Kenneth Hamilton
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195178265
- eISBN:
- 9780199870035
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195178265.001.0001
- Subject:
- Music, Theory, Analysis, Composition
This book dissects the oft-invoked myth of a romantic Golden Age of Pianism. It discusses the performance-style of great pianists from Liszt to Paderewski and Busoni, and delves into the ...
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This book dissects the oft-invoked myth of a romantic Golden Age of Pianism. It discusses the performance-style of great pianists from Liszt to Paderewski and Busoni, and delves into the far-from-inevitable development of the piano recital. The book recounts how classical concerts evolved from exuberant, sometimes riotous events into the formal, funereal trotting out of predictable pieces they can be today; how an often unhistorical “respect for the score” began to replace pianists' improvizations and adaptations; and how the clinical custom arose that an audience should be seen and not heard. The book chronicles why pianists of the past did not always begin a piece with the first note of the score, nor end with the last. It emphasizes that anxiety over wrong notes is a relatively recent psychosis, and that playing entirely from memory a relatively recent requirement. The book presents a vivid tale of how drastically different are the recitals of the present compared to concerts of the past, and how their own role has diminished from noisily active participants in the concert experience to passive recipients of artistic benediction from the stage. The book's broad message proclaims that there is nothing divinely ordained about our own concert-practices, programming, and piano-performance styles. Many aspects of the modern approach are unhistorical — some laudable, some merely ludicrous. They are also far removed from those fondly remembered as constituting a Golden Age.Less
This book dissects the oft-invoked myth of a romantic Golden Age of Pianism. It discusses the performance-style of great pianists from Liszt to Paderewski and Busoni, and delves into the far-from-inevitable development of the piano recital. The book recounts how classical concerts evolved from exuberant, sometimes riotous events into the formal, funereal trotting out of predictable pieces they can be today; how an often unhistorical “respect for the score” began to replace pianists' improvizations and adaptations; and how the clinical custom arose that an audience should be seen and not heard. The book chronicles why pianists of the past did not always begin a piece with the first note of the score, nor end with the last. It emphasizes that anxiety over wrong notes is a relatively recent psychosis, and that playing entirely from memory a relatively recent requirement. The book presents a vivid tale of how drastically different are the recitals of the present compared to concerts of the past, and how their own role has diminished from noisily active participants in the concert experience to passive recipients of artistic benediction from the stage. The book's broad message proclaims that there is nothing divinely ordained about our own concert-practices, programming, and piano-performance styles. Many aspects of the modern approach are unhistorical — some laudable, some merely ludicrous. They are also far removed from those fondly remembered as constituting a Golden Age.
Kenneth Hamilton
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195178265
- eISBN:
- 9780199870035
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195178265.003.0001
- Subject:
- Music, Theory, Analysis, Composition
This chapter uncovers the roots of the myth of a pianistic golden age in the 19th- and early 20th-centuries, along with offering a preliminary discussion of national performance styles, and the ...
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This chapter uncovers the roots of the myth of a pianistic golden age in the 19th- and early 20th-centuries, along with offering a preliminary discussion of national performance styles, and the influence of Beethoven, Czerny, Liszt, and Chopin. The vexed claim of a “continuous performance tradition” is analysed and shown to be erroneous.Less
This chapter uncovers the roots of the myth of a pianistic golden age in the 19th- and early 20th-centuries, along with offering a preliminary discussion of national performance styles, and the influence of Beethoven, Czerny, Liszt, and Chopin. The vexed claim of a “continuous performance tradition” is analysed and shown to be erroneous.
Kenneth Hamilton
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195178265
- eISBN:
- 9780199870035
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195178265.003.0004
- Subject:
- Music, Theory, Analysis, Composition
This chapter examines the virtually universal custom before the mid-decades of the 20th-century of pianists improvising preludes and transitions between pieces, with especial attention to Chopin, ...
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This chapter examines the virtually universal custom before the mid-decades of the 20th-century of pianists improvising preludes and transitions between pieces, with especial attention to Chopin, Czerny, Liszt, von Bülow, Busoni, and Grainger. Possible reasons for the origin and eventual demise of the custom are suggested.Less
This chapter examines the virtually universal custom before the mid-decades of the 20th-century of pianists improvising preludes and transitions between pieces, with especial attention to Chopin, Czerny, Liszt, von Bülow, Busoni, and Grainger. Possible reasons for the origin and eventual demise of the custom are suggested.
