Ludwig Wittgenstein

Beethoven was an interesting character. He has gone through much in his lifetime that it is understandable that his character is an interesting and complex one. In Chapter 27 of Downs’s Classical Music, Downs gives his interpretation of Beethoven and what kind of person he was. From what was gathered in this chapter, Downs is not just stating the facts, but gives Beethoven a variety of personalities. In my sense of the composer from Downs’s text, Beethoven was an infant prodigy turned to a…

The 20th century was trivial in the world of music. It lead to the development of new genres and musical concepts. Composers around the world wrote beautiful pieces that forever influenced music. Of these composers, many consider Arnold Schoenberg to be one of the most important musicians of this era. Although the majority of people in the 20th century did not appreciate Schoenberg’s extremely modern work, his pieces led to much innovation in the world of music. He wrote numerous works of…

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Concerto V for Flute, String Orchestra and Basso continuo Op. 10/5, RV 434 This famous Italian Baroque composer has been recognized and appreciated for the amount of works he produced and the unique characteristic style he infused into his music. In this particular genre he is most often known for the group of violin concerti collectively called “The Seasons.” In the roughly 300 solo concertos he wrote, of which about 230 are for violin, he became the first…

On Sunday, September 11th, I attended Morehouse’s Department of Music’s Piano Recital. It was the first time that I had the pleasure of sitting in on a piano recital in the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center. The concert was held by Hyunjung Rachel Chung, a young lady from South Korea, performing eleven extensive pieces of music, including five vocal appearances from a virtuosic and lyrical tenor, Sungbae Kim. I was fortunate enough to be present to watch this piece of budding master at work.…

Schumann: Schubert’s Opus 142 There are few things more subjective than music: a subjective opinion on a subjective writing about a subjective composition. This particular set of impromptus appear rather disrupted by the publisher. Discrepancies regarding performance order, genre grouping and key signature have been disputed by theorists. In his review of Schubert’s Four Impromptus for the Pianoforte, Robert Schumann recognizes both strengths and weaknesses of the works in their current state…

Some of the best composers we studied in Music History 100 so far have started out as young prodigies. Such as Beethoven, Chopin, Haydn and Mozart. Although, Beethoven was a different kind of prodigy than the ones we have now. “At twelve he had several piano compositions published.” (Kamien 189) However; I was able to witness three great players on Tuesday! I had attended a performance in Ann Arbor and witnessed the current generations best musical talent. Located in University of Michigan’s…

Sir Edward Elgar was an English composer born in Broadheath, Worcestershire to “a Worcester piano tuner and music-shopkeeper and his Roman Catholic wife” in 1857 (Kennedy). He learned the violin, piano, and organ at a young age (Kennedy). Beyond his violin lessons he had no formal training. However, he received much “praise as a child for piano improvisations” (McVeagh). After the age of 16, he left his father’s business and was freelance musician for the rest of his life (McVeagh). He took on…

Do you like classical music? If you like classical music, and you are its fans, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, or Schubert, all of these name may not strange to you. So, they are one of many the most famous composers of the world’s music history. They are very famous and become legendary because they are composing many valuable and incredible works that contributes a lot in the evolution of world’s music. Like these famous composers above, Igor Stravinsky as known as one of the most important…

Playing Faster Mikaela Barthol Mr. Campbell Introduction to Music 101 Section WB Fall Semester 26 October 2014 Playing Faster Symphonic classics like those of Ludwig van Beethoven are thought of to be perfect, relaxing, and, nowadays, even dull. Beethoven’s classic musical pieces have been passed down through the generations. Each new performance or recording is judged against the interpretive choices of the artists before them (Saving). But what if the way we are…

Ludwig Van Beethoven Ludwig Van Beethoven was a man filled with loathe from a scarring childhood, loosing what he used most, doing what he loved, with the life he lived and the legacy he left. Beethoven had a very scarring childhood that sculpted the way he lived for the rest of his life. Ludwig Van Beethoven was born on December 15, 1772 (Slonimsky 134) to a tiny- framed woman named Maria Magdalena Van Beethoven (Biography.com Editors 1), and an alcoholic named Johann Van Beethoven…