"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.