Introduction to the musician

"King of Songs" - Schubert

Schubert (1797-1828) was born in a family of primary school teachers in the suburbs of Vienna. He began studying music at the age of 8; at the age of 16, he worked as an assistant teacher, teaching private piano to make a living. In 1813, when he left home resolutely to become a "free artist" in Vienna, he was full of beautiful yearning for the future. But he lived in an era when the French bourgeois revolution failed and Europe was in a period of reactionary dynastic restoration.

He wrote 1,500 works in his lifetime. It includes 14 operas, 9 symphonies, more than 100 choruses and more than 600 songs, among which the most famous ones are the symphony "Unfinished", the piano quintet "Trout", and the vocal suite "The Beautiful Mill Girl" wait.

The center of his creation is songs, and he is known as the "King of Songs". His songs are beautiful, simple and profound, fully embodying the artistic conception of poetry. The works reflect the depression and depression, joy and pain of the young intellectuals of that era, and have become a model of romantic art.

Appreciation:

1. Violin Solo "Serenade" (2:46) The main idea of ??the lyrics: ① "My song flies through the night, gently flying to you, here In the quiet grove, my love, I am waiting for you!"

②"You can hear the nightingale singing, she is begging you, she wants to tell my love with her sweet song."

2. The fourth movement of Piano and String Quintet in A major (Trout) (7:35) Creation background: In 1817, Schubert composed the famous song "Trout", which uses two sections written. The first paragraph describes trout swimming happily in a clear river, and the second paragraph describes cunning fishermen who muddy the river water so that they can fish in troubled waters. Later, when composing "Piano and String Quintet in A major", the tune of this song was adopted, so it was also called "Trout Quintet".

"Piano Poet" - Chopin

Chopin (1810-1849) Polish pianist and composer. Born into a family of teachers near Warsaw, his father was a French expatriate in Poland and was a flutist, and his mother was the daughter of a Polish aristocratic family and played the piano very well. He loved music since he was a child. He received strict piano education at the age of 6 and performed publicly in concerts at the age of 9. At the age of 16, he entered the Warsaw Conservatory of Music and studied music theory with Dean Elsner. In 1830, the 20-year-old Chopin went abroad for traveling performances. He came to Paris, which at that time was a star-studded art capital. Here he gained a reputation as a composer and pianist. He died of illness in Paris on October 17, 1849.

His music is chic, elegant, subtle and tender, all of which are expressed in a strong and distinct national style and a warm and deep patriotic enthusiasm. , people call him the "piano poet". He left more than 200 piano treasures for future generations, including 27 etudes represented by "Revolutionary Etude in C minor", 51 mazurkas rich in national style, and the masculine beauty "A flat". Polonaise in Major" (also called Polonaise), and his 21 "Nocturnes" are masterpieces of piano music. He also created many piano sonatas and concertos.

Appreciation:

1. "One-Minute Waltz in D flat major" (Puppy) (1:51)

2. "No. 2 in F minor" "Piano Concerto" second movement (15:06) Performed by: London Symphony Orchestra, Piano: Rubinstein, Conductor: Andre Previn

(Note) Andre Previn ( 1929--) was born in Berlin, Germany, Jewish. During World War II, he came to the United States with his family and began his conducting career in 1963. He successively served as the music director and permanent conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra in the United Kingdom.

On October 10, 1813, Verdi was born in a small town in northern Italy. His father was a farmer and opened a small inn. Verdi was rejected from the Milan Conservatoire, but he did not lose heart. He became a disciple of the famous conductor Lavina, studied hard day and night, and soon his genius blossomed.

Verdi lived in the most turbulent era in Italy.

His famous work "Nabucco" reflected Austria's brutal rule of Italy, so it was extremely popular with the Italian people and achieved a sensational success. Starting from "Nabucco", Verdi embarked on a glorious journey. His songs took on golden wings and flew all over the mountains and rivers of Italy.

