This 8thVolume in the Musical Musings series of articles about classical music
continues with selected compositions in the genre of the symphony. As in Part
One (Musical Musings Volume II –
Symphonies Part One) there are well known works represented in addition to
works that are less well known.
The
symphony evolved over many years, and this volume includes a symphony by one of
the first acknowledged composers who wrote in the form, Giovanni Sammartini,
who began writing symphonies as early as 1732.
So the symphony as a form has been around for nearly 300 years.
There
are 50 works included from 26 different composers, including two women
composers; the American Mrs. H.H.A Beach and the British Alice Mary
Smith. As with the rest of the
volumes in the series, there are links to performances of the works that are
discussed included at the end of each article.
I invite one and all to visit Musical Musings, the blog
where these articles first appeared.
Happy listening!
Alan Beggerow
The history of
concerted music for orchestra and one or more soloists is a long one, beginning
with the early Baroque period (beginning roughly in 1600) to the modern
contemporary period. The repertoire for one or more soloists and orchestra is
huge in sheer number and variety of works, hence the Concerto category is the
first category to have a second volume devoted to it.
The solo concerto
really came into being in the early 18th century with the Italian
composer Antonio Vivaldi who made the concerto a vehicle for a soloist on one
instrument with orchestra backing. He also steered music away from counterpoint
and fugue and into the more accessible style gallant. Vivaldi’s innovations in style and content
led to the result in t he early 19th century of the
performer/composer, virtuoso performers that wrote music for their own use that
would show off their prowess on their given instrument. Many composers first
made a name for themselves as performer/composers such as Mozart, Beethoven,
Chopin, Liszt, and many, many more.
This 7th volume in a series of ebooks about classical music composers and their works is
a collection of 50 concertos. Included are works by familiar and unfamiliar composers, as
well as well-known and so not well-known compositions. There are 37 different composers included,
so this volume has the greatest variety of composers of any other of the seven
current volumes.
As with
the rest of the volumes in the series, there are links to performances of the
works that are discussed included at the end of each article. I invite one and all to Musical Musings, the blog where
these articles first appeared.
This 6th
volume of articles from my classical music blog Musical Musings deals with
chamber music, which is by definition music written for a small group of
musicians, most often with each instrument having its own individual part. The term chamber music also refers to the
size of the venue that the music is to be performed in, such as salons, parlors
and small rooms in individual dwellings.
This sense still applies today, but chamber music can also played in
larger venues such as concert halls.
There are many
different combinations of instruments within chamber music. Perhaps the most well-known chamber music
combination is the string quartet, which consists of two violins, viola and
cello. But the combinations of
instruments range from two instruments up to nine.
The articles
contained in this ebook range from the 17th century to the 20th
century, with well-known and not so well-known composers represented.
Chamber music by its nature a very intimate form
of music. There is beautiful, powerful and passionate music within the genre
that is unique to chamber music. I hope this modest volume adds to the musical
pleasure of the listener by giving some information about the composer and
analysis of the specific works being discussed, as well as an internet link to
a performance of the work.
