of these composers are not well known to the general music public today. The pressing question is, to what extent the fascist government and its culture had an effect on the development of music during this period.
    [Show full text]
  • 550533-34 Bk Mahler EU
    CASELLA Divertimento for Fulvia Donatoni Music for Chamber Orchestra Ghedini Concerto grosso Malipiero Imaginary Orient Orchestra della Svizzera italiana Damian Iorio Alfredo Casella (1883-1947): Alfredo Casella (1883-1947) • Franco Donatoni (1927-2000) Divertimento per Fulvia (Divertimento for Fulvia), Op. 64 (1940) 15:21 Giorgio Federico Ghedini (1892-1965) • Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882-1973) 1 I. Sinfonia (Overture). Allegro vivace e spiritoso, alla marcia 2:05 2 II. Allegretto. Allegretto moderato ed innocente 1:42 ‘A crucial figure: few modern musicians in any country can advised Casella’s parents that to find tuition that would do 3 II. Valzer diatonico (Diatonic Waltz). Vivacissimo 1:43 compare with him for sheer energy, enlightenment and justice to his talent, they would need to send him abroad. persistence in his many-sided activities as leader, 1896 was a watershed in Casella’s life: his father died, 4 VI. Siciliana. Molto dolce e espressivo, come una melodia popolare (Very sweet and expressive, like a folk melody) 2:25 organiser, conductor, pianist, teacher and propagandist – after a long illness; and he moved to Paris with his mother one marvels that he had any time left for composing.’ The to study at the Conservatoire. Casella was to remain in 5 V. Giga (Jig). Tempo di giga inglese (English jig time) (Allegro vivo) 1:54 musician thus acclaimed by the English expert on Italian Paris for almost twenty years, cutting his teeth in the most 6 VI. Carillon. Allegramente 1:05 music John C.G. Waterhouse was Alfredo Casella – who dynamic artistic milieu of the time as pianist, composer, 7 VII.
    [Show full text]
  • Moderate Modernism As the Third Way in the Opus of Alfredo Casella
    Spaić, M.: Moderate Modernism as the Third Way in the Opus of Alfredo Casella Article received on March 23rd 2020 Article accepted on June 5th 2020 Original scientific paper UDC: 78.071.1 Касела А. Maša Spaić* Junior Researcher, PhD student University of Arts in Belgrade Faculty of Music Department of Musicology MODERATE MODERNISM AS THE THIRD WAY IN THE OPUS OF ALFREDO CASELLA1 Abstract: The work of an artist is related to society, politics, and ideology, which are important aspects of the context in which the work of art is created. The multi-layered relationship between art/music and society/politics can especially be seen when we consider neoclassicism, which was for decades after the Second World War in litera- ture defined as a stylistic movement in the service of the ruling (totalitarian) regimes. Consequently, authors of neoclassical works were criticised for returning to tradition and order, and their works for reducing expressive means. Among them, the name of Italian composer Alfredo Casella stands out, whose works were criticised because of their alleged coherence with the aesthetic requirements of the regime. Starting from the hypothesis that neoclassicism is a modernist movement, I will examine the third period of Casella’s work in the context of moderate modernism, as a third way between the aesthetic requirements of the regime and modernistic expression that was charac- teristic of the composers’ earlier period. Keywords: Alfredo Casella, Neoclassicism, moderate modernism, instrumental music The work of an artist is related to society, politics, and ideology, which are important aspects of the context in which a work of art is created.
    [Show full text]
  • Composers and Publishers in Clementi's London
    Open Research Online The Open University’s repository of research publications and other research outputs Composers and publishers in Clementi’s London Book Section How to cite: Rowland, David (2018). Composers and publishers in Clementi’s London. In: Golding, Rosemary ed. The Music Profession in Britain, 1780-1920: New Perspectives on Status and Identity. Music in Nineteenth-Century Britain. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 32–52. For guidance on citations see FAQs. c 2018 The Author https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Version: Accepted Manuscript Link(s) to article on publisher’s website: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781351965750/chapters/10.4324%2F9781315265001-3 Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk 1 Composers and publishers in Clementi’s London David Rowland (The Open University) Clementi was in London by April 1775 and from then until shortly before his death in March 1832 he was involved with the capital’s music publishing industry, first as a composer, but also from 1798 as a partner in one of Europe’s largest and most important music-publishing firms.1 During the course of his career London’s music-publishing industry boomed and composers responded by producing regular streams of works tailored to the needs of a growing musical market. At the same time copyright law began to be clarified as it related music, a circumstance which significantly affected the relationship between composers and publishers.