From the 1850s, Verdi's creation entered a mature stage. His three masterpieces "Rigoletto", "Il Trovatore" and "La Traviata" were published one after another. A number of very popular operas: "Sicilian Vespers", "Simon Boccanegar", "Masquerade", "Force des Destinies", "Don Carlos", "Aida".

"Aida" brought the opera master's reputation to the pinnacle of his life. This opera was written at the invitation of the Governor of Egypt. It describes a famous historical story of ancient Egypt. The first performance in Cairo on December 24, 1871 was a great success. One and a half months later, the opera was performed at La Scala in Milan, with Verdi personally conducting and the King of Italy coming to watch. The atmosphere inside and outside the theater was unprecedented.

When Will was eighty years old, he wrote his last opera "Falstaff". Such a long artistic life cannot but be amazing.

On January 27, 1901, Verdi died in Milan. In the endless funeral procession, a soul-stirring song spontaneously rang out: the most famous aria from "Nabucco" "Fly, thought, on those golden wings!" 》

Brahms

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Writer’s life works: Academy Festival Overture, Violin Concerto in D major , German Requiem, Symphony No. 1, Symphony No. 4, Hungarian Dances, and Blues.

The College Festival Overture was composed in 1880. In March 1879, the University of Breslau awarded Brahms a doctorate in philosophy. He wrote this piece to thank him for it, but the work was not completed until August 1880. It premiered at the University of Breslau in January 1881 under the conductor of the composer himself. The author once said that this is "a collection of joyful student songs at a banquet."

Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D major is truly one of the four greatest violin concertos in the history of music. Regardless of technique or style, he is as famous as Beethoven. Some people say that if Beethoven's violin concertos are male, Mendelssohn's are female. That Brahms is the male among men. Music critics say that Beethoven's Violin Concerto is calm on the surface but full of storms underneath. What about Brahms' Violin Concerto? I believe everyone can hear it. The first and third movements are vigorous, rough, passionate and unrestrained. The giant appears on stage with a heroic and bold character, which is different from Beethoven's restrainedness. This is one of the reasons why Brahms' violin concerto is so majestic. It can be compared and echoed with its Symphony No. 1. But the problem seems to be here too? Several European, American and Japanese music critics believe that Brahms' Violin Concerto is mature in conception, profound in musical interest, and almost a perfect treasure. It is not easy to see in other works, but the only flaw is precisely because of it. Symphonic personality. Is this due to the structure of the orchestra or the characteristics of the violin itself? Can't a violin concerto be colorful, explosive and majestic? Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 also has a symphonic character and the orchestra is aggressive, but it seems to be less controversial. Perhaps it's the piano's loud volume that has a profound aftertaste. Surrounded by the wind and rain of the orchestra, it can still highlight its different timbre characteristics as a string (strike) instrument, giving it a unique beauty. In the violin concerto, the concert partners are string instruments and wind instruments, and the violin plays a very important proportion. The volume of the solo violin is limited, and the pitch interval overlaps with the concert violin. Once faced with the ensemble, the solo seems to be almost swallowed up? The above? I wonder if this explanation is too superficial? In the 20th century, there was also a Hatchaduliang Violin Concerto with a rough and bold concerto, but I have never heard of it being overshadowed by the solo due to its majestic style? Or maybe it is because the concerto is basically It is different from the symphony and is not suitable for "symphonicization". Perhaps it is because the expressive content of the concerto focuses more on expressing the movement of the solo instrument.

