Antonio Vivaldi's "Four Seasons: Winter"

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) wrote a spectacular group of four concertos called Four Seasons (1723). In this analysis, I will be focusing on Winter, which is said to depict “the horrible wind.” Typical of the Baroque era, Vivaldi composed this concerto in ritornello form, with the mixture of a small string orchestra and one violin soloist in three movements. The version I listened to was performed by the Venice Baroque Orchestra, the soloist being Giuliano Carmignola, and conducted by Andrea Marcon.

The first movement begins with the orchestra playing a somewhat dissonant chord to each beat of the music which builds up to a crescendo. The violin solo begins, and the orchestra is heard intermittently throughout this solo. The orchestra plays eight beats and subsides for four beats while the soloist interjects, and resumes playing again building off of the soloist passage. Each orchestral interjection is forte. Also, the presence of a ground bass not only sustains the harmony and texture of the orchestra, but it also helps keep the beat. The fact that the cello plays the same note on every beat, corresponding to the ground bass, gives this movement a pointed rhythm and a solid foundation for the solo passages. A sequence played by the soloist goes higher and higher, and the first movement ends with the original theme played by the entire orchestra. After a long minor chord, a cadence ends the first movement.

The second movement is a bit slower, or, allegro, as the solo violinist plays a legato melody, accompanied by other stringed instruments being played pizzicato in high arpeggio chords. It seems that this movement may be in theme-variation form, as the soloist carries the melody throughout the entire movement. This second movement ends with one major chord, exhibiting the difference between the previous and latter movements which are in minor modes and are more serious and fast paced, compared to this movement which is melodic and gentle sounding.

The final movement begins, again with the soloist and a sustained ground bass accompanying him. This movement is much faster in tempo (vivace) than the second, and even slightly faster than the first. The theme returns and there are many sections of fortissimo passages of the soloist and orchestra building off of each other’s sequences. This movement ends with the soloist playing a sequence higher and higher, as the orchestra joins in every other measure playing a downward sequence. Finally, the downward sequence that the orchestra has been playing brings the soloist down into their low register, and the concerto ends on a low and forte minor chord.

Antonio Vivaldi captured the beauty of the winter, spring, summer, and fall through his musical creativity. It is very interesting to see how each of the concertos corresponds to the season that it seeks to portray.

"Lieder ohne Worte" - Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words

Today on Accu Radio, I listened to a short lyrical piano piece. This piece of music is one of Felix Mendelssohn’s (1809-1847) lieder, which is a German miniature song that was used often in the Romantic Era of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. The lieder are often short, only performed by the piano, and should express the emotions of the performer. These songs were meant to be performed in a small, intimate setting, such as in someone’s home.

Mendelssohn composed what is called “Songs Without Words,” or, “Lieder ohne Worte.” These are lieder without words. The expression is found in the music itself. The particular lied that I listened to was from Op. 85, No. 1 in F Major (1834-1845).

This short piece features the pianist, Daniel Barenbolm, who plays this melodious song beautifully. For the most part, the left hand plays arpeggio chords, mostly made up of seven notes ascending and descending, as the right hands plays a long sequence of notes that seem to make up a kind of melody. The ever-changing dynamics of this lied gives great expression and feeling to the listener. As the lied moves, somewhat swiftly, between major and minor modes, the left hand sustains the meter as the smooth transition is made between modes. A climax in the music is reached as the tempo picks up and the mode changes to a triumphant major mode. The lied ends with a sequence of pitches played higher and higher in the right hand until the trickling fades away in a pianissimo chord.

This lied exhibits emotions through the style and dynamics of the music, rather than words. Mendelssohn was an accomplished Romantic composer who left modernity with beautiful and expressive music.

Fryderyk Chopin's Nocturne in E minor

Today on Pandora Radio, I listened to a few classical piano composers, one of whom was Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849), a famous piano virtuoso, whose music has endured for over a century. I listened to a performance by Edward Auer of Chopin’s “Nocturne in E minor,” which is one of twenty-one that he composed.

The title of this music, meaning “nighttime” is appropriate for the feeling portrayed through the music. As a Romantic composer, Chopin exhibits expressive emotion through his piano miniatures. The sound of the piano is serene and yet passionate.