    [Show full text]
  • Alfredo Casella's Serenata, Op. 46, a Performance Guide for The
    ALFREDO CASELLA’S SERENATA, OP. 46, A PERFORMANCE GUIDE FOR THE ENSEMBLE AND TRUMPET PART Brian Matthew Walker, B.M., M.M. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2011 APPROVED: John Holt, Major Professor and Chair of the Division of Instrumental Studies Clay Couturiaux, Minor Professor Keith Johnson, Committee Member Lynn Eustis, Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Music James C. Scott, Dean of the College of Music James D. Meernik, Acting Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Walker, Brian Matthew. Alfredo Casella’s Serenata, op. 46, A Performance Guide for the Ensemble and Trumpet Part. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), May 2011, 37 pp., 28 examples, 1 table, references, 43 titles. Alfredo Casella’s Serenata, op. 46 for clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, violin and cello is a composition that received great acclaim at the time of its conception, it is all but unknown to modern audiences and performers. The Serenata has several historical influences from the French and Italian Baroque and Classical periods. At present, there is limited scholarship regarding the Serenata op. 46. The first section of this study presents a survey of historical information, current literature and methods of examination. The second section compares movements of the Serenata op. 46 to other historical forms of similar design. The third section provides a performance guide for the trumpeter and ensemble. Implications and suggestions for performance of the composition are provided for the trumpeter. This performance guide provides the trumpeter and ensemble with performance information to help facilitate an informed performance.
    [Show full text]
  • Alfredo Casella and "'!He Montjoie! Affair"
    Alfredo Casella and "'!he Montjoie! Affair" Francesco Parrino Although John C. G. Waterhouse described him as "the most influentially innovative figure in Italian music between the two world wars,"l the composer Alfredo Casella (1883-1947) occupies a rather shadowy place in the history of twentieth-century music. Casella has fallen into oblivion for various reasons, but what lies behind most of these reasons is the fact that Italians still find it hard to deal detachedly with their Fascist past. In fact, during Mussolini's dictatorship Casella While researching and writing this paper I benefited from the invaluable advice of many scholars, mentors, and friends; I am especially grateful to my supervisor Erik Levi, and to Amanda Glauert, Roger Parker, Francesco Solitario, Richard Taruskin, and Janet Waterhouse. I am also indebted to Renato Badall for letting me hear a rare recording of Casella's "Notte di Maggio" (whichis kept in his extraordinarily rich sound archive), as well as to Arbie Orenstein for making me aware ofinteresting details concerning the intellectual links between Canudo and Ravel. I must also express my deep gratitude to Giovanni Morelli of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, and to Ulrich Mosch of the Paul Sacher Stiftung, Basel, for allowing me to study important primary sources related to Casella and Stravinsky. Last but not least, many thanks to Sarah Bruce and Cristiano Ostinelli ofBMG-Ricordi for providing me with a perusal score of "Notte di Maggio" as well as for giving copyright clearance for the music examples. My research was supported by the University of London Central Research Found, which awarded me a grant to visit various Italian libraries and archives in the spring of 2004.