The special status of Brahms' "Deutsche Requiem" in requiem music lies in the fact that it is not only sung in German ("German" here includes "German" and " German "double meaning"), the libretto breaks away from the norms of traditional Latin scriptures, and is more spiritually humane, shifting from Catholic divinity to Martin. The spirit of Protestantism ("German" in this sense) that has arisen in Germany since Luther. Brahms began composing the "Deutsche Requiem" in 1857, when he was only 24 years old. By 1861, the Requiem had four movements written. Between 1865 and 1866, Brahms added two movements to commemorate his mother's death. It was only after the last piece of music (the fifth movement with soprano solo) was written in 1868 that the piece was completed. It took 11 years to create. The final version of the "German Requiem" *** has seven movements. Brahms was a devout Protestant, and the libretto of the "German Requiem" was carefully selected and compiled by him from passages about death, faith, and eternal life in the Old and New Testaments translated by Luther. Since Brahms was extremely familiar with the Bible, he was able to compose the libretto in a coherent manner without leaving any trace, and it was a great feat in terms of words alone. The music he wrote matched perfectly with the lyrics he chose. Although there is mourning and sadness here, there is no traditional horror about the Doomsday Judgment, no content about dedication, atonement, and transcendence. Instead, it is replaced by a different kind of content about doomsday judgment. Faith in life and death: All flesh and blood are like grass and flowers, and the grass will wither and the flowers will fall; but for those who have faith, death is not a terrible thing, and they will find comfort from God. If "God" here is replaced by the word "faith", it will have a broader meaning.

Although Brahms only wrote four symphonies, he is still known as one of the greatest symphony composers after Beethoven. His "Symphony No. 1" is known as "Symphony No. 10". The so-called "No. 10" means that this piece succeeds Beethoven's "Immortal Nine Symphonies" and becomes the tenth famous symphony. The music is full of struggles, worries, anguish, frustration, joy and other intertwined emotions of the human world. It is the greatest spiritual comfort for those who have experienced the vicissitudes of the world, and it is also the spiritual treasure left by Brahms to the world. Interestingly, Brahms deliberately quoted the tune of "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony" in the last movement of this symphony, living up to the reputation of his "Symphony No. 10". The composition of this piece took twenty-one years (1855-1876). When it was completed, Brahms was already forty-three years old. The reason why the writing of this symphony took so long was not because the composer was busy with other composition work, but because he was very cautious. Brahms was already very rigorous, especially when it came to symphony composition. He was determined to write a work that could keep pace with the "Nine Immortal Symphonies" so as not to disgrace the style of his predecessors. Therefore, he spent half his life pondering and pondering before writing this masterpiece that can be compared with Beethoven's symphony, a masterpiece that reaches its pinnacle and shines brightly.

This piece was completed in 1885 and premiered in October of the same year under the conductor of Brahms himself. The author began composing this symphony in the summer of 1884, and it took a year to complete. This shows Brahms' meticulous creative attitude. This symphony is very different from the author's other three symphonies in character: first, it has a melancholic color that is not found in the first three symphonies, which is what later generations call "classical tragedy." In fact, before this, Brahms often expressed melancholy in his works, but this is the first time that melancholy is used as the keynote of a piece of music like this. Its second feature is that the whole song is written in an "ancient" technique. Of course, antiquity and elegance are one of the important features displayed in all Brahms' works. Because of these characteristics, this symphony has not been universally understood. However, the profound and timeless nature of this song was finally gradually accepted by the audience. This piece was often played during Brahms's lifetime, and often won applause.

The most widely known piece of music among all Brahms' works, it is not only performed everywhere, but also adapted into various forms of instrumental music. Brahms began composing this series of music in 1852. At that time, he was very interested in the Gypsy music in Vienna, so he wrote down many Gypsy music melodies. In 1869, he began to publish the "Hungarian Dance Collection". In fact, most of it was borrowed from Gypsy music melodies, edited and organized.

Brahms' Hungarian Dances is a collection of 21 "four-hand" piano pieces. Although the melody and style of each piece of music are different, they are all a mixture of Hungarian folk music and Gypsy folk music. Its characteristics: free rhythm, various decorations on the melody, drastic changes in speed, and a certain degree of improvisation; although there is no unified form, the three-section form is the most common. All of Brahms's Hungarian dances can be classified as world-famous pieces, especially the first ten that are most favored by the world.