This Nocturne begins in E minor, and for most of the piece, the left hand plays broken, or, arpeggio chords. These chords sustain the meter of the music as the right hand plays constant changing rhythms. Despite the fact that the rhythm is not steady, the notes played are very legato and flow one into the next, giving the music a moving and peaceful feel.
This piano piece is very expressive insofar as the ever-changing dynamics from a very soft pianissimo to a sudden loud fortissimo gives depth to the music. The arpeggio chords are used for the basis of the modulations which bring the music into a major mode and then back again to the minor mode during an unstable passage in the music. The arpeggio chords create a ladder-like movement as the key changes swiftly. At one point, the modulations become very chromatic and highly unstable, but are then resolved once the main theme comes back.

As the Nocturne progresses, the right hand is heard playing a plethora of ornamentations in a high range on the piano. The piano gets quieter and quieter until only a few muffled notes can be heard, and this piece of music ends with one pianissimo chord in the major mode.
This expressive Nocturne of Chopin’s is a pleasant piano miniature piece to listen to, as the emotions of the composer are portrayed through the music. It can be said that Nocturnes express thoroughly the ideals behind the Romantic movement

May the Angels Lead You Into Paradise

In light of All Soul’s Day, on November 2nd, I chose to listen to a favorite piece of music: “In Paradism” from Gabriel Faure’s (1845-1924) Requiem in D minor. This was performed by Choir Konzertverein Bern, the Berne Chamber Orchestra, and conducted by Agata Mazukiewicz. The “In Paradisum” [In Paradise] is one movement, and always the last movement, of a Requiem Mass, which is the Catholic Mass for the Dead. This movement focuses on the angels welcoming the dead into Paradise. The text is as follows:

In Paradisum deducant angeli

In tuo adventu, suscipiat te martyres Et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat Et cum Lazaro, quondam paupere Aeternam habeas requiem.

As the sopranos sing, “May angels lead you into paradise,” the organ plays three notes up and down several times. The sopranos sing a legato melody, which exhibits the peace of angels leading the dead into paradise. There is no ground bass, so this movement begins light and beautiful. The sopranos then sing “Upon your arrival, may the martyrs receive you,” and the highest note is heard on the word “martyrs,” to denote their presence in Heaven. “And lead you into Jerusalem” - The sopranos sing a sequence based on three notes which sounds expectant of something. The expectance ends with the word “Jerusalem,” as the other three voices join in singing beautiful harmonies that resolve with the third repetition of “Jerusalem.”

Once again, the sopranos are heard alone at “May the ranks of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, the poor man...” This last phrase is repeated to bring in the force of the next, and most important, statement: “May you have eternal rest.” All voice parts join in at “requiem,” or, “rest.” The sopranos repeat this phrase, embodying once again the angels in heaven. On the last pianissimo “requiem,” the entire choir ends homophonically on a long held D major chord.

It is interesting to note that Faure’s Requiem is in D minor, which is appropriate for a solemn Mass for the dead; however, the “In Paradisum” is in D major. This shift from a minor to a major mode directly correlates with the change in subject matter of the Requiem. Whereas the previous movements focus on death and judgement, this last movement portrays eternity and the sublime and beautiful passage into Heaven.

Faure’s Requiem will always be one of the most beautiful pieces of music and is surely a joy to listen to on All Soul’s Day.

"Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor" - Johann Sebastian Bach

This week on WRTI Philadelphia Classical Radio, I listened to Johann Sebastian Bach’s (1685-1750) Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor BWV 582. This piece was conducted by Robert Pikler, and performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Bach is widely known for his musical accomplishments in the Baroque Era, during which he composed much for the harpsichord, organ as well as orchestral pieces.

A passacaglia consists of a bass line that is repeated in variations along with a series of chords. This is similar to a basso ostinato, or a bass line that is consistently repeated, but a passacaglia is not repeated consistently because of the variations that occur in the music. At certain points in the music, the bass line may not be heard at all, but the chord progressions will continue to play and carry along the original theme. Bach’s Passacaglia begins with a bass line in the pedals of the organ that repeats the pattern of quarter note, half note until the eighth repetition when the bass ends on the tonic in a very low pitch. The organist repeats the bass sequence again, this time adding chords on top for texture. In the next sequence, the chords are played somewhat differently. The music reaches a point where the bass line cannot be made out clearly because of all of the variations and the eventual introduction of the fugue. However, the bass notes can sometimes be heard coming back in with the same notes used in the beginning.

This piece also has fugal elements, meaning that it exhibits a polyphonic texture. The fugue is built on the theme, or the subject of the bass line. Interestingly, the organ is one of the only instruments that can create a polyphonic texture by itself, because it can use the different registers of notes and the bass pedals to create a full and rich texture that can easily stand alone.