    [Show full text]
  • Program Notes | Friday, February 21, 2020
    PROGRAM NOTES | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020 LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN There is a transcription for piano and Born in Bonn, Germany, December 16, 1770 orchestra of the famous D Major Violin Died in Vienna, Austria, March 26, 1827 Concerto that Beethoven wrote out on a commission from Muzio Clementi’s The Five Beethoven Piano Concertos London publishing house, but this work is a at the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, curiosity done without much commitment February 21 and 23, 2020 from Beethoven. A couple of juvenilia By Don Reinhold, CEO, Wichita Symphony compositions exist mostly in fragments. There are even sketches from around 1816 The five piano concertos of Ludwig van of a first movement for what would have Beethoven are familiar works to regular been the sixth concerto, but Beethoven concertgoers. Even at a regional orchestra abandoned this work. such as Wichita’s, performances of all five as individual works would be typical over Following in Mozart’s footsteps, Beethoven a decade. Hearing them in chronological wrote his concertos as vehicles to display his sequence over a single weekend is rare keyboard virtuosity, which, as we’ll see, was and unusual, but appropriate this year accomplished up until his Fifth Concerto. It that marks the 250th anniversary of was only after “playing them around” a few Beethoven’s birth on December 16. While times for personal benefit that he sent them a few other orchestras will accomplish the off to publishers. feat this year with a single soloist or with five different soloists, Wichita is privileged Beethoven’s model and point of departure to enjoy performances by Stewart were the piano concertos of Mozart, Goodyear, regarded by many as one of especially those composed during Mozart’s today’s leading interpreters in the world of Viennese years, 1784 - 1791.
    [Show full text]
  • Pro-Musica Quarterly (1923-1929) Copyright © 2003 RIPM Consortium Ltd Répertoire International De La Presse Musicale (
    Introduction to: Eric Jensen, Pro-Musica Quarterly (1923-1929) Copyright © 2003 RIPM Consortium Ltd Répertoire international de la presse musicale (www.ripm.org) Pro-Musica Quarterly (1923-1929) The Pro-Musica Quarterly was published in New York City and was the official journal of the Pro-Musica Society. Its first issue appeared in September 1923, the last in October 1929. Publication was irregular: no issue of the journal appeared for the summer of 1924; combined issues appeared for the spring and summer of 1926 and 1929. Founded in 1920 as the Franco-American Musical Society Incorporated, the primary goal of the group was to facilitate greater understanding between France and the United States. In that sense it differed little from numerous organizations which were created following the First World War. But what soon came to distinguish it was its emphasis on the arts as a means both of stimulating cultural growth and of sparking interest in the work of contemporary French and American composers. The dominant force behind both the Pro-Musica Society and its journal was Elie Robert Schmitz.1 Schmitz was born in Paris in 1889 and died in San Francisco at the age of sixty. He studied both piano and violin at the Paris Conservatory, winning a first prize in piano in 1910. The following year Schmitz and his wife, Germaine, created the Association Musicale Modeme et Artistique, an organization which specialized in contemporary chamber and orchestral music. In 1914 the association became the Association de Concerts Schmitz. Part of the repertory included Schmitz' s popular lecture-recitals, "Musical Geography." These were programs that focused on the music of a particular region.
    [Show full text]
  • UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Clementi's Didone abbandonata Piano Sonata Op.50, No. 3 Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9fq5j8jj Author Ha, Young Ah Publication Date 2012 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Clementi’s Didone abbandonata Piano Sonata Op. 50, No. 3 A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Musical Arts by Young Ah Ha 2012 © Copyright by Young Ah Ha 2012 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Clementi’s Didone abbandonata Piano Sonata Op. 50, No. 3 by Young Ah Ha Doctor of Musical Arts University of California, Los Angeles, 2012 Professor Antonio Lysy, Chair Muzio Clementi was a highly respected keyboard musician and composer who also made a significant contribution to the physical development of the pianoforte. Unfortunately, his musical contributions are overshadowed today by those of his contemporaries Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. This paper will re-emphasize Clementi’s historical reputation and works, especially his only programmatic instrumental music and one of the late piano sonatas, Didone abbandonata. Clementi titled his last sonata (Op. 50, No. 3, published 1821) after Metastasio’s often-set opera libretto of the same name. Clementi responds to the tragic story of Virgil’s heroine as it is presented in this libretto. As a work of instrumental music, this sonata does not have the benefit of any verbal laments, nor did Clementi borrow from the music produced for its various settings by other composers. Clementi’s late three piano sonatas, Op.
    [Show full text]