Posts Tagged ‘Gustav Mahler’

Classical Music History Overview

Ludwig van Beethoven:
Beethoven is important to the 19th Century because he is considered the first Romantic composer. The compositions in his late period are considered to be the Romantic compositions as they tend to evoke more emotions, and one can even hear the emotional struggle that Beethoven had gone through. His use of musical “satz” is also particularly Romantic because he often develops these satzs. Beethoven’s Violin Concerto makes great use of developing musical satz and is an incredibly beautiful and Romantic piece.

Richard Wagner:
One can’t ignore Wagner when it comes to 19th century music. He pushed the limits of tonality while keeping his music clear and keeping a steady theme or idea. Wagner’s creation of  “gesamtkuntswurk”, or “total work of art”, is a very Romantic idea since it includes all works of art (music, poetry, acting, architecture). Wagner’s operas are all very important and most people would know themes from some of his pieces such as Lohengrin (“Bridal Chorus”), The Valkyrie (“Ride of the Valkyries”) as they are two commonly used pieces of music.

Gustav Mahler:
If Richard Wagner pushed the limits of tonality then Mahler helped to break the old limits of tonality and build new ones, along with other composers. Mahler’s music can be very emotional, and quite Romantic, such as the first movement of his Fifth Symphony. The piece begins with a funeral march and continues to switch back and forth between different styles and themes.

Modest Mussorgsky:
Mussorgsky’s nationalist approach to music was part of a new generation of composers. His style dwelled on Russian themes and folk tunes for music. His most famous composition, Pictures at an Exhibition, is a very nationalist piece and also a very interesting piece because of its somewhat programmatic theme. Another representative piece of Mussorgsky would be Boris Godunov, which we did not listen to, but it is his well-known opera.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky’s music is not as nationalist as Mussorgsky’s, although it still has that Russian “vibe.” His famous ballets (Nutcracker Suite, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty) all are wonderful compositions that are representative of his style. These pieces are also very Romantic because of their use of new harmonies, theme development, and emotion.

John Philip Sousa:
America’s own John Philip Sousa could be called the “Marching King.” He didn’t compose much other than marches, although he did compose several operettas. His marches have become famous American themes and some are even associated with several universities in the United States. His most famous march is The Stars and Stripes Forever, which is the United States’ official march. Also, Sousa’s “Semper Fidelis” is also a well known piece, being the United States Marine Corps official march.

Franz Liszt:
Liszt is another composer who also “wears his heart on his sleeve.” It’s very easy to feel certain emotions through Liszt’s music, and he also tended to prefer conveying emotions rather than telling a story, just as Brahms. However, this doesn’t mean that Liszt didn’t write programmatic music. Liszt used the technique of thematic transformation in a lot of his music, which was similar to theme and variation and to other forms such as idée fixe and leitmotif. Liszt’s Symphonic Poems are some of his more representative works.

Richard Strauss:
Strauss makes the listener think, mostly because Strauss is trying to tell a story but by using music. For example, in Don Quixote Strauss uses different instruments and different themes to represent two characters. Strauss’ tone poems usually function in this manner, and are very artistic pieces. His “Vier Letzte Lieder” are also incredibly beautiful and Romantic songs.

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Popular Classical Composers

Ludwig van Beethoven
Date: 1770-1827
City and Country: b. Bonn, Germany. Active mainly in Vienna
Genres Known For: Piano works, Orchestral works, Sonatas
Repertoire: Piano Concertos, Symphonies 1-9, Various violin, piano, and string sonatas

Johannes Brahms
Date: 1833-1897
City and Country: b. Hamburg, Germany. Active in Dusseldorf while staying with the Schumanns.
Genres Known For: Orchestra works, String music (including quartets, sonatas, and concertos), Theme and Variations
Repertoire: Symphonies 1-4, String Quartets, Piano Concertos, Violin Concerto

Richard Wagner
Date: 1813-1883
City and Country: b. Leipzig, Germany. Active in Dresden, Bayreuth, and Venice (where he died)
Genres Known For: Operas
Repertoire: Tristan und Isolde, The Ring Cycle, Der Meistersingers von Nurnburg, Lohengrin

Gustav Mahler
Date: 1860-1911
City and Country: b. Kalischt, Bohemia. He moved around a lot, but he did a lot of composing while conducting the Hamburg Opera.
Genres Known For: Symphonic works, Lieder, and Songs
Repertoire: Symphonies 1-9, Das Lied von der Erde

Modest Mussorgsky
Date: 1839-1881
City and Country: b. Karevo, Russia. Active mainly in Russia
Genres Known For: Piano works, Songs, Operas
Repertoire: Pictures at an Exhibition, Boris Godunov, Sunless

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Date: 1840-1893
City and Country: b. Votkinsk, Udmurtia. Active mainly in Russia
Genres Known For: Ballets, symphonic works, operas
Repertoire: Nutcracker Suite, Symphonies 1-6 and the Manfred Symphony, 1812 Overture

John Philip Sousa
Date: 1854-1932
City and Country: b. Washington D.C., United States. Active in the United States
Genres Known For: Marches, Operettas
Repertoire: The Stars and Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis, The Washington Post, El Captain

Franz Liszt
Date: 1811-1886
City and Country: b. Raiding, Hungary. Active all over Europe!
Genres Known For: Piano works, Symphonic Poems
Repertoire: Piano etudes, Symphonic poems 1-13

Frederic Chopin
Date: 1810-1849
City and Country: b. Zelazowa Wola, Duchy of Warsaw. Active in Paris.
Genres Known For: Piano works, Ballades, Impromptus
Repertoire: Piano Etudes, Revolutionary Etude, Minute Waltz, Funeral March

Richard Strauss
Date: 1864-1949
City and Country: b. Munich, Germany. Actively mainly in Germany
Genres Known For: Tone Poems, Symphonic works, Operas
Repertoire: Don Juan, Don Quixote, Vier Letzte Lieder

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