It is as if the Passacaglia is transformed into a completely different piece of music towards the end. The music actually ends on a C Major chord, rather than the C Minor chord that began the piece. Bach was truly a musical genius that was able to compose music with such beautiful and rich texture.

Mozart's Divertimento in Bb Major

From the BBC 3 Classical Radio Station in London, England, I listened to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s (1756-1791) Divertimento in Bb Major. This piece was performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Divertimento is a genre of music that was heard commonly in the 18th Century and is known for being light-hearted and meant for amusement. This piece features two horns, two violins, a viola and a double bass.

The violins take the main stage in this piece. They begin the first movement with a mezzo forte, legato theme, soaring up and playing high notes, while the bass and viola support them in lower registers.The horns are not overpowering, but they play softly and give the music an extra texture that is bright and jovial. Also, many changes in dynamics occur throughout the movement. The violins push forward with many crescendos, and then immediately pull back through decrescendos. Furthermore, the bass often times emphasizes the meter of the music by plucking notes on each beat of the measure. At one point, the music modulates into a minor mode while the intensity of the music grows with rapid crescendos and decrescendos. This sequence of music ends with the return of the theme, only this time in a minor mode.

Now returning to a major mode, the last movement of the piece truly exhibits the beautiful tonal quality of the violin, as it soars up to reach very high notes and then gradually descends to low notes. At the climax of the music, the violin plays its highest note. Immediately following, the instruments begin repeating a sequence, first played by one instrument, and then repeated by the other instruments in a certain order. After a brief cadence, the violins make their last great triumphant entrance with an upbeat solo, and the piece ends with three notes, all of the same pitch.

Mozart’s Divertimento in Bb Major is light-hearted and enjoyable to listen to while reading, studying, or simply for the enjoyment of the music itself.

The Ridiculous Traveler: Overture by Florian Leopold Gassmann

Today on WETA FM - Washington DC, I had the opportunity of listening to The Ridiculous Traveler: Overture, composed by Florian Leopold Gassmann (1729-1774). Gassman composed many Bohemian operas (despite the fact that he was a German speaker) in the time frame between the baroque and classical eras of music. This Overture was performed by the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Sylvia Alimena.

There are four movements that make up this Overture. The first movement begins in a fast tempo and forte dynamic with stringed instruments. It is clear that the music is in a major mode. While the violins are heard playing a theme in higher pitches, the violas and cello play a lower theme that moves up and down on the diatonic scale. Each of the notes that the lower stringed instruments are playing are played directly on each beat of the music. The accents of the beats give the music a very metrical and rhythmic feel. The meter is duple in a 4/4 time signature. Wind instruments repeat the theme, and the strings seem to respond to the wind section and vice versa. A strong cadence is heard, and the second movement of the Overture begins.

The second part is played somewhat slower than the first. However, the tempo picks up with the entrance of the violins once again playing the theme. The theme is made up of a small sequence of pitches that is played higher and higher in pitch while still maintaining the same interval between the notes. The third movement depicts a lot of repetition in musical sequences heard both in the string section and wind section. Sometimes it sounds as though the instruments are responding to each other in jubilation. The lower register stringed instruments, the violas and cello, continue to play notes on each beat to emphasize the meter and give the music a lively and uplifting sound. A lovely legato flute solo is also heard in this movement. The fourth movement is much like the third insofar as the repetition of sequences is very prominent. Certain decorations in notes are added to the sequence, but for the most part, the theme is heard repeatedly as it was in the beginning. The music ends with a mezzo-forte major chord, going back to the tonic.

Gassman’s Overture is jovial, fast-paced and simply enjoyable to listen to.

Gabriel Fauré: Barcarolle No. 1 Op 26

Gabriel Fauré (1845 1924), a Twentieth Century French composer, organist and pianist, composed the Barcarolle No. 1 Opera 26 in 1880. I heard this piano piece beautifully performed by a British pianist, Charles Owen.

This piano piece begins mezzo-forte in a minor mode at a moderate tempo. The melody of the song can be heard in the higher pitches being played by the right hand. The left hand is playing lower arpeggio chords, where each note of the chord is being played separately. Although the song clearly begins in a triple compound meter, the free movement of the piano playing seems to break from the triple meter at certain points and return again. This aspect of breaking from the meter gives the music a very stylistic flowing and melodic sound.