Kenneth Hamilton
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195178265
- eISBN:
- 9780199870035
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195178265.003.0007
- Subject:
- Music, Theory, Analysis, Composition
This chapter chronicles the evolution of Liszt's attitude to piano performance, piano music, and piano teaching, with especial reference to the performance of his own music and the playing of his ...
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This chapter chronicles the evolution of Liszt's attitude to piano performance, piano music, and piano teaching, with especial reference to the performance of his own music and the playing of his pupils Friedheim, Siloti, von Sauer, and Rosenthal.Less
This chapter chronicles the evolution of Liszt's attitude to piano performance, piano music, and piano teaching, with especial reference to the performance of his own music and the playing of his pupils Friedheim, Siloti, von Sauer, and Rosenthal.
Kenneth Hamilton
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195178265
- eISBN:
- 9780199870035
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195178265.003.0008
- Subject:
- Music, Theory, Analysis, Composition
This chapter traces the evolving role of the piano in 19th- and early-20th century musical life, along with the traditions of performance of some standard repertoire works by Chopin, Schubert, and ...
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This chapter traces the evolving role of the piano in 19th- and early-20th century musical life, along with the traditions of performance of some standard repertoire works by Chopin, Schubert, and Liszt whose technical difficulties became more severe as the piano itself evolved. It is argued that performance traditions ultimately not derived from the composer should be investigated more fully and treated with a greater respect than has hitherto been the case, with the adaptations of Busoni used as an illustrative example.Less
This chapter traces the evolving role of the piano in 19th- and early-20th century musical life, along with the traditions of performance of some standard repertoire works by Chopin, Schubert, and Liszt whose technical difficulties became more severe as the piano itself evolved. It is argued that performance traditions ultimately not derived from the composer should be investigated more fully and treated with a greater respect than has hitherto been the case, with the adaptations of Busoni used as an illustrative example.
R. Allen Lott
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195148831
- eISBN:
- 9780199869695
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195148831.003.0008
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
Although some writers took a cynical view of the influence of virtuosos touring the United States, most believed the visiting pianists were useful models for budding pianists and were responsible for ...
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Although some writers took a cynical view of the influence of virtuosos touring the United States, most believed the visiting pianists were useful models for budding pianists and were responsible for awaking a general interest in music and improving the public's discrimination. Alfred Jaëll (1832-82) was the next world-famous pianist to visit America, making his debut in 1851 and touring with the Germania Musical Society orchestra. Two other important pianists who soon made debuts were the Americans Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-69) in 1853 and William Mason (1829-1908) in 1854, both returning from studying and performing abroad. Neither was as successful as the European performers, reflecting America's discrimination against native-born talent. Although there were frequent rumors that Franz Liszt (1811-86) would tour America, he never yielded to the numerous offers.Less
Although some writers took a cynical view of the influence of virtuosos touring the United States, most believed the visiting pianists were useful models for budding pianists and were responsible for awaking a general interest in music and improving the public's discrimination. Alfred Jaëll (1832-82) was the next world-famous pianist to visit America, making his debut in 1851 and touring with the Germania Musical Society orchestra. Two other important pianists who soon made debuts were the Americans Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-69) in 1853 and William Mason (1829-1908) in 1854, both returning from studying and performing abroad. Neither was as successful as the European performers, reflecting America's discrimination against native-born talent. Although there were frequent rumors that Franz Liszt (1811-86) would tour America, he never yielded to the numerous offers.
R. Allen Lott
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195148831
- eISBN:
- 9780199869695
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195148831.003.0009
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
Sigismund Thalberg (1812-71) was the one pianist to rival Liszt in the 1830s. Bernard Ullman, with a decade of managerial experience, masterminded Thalberg's two-year American tour (1856-8) that ...
