Sonata

On April 4 at 7:30 in Williams Hall, I attended a piano concert by Mr. Leopoldo Erice. In this concert, he performed several renowned piano songs: Andante and Allegretto from Franz Schubert’s Four Impromptus D. 899, and four songs from Sonata in B-flat Major, D.960. Mr. Leopoldo Erice is an illustrious pianist from Spain that has won numerous prestigious piano competitions. In addition, he performed his distinctive piano skill to a lot of different audience in the past ten years. In the…

21. Beethoven was a German composer and the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. He was widely considered the greatest composer of all time. He was an innovator, widening the scope of the sonata, symphony, concerto and quartet, and combining vocals and instruments in a new way. His personal life, was marked by the struggle against deafness. During his last 10 years of his life, he composed his most important pieces when he was quite…

smoothly, bringing the listener into the circle of comfort with the harmony. As it progresses, the feel of the music appears to take another path from the comfort circle by changing the tempo and dynamics slightly. The rhythm changes to a jaunty sonata or melody, having the feel of being free. As before, the composer then brings the music back to the original song cycle, into his circle of comfort. This movement epitomizes how music can bring emotion to the listener. The departure and…

Who is Beethoven? An individual most likely has perceived his name or even acknowledges his most prominent symphonies, but why is Beethoven considered a significant icon towards to society up to this date? Furthermore, Ludwig van Beethoven born on December 16, 1770, in Bonn, Germany during the eras of Classical and Romantic (Ludwig). As a young boy he dealt with his alcoholic father, Johann Beethoven, in which demanded him to practice the piano hourly, disregarding the circumstances. That being…

The Keyboard I view society as a collection of musical compositions, each individual’s actions portray their story; tales of determination, education, and success. How I came upon this idea is somewhat unorthodox, and it all started my sophomore year when I took it upon myself to achieve a long-standing goal of mine and learn the piano. My first obstacle was a lack of piano to play, and after my parents made it clear that we were not purchasing a Steinway & Sons Grand piano, I turned…

I first started playing the Trombone when I was four years old, after being taken to countless Jazz concerts by my father and Grandmother. To this day, I still vividly remember those performances, emphatically tapping my foot to the beat while trying to listen to every note played by my Jazz idols, Wynton Marsalis and Wycliffe Gordon. There, at Jazz at Lincoln Center, I was taught a new language, a new way of communication and expression; music. Wanting in every way to emulate those defining…

Many of us have memory lapses from time to time. We can’t remember a password, where we put our glasses, or why we came into the room. When these lapses happen, we assume it’s a common sign of aging, or perhaps a repercussion from too much wine and too little sleep the night before. But memory loss is also a side effect of common prescription drugs. If your daily life has become hampered by trouble remembering things, one of these prescription drugs may be the culprit. Antianxiety Drugs…

piece was inspired by Mendelssohn's visit to Fingal's Cave on the island of Staffa, situated in the Hebrides archipelago off the west shore of Scotland. The overture (an piece of orchestral music played at the beginning of a composition) utilizes the sonata type of the classical period. The main subject, played at the opening by the strings and bassoons, incites the thought that Mendelssohn created this piece of music while going to the cave. This melodious theme inspires the staggering beauty…

In the Classical era an amazing composer was born in Salzburg, Austria; His name was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was brought into the world on January 27, 1756. Most people just know him as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but he was also known as Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart has been classified as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. The story and history behind the composer is just fantastic and interesting, He had a rough time as he grew older but…

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…