This "Lullaby", often used for violin solos, was originally a popular song composed in 1868. According to legend, the author wrote this amiable and sincere lullaby to Mrs. Farber to congratulate her on the birth of her second son. Mrs. Faber was a famous singer in Vienna. When Brahms was in Hamburg in 1859, he heard her sing a Baumann waltz. At that time, Brahms was deeply moved by her beautiful singing voice. Later, he Using the melody of that waltz and adding syncopated changes, it serves as the accompaniment of this "Lullaby", as if the mother is gently stroking her baby to sleep. The lyrics of the original song are "Sleep peacefully, sleep here obediently, the little bed is filled with roses, the fragrant breeze blows into your dreams, the mosquitoes and flies are silent, the baby sleeps sweetly, I hope you sleep comfortably until the sun rises." That tranquility. , the beautiful melody itself is a lyric poem. Later generations adapted this song into light music, which has been widely circulated in the world and is as deeply rooted in people's hearts as a ballad.

After a long period of development, American music acquired a unique American style at the beginning of the 20th century, and achieved an equally important status as the music culture of Western countries. Before that, there was music from various ethnic groups or races living in the United States, as well as professional music brought by European musicians from various European countries. After a long period of mutual influence and integration, they promoted the formation and development of American music.

From the 16th to the 18th century, Indian singing was mainly used on occasions such as labor, weddings and funerals, and preparations for war. It was accompanied by drums and other percussion instruments, with simple and unique tones. After the 16th century, with the arrival of immigrants from various countries, they also brought their own music culture. After a fierce battle, the British finally gained the upper hand in the North American continent. Therefore, British music has the greatest influence on American music, and it laid the initial cornerstone for the formation of American music. In 1619, the first batch of African black slaves was trafficked to North America. Black Africans love music and are used to singing while working. The moving tunes and unique syncopated rhythms of black music played a huge role in the development of American music.

In 1640, "The Bay Psalms" was published in Massachusetts, which was the first book published in North America. In the early 18th century, in order to improve singing skills, many pastors wrote books to guide singing. At the same time, with the increase in immigration and the gradual prosperity of some large cities, secular music also became active. European musical instruments such as violins, guitars, harpsichords, etc. became popular, and professional musicians emerged. The first concert was held in Boston in 1731. The usual concert program includes patriotic songs, opera arias, traditional folk songs, etc., and sometimes some titled or untitled instrumental works. On this basis, the first batch of composers born in the United States were produced. Compared with European music, the works of American composers at that time were considered immature.

19th-20th Century At the beginning of the 19th century, many European musicians came to the United States, and they brought music levels and techniques that were far more advanced than those in the United States. After the European Revolution in 1848, a large number of German musicians immigrated to the United States. They brought significant changes in the musical taste of Americans who were originally accustomed to hymns, and also had a huge impact on the creation of the younger generation of American composers. At the same time, music education has developed rapidly.

After the Civil War, American musical life became more active, and some important music groups were established one after another, such as the Metropolitan Opera (1881), the Boston Symphony Orchestra (1881), etc. More importantly, a group of composers with considerable professional skills emerged. They raised American music to the level of Europe, but their works lacked originality and had an obvious tendency to imitate. Among them, the most accomplished one is E. McDowell is considered the first American composer to achieve international fame.

While American composers were almost all following European styles, songwriter S. C. Foster used the tunes of African American music to compose.

Many of his songs were written for the "black troupe" that was popular at the time (white people dressed up as black people, and their members were called troubadours); but the real African American music was not taken seriously, and they were only circulated and developed among black people. The main types of popular black music at that time included spiritual songs, blues, labor songs, etc.

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, a new trend emerged in the United States to break away from the control of German music. Czech composer A. Dvozak played a big role in this. He was invited to serve as president of the New York Academy of Music from 1892 to 1895. He suggested that American composers use American Indian and black music into their own creations. Some composers also turned to French music, and their creations were closely related to Impressionism. Another composer C. E. Ives was on his own to explore an Americanized musical language. He went unnoticed at the time and was later recognized as the most famous composer of the older generation in America.

In the 1920s, public opinion encouraged American composers to create works with American style and characteristics. A group of composers, with support from various quarters, contributed to the establishment of American nationalist music. Especially in the field of symphony, they have won a position for American music to keep pace with the music of European countries. He studied in Paris from the French composer N. Boulanger learned A. Copeland, R. Harris, W. Piston, V. Thomson and R. Sessions (1896-) and others, to a certain extent, combined the American musical language with the top Western composition techniques. Their students and followers such as W. Schumann, S. Barber, L. Burstein and others followed in their footsteps. Most of these young composers were trained domestically.