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Sigismund Thalberg (1812-71) was the one pianist to rival Liszt in the 1830s. Bernard Ullman, with a decade of managerial experience, masterminded Thalberg's two-year American tour (1856-8) that included almost nightly concerts and totaled at least 340 concerts in seventy-eight cities. Thalberg found devoted audiences that returned over and over again to hear flawless performances of his celebrated virtuoso showpieces. While in the US, he also wrote variations on “The Last Rose of Summer” and “Home, Sweet Home”, the latter extremely successful. Ullman arranged a continuously changing roster of assisting artists that included singers and the American pianists Louis Moreau Gottschalk and William Mason. His performances of Beethoven concertos were a significant departure for a visiting virtuoso and were well received.Less
Sigismund Thalberg (1812-71) was the one pianist to rival Liszt in the 1830s. Bernard Ullman, with a decade of managerial experience, masterminded Thalberg's two-year American tour (1856-8) that included almost nightly concerts and totaled at least 340 concerts in seventy-eight cities. Thalberg found devoted audiences that returned over and over again to hear flawless performances of his celebrated virtuoso showpieces. While in the US, he also wrote variations on “The Last Rose of Summer” and “Home, Sweet Home”, the latter extremely successful. Ullman arranged a continuously changing roster of assisting artists that included singers and the American pianists Louis Moreau Gottschalk and William Mason. His performances of Beethoven concertos were a significant departure for a visiting virtuoso and were well received.
David Manning
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195182392
- eISBN:
- 9780199851485
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195182392.003.0055
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
The folk song has so many facets that it is not surprising few people can see all sides of the subject at once. Lucy Etheldred Broadwood spent much of her early life in country surroundings at Lyne ...
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The folk song has so many facets that it is not surprising few people can see all sides of the subject at once. Lucy Etheldred Broadwood spent much of her early life in country surroundings at Lyne in Sussex, but the Broadwoods had also a town house that was visited from time to time by many musical celebrities from Europe including Franz Liszt, whose playing of double thirds filled her with admiration. This combination of rural background and urban culture was the basis of her character. Lucy was an excellent pianist and a most artistic singer; her inventive mind was shown in her accompaniments to her collection of folk songs and a few original compositions, which, though slight in texture, show considerable musical imagination. In 1893 her name suddenly sprang into public recognition as the collaborator with J. A. Fuller Maitland on the now-famous English County Songs.Less
The folk song has so many facets that it is not surprising few people can see all sides of the subject at once. Lucy Etheldred Broadwood spent much of her early life in country surroundings at Lyne in Sussex, but the Broadwoods had also a town house that was visited from time to time by many musical celebrities from Europe including Franz Liszt, whose playing of double thirds filled her with admiration. This combination of rural background and urban culture was the basis of her character. Lucy was an excellent pianist and a most artistic singer; her inventive mind was shown in her accompaniments to her collection of folk songs and a few original compositions, which, though slight in texture, show considerable musical imagination. In 1893 her name suddenly sprang into public recognition as the collaborator with J. A. Fuller Maitland on the now-famous English County Songs.
Roger Nichols
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195320169
- eISBN:
- 9780199852086
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195320169.003.0016
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
It is not long since orchestral music had only two forms at its disposal: the symphony and the overture. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven did not write anything else; who would dare to depart from their ...
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It is not long since orchestral music had only two forms at its disposal: the symphony and the overture. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven did not write anything else; who would dare to depart from their example? Franz Liszt dared. To dare, in art, is the most terrible thing. In theory, nothing is simpler. There are no laws against the arts and artists being free to do whatever they like; who is there to stop them? In practice, everything stops them. The new forms that people ask for and desire, or at least appear to, inspire terror and repulsion. In order to accept new forms and grasp their meaning, the mind has to make an effort: those people willing to make this effort are rare. Liszt realized that, if he wanted to impose new forms, he had to make them seem necessary. He set out to create the symphonic poem.Less
It is not long since orchestral music had only two forms at its disposal: the symphony and the overture. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven did not write anything else; who would dare to depart from their example? Franz Liszt dared. To dare, in art, is the most terrible thing. In theory, nothing is simpler. There are no laws against the arts and artists being free to do whatever they like; who is there to stop them? In practice, everything stops them. The new forms that people ask for and desire, or at least appear to, inspire terror and repulsion. In order to accept new forms and grasp their meaning, the mind has to make an effort: those people willing to make this effort are rare. Liszt realized that, if he wanted to impose new forms, he had to make them seem necessary. He set out to create the symphonic poem.
