Ludwig Wittgenstein

“I have never drawn a distinction between music for films and for operas or concerts” –– Erich Wolfgang Korngold Many conclude that Korngold was born in the wrong era. Instead of his romantic concepts excelling, his ideals and concepts were overshadowed not only by the vogue of the Second Viennese school composers: Arnold Schönberg, Alban Berg, and Anton Webern, he was also amidst an era of chaos, including the happenings of the first World War. In addition, the rise of Nazism turned his move to…

Ludwig Van Beethoven was born in December 17, 1770 and later died in March 26, 1827. Beethoven was close with his mother who was described as kind and gentle, as for his father he was said to have a weakness for alcohol. Beethoven gained an interest in music at a very early age, and with help from his father he excelled quickly (Beethoven). Before he was twelve Beethoven published his first work and continued to progress throughout his life. He was considered a virtuoso pianist by the age of…

Seiji Ozawa is a Japanese conductor, known for his work with the San Francisco Symphony and Boston Symphony, and his advocacy for modern composers. At the age of 15, Ozawa sprained his finger in a rugby game, unable to continue studying the piano; he shifted his musical focus from piano performance to conducting. Over the course of his lifetime, Ozawa has received international acclaim and many awards from a number of institutions. Ozawa also holds a number of honorary doctorate degrees from…

Operatic Symphony ‘Yamada Nangamaza’ by Klaus Pringsheim (1883-1972). A German composer, conducter, and pianist who was the most influential idol who played a very successful role as an outstanding pupil of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911). Mahler was the great composer of Romantic era who has been recognized as the most superior romantic composers. Pringsheim was a German Composer and Conductor, born in 1883 at Starnberg, the outskirts of Munich, where there was a villa owned by his family, he died in…

Art Tatum and peanut m&ms share many of the same characteristics. The hard shell of the m&m is similar to the many challenges Art Tatum faced in his life and the chocolatey filling on the inside that surrounds the peanut is his family always surrounding him with support. Lastly, the peanut in the center is taste of peanut that never fades just like his music. It will never fade through the centuries. Art Tatum had lots of support from his family and friends growing up and was exposed to music at…

A world of pure domination and immense stardom came violently crashing down before the eyes of the remarkable Frank Sinatra. While walking through Times Square one cold day in February of 1951 he spotted the name of a new male singer, Eddie Fisher, on the sign of the Paramount Theatre. Only seven years ago, Frank had drawn thousands of obsessed female fans to watch him perform; the same girls were obsessing over Fisher, which Frank could not handle. He rushed back to where he was staying, made…

Michael Hollin April 20th, 2015 Survey of Wind Literature Dr. Prescott Copland’s American Nationalism in Wind Ensemble Music During the 20th century, the wind band repertoire experienced unparalleled growth. This was especially the case in the United States, a nation with several professional wind bands and a notable amount of amateur wind bands. As wind band became an increasingly popular fixture on American life, its presence began to flourish throughout America’s universities and secondary…

At the turn of the twentieth century, jazz was still in its early phases. While there are many musicians that are credited with making jazz into what it is today, one of the earliest attributors was the “King of Ragtime,” Scott Joplin. Joplin earned his title due to his success—despite racial barriers—in developing the sub-genre of ragtime in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Joplin’s sound and style created a crucial link in the history of jazz and laid the foundations for…

Joey Peixoto Music Appreciation Listening Assignment Romantic: "Erlkönig" begins with the piano playing fast triplets to make a feeling of direness and reproduce the steed's running. The left hand of the piano part presents a low-enlist leitmotif made out of progressive triplets. The right hand plays triplets all through the piece until the last three bars. The steady triplets drive the incessant tweaks of the piece as it switches between the characters. This theme is specifically connected…

The most expensive saxophone in the world today is valued at almost 150,000 dollars, and it owes its existence to a man who invented the saxophone 170 years ago. Adolphe Sax, the sax itself, and the sax through history are all important in understanding this unique instrument. The evolution of musical instruments is quite a long process involving tons of different instrument makers, each building on the advancements of the last ones. The story of the saxophone differs from the usual pattern of…