American music in the 1920s and 1930s did not just develop in one direction. Western music experienced unprecedented drastic changes after World War I, and new modern music genres emerged; even the above-mentioned composers showed varying degrees of experimental nature in some of their works. The most important experimentalist was the French composer E. Varèse. At the same time, American popular music developed unprecedentedly. In particular, jazz music, which evolved from black music such as blues and ragtime, is popular across the country. Independent American-style musicals (also known as Broadway musicals) were gradually developed on the basis of European operettas and comic operas, and occupy a special position in popular music. Famous musical theater composers include R. Rogers (1902-1979), G. Gershwin, Burstein, etc.

The emergence of the Nazi regime and World War II brought many famous European composers to the United States, such as P. Hindemith, B. Bartók, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, D. Milhaud et al. They brought a new and huge influence to American musical life. The United States became an important center of Western musical culture. The national character of American music creation is no longer taken seriously, and the stylistic differences between the works of many American composers and European music have almost disappeared.

After the 1950s, American music became more diverse. Although some composers basically compose according to traditional musical language, what attracts the new generation of composers is the endless emergence of various new music genres. The representative figure is J. Cage. In the field of popular music, new varieties have also emerged. Rock music, developed from blues and other music, swept the country, and jazz music took a back seat. Representative figures of rock music include E. Presley (1935-1977) and other famous singers of folk songs include B. Dylan (1941- ) et al. After the 1970s, the craze of rock music gradually declined, and various pop music influenced each other, tending to be comprehensive in style. The most famous pop music singer is M. Jackson (1958—).

In terms of musical performance, the United States often reaches a high level due to having the world's first-class conductors, soloists and opera singers. The United States accounts for more than half of the world's symphony orchestras. Among them, the Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York and Philadelphia symphony orchestras all enjoy international reputation.

Claude Debussy (August 22, 1862 - March 25, 1918, also translated as Claudius Debussy)

French composer Home. Born into a merchant family. Entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of eleven. In 1884, he won the Prix de Rome for his cantata "Prodigal Son" and then went to Italy to study for two years.

Artistically opposed to the old tradition, and influenced by Eastern music and aestheticism, the Impressionist school of music gradually formed a profound influence on modern European and American music. Its essence is closer to Symbolism. Debussy was also quite unconventional in his private life, and was even looked down upon by his friends in the circle.

He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1873 and remained a talented student during more than ten years of study. He won the Rome Prize for his cantata "The Prodigal Son". Later, he got close to a small group of poets and painters headed by Mallarmé, and wrote many vocal music with their poems as lyrics. He also created the orchestral overture "Afternoon of the Faun" based on the poem of the same name by Mallarmé, and the opera "Pelléas et Mélisande" based on the play of the same name by the Belgian poet Maeterlinck. He broke away from the influence of Wagner's operas and created a unique expression technique. Piano creation continued throughout his life. The early "Arabesque" and "Bergamo Suite" were close to the romantic style; "Layout", "Pleasure Island", two episodes of "Images" and "Twenty-Four Preludes" It is a masterpiece of impressionism. There are many vivid chapters in the orchestral works "Nocturne", "Sea" and "Iberia". During World War I, he wrote some works that expressed sympathy for the suffering people, and his creative style also changed. By this time he was suffering from cancer and died during the German attack on Paris in 1918.

In his creative career of more than thirty years, he formed a musical style called "Impressionism", which had a profound influence on the music of European and American countries.