The piano piece is in Tenary Form (A, B, A), because there is contrast and return. The theme is played in the beginning (A), and there are three sections (a b a’) “nested” within this first section of music, which seems to have the same style in pitch, rhythm, meter, and other stylistic qualities. After a strong cadence, the second section of the piece (B) begins, which also has nesting (c d c’). The piano seems to build up to a forte, or loud, dynamic as the notes are played quickly across the piano. The higher notes are then played on each beat to emphasize the rhythm. At the same time, the lower chords are played arpeggio, with each note being played on each beat. The left hand is also playing the same intervals between pitches as is being played in the right hand. The emphasis of the beat and same intervals pronounce the meter of the music. This section of the music ends with a fast sequence of high pitched notes, which leaves the music un-resolved.

After a cadence, the “A” section returns with a b a’ nesting. The theme is repeated just as it was played in the beginning. Now, the music gradually modulates to a major key. It ends with a beautiful sequence of notes being repeatedly played up and down on the piano. The music finally ends with a single chord. Charles Owen surely did justice to Fauré’s beautiful composition.

Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto for Guitar and Viola in D Minor

The piece of music that I had the pleasure of listening to today was Antonio Vivaldi’s (1678-1741), a Baroque composer, Concerto for Guitar and Viola d’amore in D Minor. This piece featured the Philharmonia Virtuoisi of New York, conducted by Richard Kapp, with Peter Press playing the mandolin and Louise Schulman on the viola. The concerto begins with the harpsichord and the violas playing the main theme of the song. It is evident that they were playing in a minor mode in a duple meter 4/4 time signature. While the harpsichord is playing chords to each beat in the music, the violas play more decorative sequences in higher pitches. The texture is homophonic, because the violas have a distinct melody playing on top of the underlying chords of the harpsichord. A weak cadence comes, and the next part of the concerto begins.

It is interesting to note that the form of the concerto is obvious to hear. First, the theme is played by the harpsichord and violas, then comes a viola solo or viola duet eventually joined by the mandolin, and finally followed with the violas and mandolin playing together. This form is followed religiously throughout the entirety of the song.

The duet of the violas exhibits counterpoint, as one melody does not overpower the other, but each melodies are heard equally and the pitches intertwine. Next, the mandolin enters, picking notes within the D Minor chromatic scale that has been prevalent throughout the piece. As stated above, the theme repeats again, followed by a viola solo, then mandolin, and ended with a mandolin and viola polyphony. The polyphony is heavily imitative. The viola plays one sequence of notes, and the mandolin follows by repeating the same pitches and rhythm that the viola just played. This repetition of sounds and rhythm occurs several times between the two instruments, highlighting the beautiful tonal qualities of each instrument.

A strong cadence comes, and the viola and mandolin plays a legato, or, long and flowing sequence of pitches that blend well together, switching back and forth between major and minor modes. The theme is repeated once again followed by the same repetition of form. The piece ends with the theme as the harpsichord and violas play one last minor chord to finish the piece. The song ends with a forte dynamic, just as it started and continued consistently throughout the piece. This Concerto of Vivaldi is surely a beautiful example of Baroque music.

The Bacchanale from "Samson and Delilah" Op. 47

This week I had the opportunity to listen to the Minnesota Orchestra perform a lively and illustrative piece of music from the grand opera, Samson and Delilah, composed by Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921), the French libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire. This opera was first performed in 1877, having three acts and four scenes. The particular part of the opera that I listened to is called the Bacchanale, which is a “dramatic musical composition” that usually occurs during a scene of great action, chaos and uproar. To better understand the description of the music that I will depict here in writing, it may be helpful to read a summary of this scene first.

Act 3, Scene 2: In the Temple of Dagon

A musical interlude is played as the scene changes to the temple of Dagon, where the Philistines are preparing a sacrifice to commemorate their victory. The priests and priestesses of Dagon sing softly, reprising the song to spring from Act One. The music turns savage as the priests dance a wild Bacchanale. Following the dance, Samson enters led by a boy. He is ridiculed by the High Priest and the crowd. Delilah taunts Samson further by recounting to him the details of her devious plot in a variant of her love song. When the priests try to force him to kneel before Dagon, he asks the boy to lead him to the two main pillars of the temple. Samson prays to God to restore his strength, and pulls down the pillars and the temple with them, crushing himself and his enemies. The curtain falls.

