Ludwig von Bertalanffy

Between 1820 and 1900 is known as the Romantic Period. It was during this time, that the orchestra was expanded to include the tuba, piccolo, bass clarinet, double bassoon, and a larger string section (Romantic, n.d.). With theses new instruments being added, the larger orchestra (from 26 members to close to 100) was able to accommodate new and exciting sounds. Woodwinds started to take on a more prevalent role in the orchestra and composers started experimenting with new sounds from the…

two main objectives – to tell the biographical story of the great composer Ludwig Van Beethoven, and to trace the lock’s path through history from the head of the composer to the modern-day lab. Martin asks a very important question - Who was Beethoven? Although historians often answer that question by listing his accomplishments, Russell Martin digs deeper. His uniquely analyzes six periods of Beethoven’s…

Franz Liszt was a Hungarian composer, pedagogue, and virtuoso pianist. He was born on October 22, 1811 and died July 31, 1886. For many years, up through the 19th century, he was regarded as the world’s best pianist. Liszt was renowned for his unparalleled piano technique. Liszt extensively toured Europe, celebrated as the world’s best pianist. Liszt saw both fame and fortune in his career. He died in Germany due to complications from pneumonia. Liszt was born in Raiding, Austria on…

Throughout the Adagio movement of Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, we are presented with several different juxtaposing textures, each offering a new perspective with its experience. The dialectic forces of this movement could also be found within layers of Image A. The antiphony at the onset and again in later references can be heard as soft (in a texture sense), open, and even vague in its harmonic and rhythmic structure. The instructed una corda gives an airy and empty quality to the…

Ludwig Van Beethoven was a great German composer and musical figure during the period between the Classical and Romantic eras. He was born on or about December 16, 1770 in the city of Bonn in the Electorate of Cologne, to mother Maria Magdalena van Beethoven and father Johann van Beethoven. His real birth date in unknown but he was baptized on December 17, 1770 and by law and custom babies were baptized within 24 hours of birth so it was assumed that he was born on December 16. He himself…

The Mass in D major, Opus 86, for chorus, soloists and organ —also known as “Lužany Mass”—was originally composed in 1887 for the consecration of the chapel in the stately home of the prominent architect and philanthropist Josef Hlávka in Lužany. Hlávka had built a chapel at his residence in the southwest Bohemian village of Lužany, and he wanted music by Dvořák for its consecration. Hlávka and Dvořák corresponded personally, and Dvořák was glad to seize upon this opportunity to write to…

At the age of six Mozart was proficient in the use of numerous instruments and could draw in large audiences. When I was six, my biggest accomplishment was being the first kid in my class to finish a chapter book. Child prodigies like Mozart show their artistic or intellectual potential at a young age and are propelled into adulthood with an exceptional competency, knowing their abilities and how to use them. Unlike the Mozarts of the world, my early proficiency in reading the tales of Junie B.…

On Friday, February 6th, 2015, I was sitting in class listening to a Music History lecture, when my teacher, Dr. Jamie Weaver, played a recording of “La Quarte Estampie Royal”, from Le Manuscrit Du Roi, an instrumental piece from the 14th century France. I was intrigued. As a fiddler throughout my high school year, studying a variety of genres, I recognized much of the ornamentation as similar to Celtic tradition, namely Cape Breton tradition. The first things I noticed about the recording…

Piano Trio in D Major, Joseph Haydn The concert started with a piece by Haydn that began with the piano playing the melody and then developed into a conversation between the piano and violin. The piece was in a four movement form, like the pieces by Haydn that we listened to during class. The second movement changes from D major into D minor and with the cello and violin playing the melody together and the piano in the background. In the middle of Andantino piu tosto allegretto, the second…

The Madison Symphony Orchestra is an exquisite ensemble with over 100 talented musicians. On April 2, 2016, John DeMain conducted a wonderful orchestra performance. It was held in Overture Hall at the Overture Center in Madison, WI. Garrick Ohlsson was the piano soloist that night in a Johannes Brahms piece after the intermission. The conductor came onto the stage before the show to give a brief explanation of the concert for the night and why he chose the musical selections he did, and I found…