1. Debussy's "Dream World" Debussy, the founder of modern music, developed a world of strange sounds that no musician has ever discovered. He was born in 1862. There were no musicians among his predecessors; his father, a shopkeeper, was too poor to give his son any kind of education, so he planned for his child to become a sailor. But a kind-hearted lady who had been a student of Chopin was very interested in this musically talented child and gave him free lessons. Debussy cherished this opportunity very much and studied hard. When he was eleven years old, Debussy was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire. While at the Conservatoire, Debussy became the pianist in a trio for a wealthy Russian lady, and had the opportunity to travel throughout Europe - Florence, Vienna, Venice, and finally at the lady's Russian estate. Stayed for a while. There, Debussy met some Russian composers who were trying to create a national music for their homeland from folk music. Debussy was very interested in the strange scales used by these Russian musicians, which were very different from the major and minor scales used by composers from other countries. These scales were based on the folk music of the fanatical Eastern peoples. A year later, Debussy returned to the Paris Conservatoire and, like many other French musicians, completed his conservatory course by winning the Prix de Rome. But the music he wrote was completely different from other musicians. He did not often use the major and minor scales used in traditional classical music. Sometimes he would return to the somewhat eccentric old modes of early church music, and he often used a diatonic scale. Our major and minor scales are made up of seven tones, five whole steps and two semitones, and the difference between major and minor scales is where those semitones are placed. In the major scale, a semitone is always between the third and fourth notes, and the seventh and eighth notes (3-4; 7-1). In the minor scale, one of the semitones is always between the second and third notes, but there are several different interminor scales where the second semitone is in different places. Debussy's favorite scale has six whole steps and no semitones at all (such as C, D, E, F sharp, G sharp, A sharp), so his melodies sound different from any music in the past, and his The chords are even stranger. Debussy used his preferred whole-tone scale to build his unique "dream world".

2. Overtone Debussy made many bold innovations in traditional music. The reason why he was the only one who dared to do this may be because no musician has ever had such a pair of keen ears: Debussy could actually hear more overtones than the average person. Just as a color is often composed of some other colors (purple = blue + red, orange = red + yellow, etc.), a sound is often composed of many sounds.

Various tones are caused by various vibrations in the air, and as we saw from the Greek lyre, whether a note is high or low depends on how fast it vibrates. However, in addition to the first or main vibration, a sound also has some secondary, ringing vibrations, just like a stone thrown into the water causes not a wave, but a circle. Ever-expanding ripples. The first and strongest overtone is the fifth note above the fundamental, which Debussy could hear without a hearing aid. If we have a well-tuned piano, press a key silently, and then hit the fifth note above or below it loudly, we can often hear it as an overtone of another note, Produces the effect that Debussy once had with his ears. The second overtone is the tenth tone above the original sound (the fundamental tone), and the third overtone is even higher, but it is very weak. And so on for the following overtones. The main reason for the difference in timbre of different instruments is the difference in overtones. An instrument like a violin, in which the lower overtones are stronger, has a smooth and mellow sound quality; while an instrument like a trumpet, in which the higher overtones are strong, has a louder sound. sound quality. Debussy constructed his strange, unearthly music out of sounds whose vibrations were inaudible in the air. In order for all people to hear, he boldly struck sounds that people didn't even know they had heard. Due to Debussy's sensitive ear, he also used different combinations of instruments in the orchestra to create soft, shimmering acoustics. At first people are confused by his music and don't know how to understand it, but once they get used to it, they like it very much. The music created by Debussy is called "Impressionism" by later generations.

■Main works

Arranged by genre and time:

Orchestra: "Spring" (1886); "Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun" (1894); "Nocturne" (1899); "The Sea" (1905); "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" (1911); "Image" (1912)

Chamber music: "String Quartet" (1893 ); "Cello Sonata" (1915); "Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp" (1915); "Violin Sonata" (1916-1917).

Piano music: "Bergamo Suite" ( 1905); "Piano Music" (1901); "Prints" (1903); "Image" (1905 and 1907); "Children's Garden" (1908); "Prelude" (Volume I: 1910, Vol ii: 1913) "Etudes" (1915); "White and Black", for two pianos (1915).

Choral works: "The Prodigal Son" (1884); "The Chosen Lady" (1888) ;

Opera: "Pelléas et Mélisande" (1902).

Songs: more than fifty