The scene begins with one wind instrument, most likely a bassoon, playing a series of notes that have no distinct melody, but go progressively up and down the diatonic scale using both half and whole note intervals. At the same time, there is an underlying deep pitch provided by another wind instrument, portraying the scene as ominous. There is a cadence in the music, directly followed by a long crescendo of string and wind instruments, playing higher pitches as the dynamic grows louder. The lightness and swiftness of the notes being played along with the increased tempo depicts the priests and priestesses of Dagon singing. Once the bacchanale begins, the instruments are found playing in a minor key on the diatonic scale. As the scene becomes much more ominous, there is a great crescendo of all of the instruments, especially the percussion instruments, which add a decisively rhythmic and booming effect to the scene.

At this point in the music, a theme is introduced that will be repeated several times before the scene ends. Once the whole orchestra finishes the theme, the dynamic changes to a mezzo-forte while a wind instrument plays a distinct series of pitches going up and down a modal scale. This, along with the deep tones of the percussion instruments playing in the background, give the music a Middle-Eastern and serious sound. The theme is repeated, and now instruments with lower ranges begin playing quickly up and down a diatonic scale as the wind instruments continue to play a series of higher pitches.

The scene changes once again and the string instruments begin to play a beautiful waltz in a triple meter adagio, or, slowly and expressively. The wind instruments are playing in the background, giving accents to the off-beats of the music. This technique pronounces the beat and triple meter as well as the waltz itself. The strings change dynamics very frequently from forte to piano, pulling back and then pushing forward, which also gives accents to the beats of the music. This waltz section ends with a modulation of key, leaving the music on an anticipatory note.

Finally, the horns and trombone begin playing the theme once again in a simple duple meter, crescendoing up to a fortissimo. The theme in a minor key is repeated several times, while the music modulates up and down frequently, making the scene sound chaotic and intense. The percussion instruments gradually crescendo, while each instrument builds on top of the next. The music reaches its loudest point and ultimately resolves on a major chord, which counters the sound of the minor key that was previously being played. Samson’s prayer to God and his destruction of the pagan temple is portrayed very well through the Bacchanale. This beautiful opera of Camille Saint-Saens depicts an intriguing story by means of music.

Overture No. 6 in D Minor - William Boyce

Today I had the pleasure of listening to Adrian Shepherd conduct William Boyce’s Overture No. 6 in D Minor. The composer, William Boyce, lived and composed music in the Eighteenth Century. This overture is about eight and a half minutes in length, and is divided into three movements, the first being fast, allegro, the second slow, andante, and the last also fast.

The entire piece of music has a specifically Baroque feel caused by the instruments used and the way in which they are played. The first movement begins at a fast-paced tempo with a forte, or loud, dynamic, the meter being simple, duple meter. The dominating instrumental group is clearly the strings, and particularly the high, soaring sounds of the violin. The rhythm of the stringed instruments keeps the music in constant motion. The rhythm is emphasized by the way in which the notes are played repetitively in quick motions on the violin, which greatly pronounces the beat of the music. The violins have an intertwining effect, similar to that of polyphony, by the way in which different violins enter the musical phrase at different moments and play different but complementary notes. The climax is reached when a cello plays up and down a certain scale of notes several times as the violins play in a similar and repetitive way only in a higher octave. A cadence comes in the first movement, and the second, slower movement begins.

The second movement is defined by the introduction of the harpsichord, and wind instruments, as well as brass horns and violins. The dynamic is a consistent mezzo forte, medium loud, for the entire movement, but unlike the first movement, this movement is in a triple compound meter. This movement has a Baroque-like, royal sound mostly given by the harpsichord. Furthermore, this second movement has a repetitive theme that is played by one instrument, then followed by all other instruments playing the exact same theme, one coming after the next. Often, the horn will play a sequence, and the other instruments will sound as if they are responding to the horn. The light, airy feeling of the wind instruments gives this movement a more buoyant feeling than the previous movement. Another cadence ends the second movement.

The third movement, though also in a triple compound meter, is much faster than the second movement, and has a somewhat more serious sound because of the minor key that it is played in. The strings, harpsichord and brass instruments are most prominent. Also, the rhythm is pronounced just as is found in the first movement. The strings are not playing long, legato, sequences, but are mostly playing short, somewhat staccato notes that give each phrase of music constant motion. Each phrase is repeated several times and finally ends with a sudden minor chord which ends the entire piece of music.

Although each movement differs in dynamic, meter, and instrumental technique, they each gave a necessary contribution to make the Overture a complete piece of music which is exemplary of the 18th Century Baroque style.