Albert R. Rice
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195343281
- eISBN:
- 9780199867813
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195343281.003.0006
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
Chapter five is dedicated to bass clarinet music grouped in the categories: early reported works; notation practice; a chronological description of works from 1834 to 1860 listed by composer; band ...
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Chapter five is dedicated to bass clarinet music grouped in the categories: early reported works; notation practice; a chronological description of works from 1834 to 1860 listed by composer; band music; and music written for the contra bass and contra alto clarinets.Less
Chapter five is dedicated to bass clarinet music grouped in the categories: early reported works; notation practice; a chronological description of works from 1834 to 1860 listed by composer; band music; and music written for the contra bass and contra alto clarinets.
Richard Bolster
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300082463
- eISBN:
- 9780300137682
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300082463.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Prose (inc. letters, diaries)
Talented and resolutely independent, Marie d'Agoult (1805–76) was one of the most remarkable women of her time. Abandoning her privileged position in society, she eloped with her great love, the ...
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Talented and resolutely independent, Marie d'Agoult (1805–76) was one of the most remarkable women of her time. Abandoning her privileged position in society, she eloped with her great love, the pianist and composer Franz Liszt, and later won fame as a writer under the penname Daniel Stern. She published fiction, articles on literature, music, art, and politics, and a history of the revolution of 1848, and she was an eloquent advocate for democracy, the eradication of poverty, and the emancipation of women. Drawing on her memoirs, letters, and other unpublished writings, this biography sets Marie d'Agoult's eventful life against a backdrop of dramatic political change in France. Courted by many important figures of her day, she married a nobleman and became a member of the court of Charles X. Her passion for music eventually brought her into contact with Liszt, with whom she moved to Italy and had three children. After their idealistic romance degenerated into disenchantment, d'Agoult returned to Paris, began her writing career, and established a salon for artists, reformers, and freethinkers. The book explains how George Sand became d'Agoult's friend and then betrayed her by giving Balzac information about her affair with Liszt, which he used in his novel Béatrix. The book concludes with a moving account of d'Agoult's last years.Less
Talented and resolutely independent, Marie d'Agoult (1805–76) was one of the most remarkable women of her time. Abandoning her privileged position in society, she eloped with her great love, the pianist and composer Franz Liszt, and later won fame as a writer under the penname Daniel Stern. She published fiction, articles on literature, music, art, and politics, and a history of the revolution of 1848, and she was an eloquent advocate for democracy, the eradication of poverty, and the emancipation of women. Drawing on her memoirs, letters, and other unpublished writings, this biography sets Marie d'Agoult's eventful life against a backdrop of dramatic political change in France. Courted by many important figures of her day, she married a nobleman and became a member of the court of Charles X. Her passion for music eventually brought her into contact with Liszt, with whom she moved to Italy and had three children. After their idealistic romance degenerated into disenchantment, d'Agoult returned to Paris, began her writing career, and established a salon for artists, reformers, and freethinkers. The book explains how George Sand became d'Agoult's friend and then betrayed her by giving Balzac information about her affair with Liszt, which he used in his novel Béatrix. The book concludes with a moving account of d'Agoult's last years.
Jan Brokken
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781628461855
- eISBN:
- 9781626740914
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781628461855.003.0006
- Subject:
- Music, Ethnomusicology, World Music
This chapter is a discussion at greater length of the migration of the mazurka from Poland to Russia and of Chopin’s mazurka and its appeal to Caribbean composers and dancers as well as the fact that ...
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This chapter is a discussion at greater length of the migration of the mazurka from Poland to Russia and of Chopin’s mazurka and its appeal to Caribbean composers and dancers as well as the fact that Chopin too was an immigrant as well as a short character sketch of ChopinLess
This chapter is a discussion at greater length of the migration of the mazurka from Poland to Russia and of Chopin’s mazurka and its appeal to Caribbean composers and dancers as well as the fact that Chopin too was an immigrant as well as a short character sketch of Chopin
Russell Stinson
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195171099
- eISBN:
- 9780199865239
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195171099.001.0001
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
Bach's music has made an indelible mark on all those who compose for the organ, and in the 19th century, Bach's music was revived, revered, and brought to life for a musical public. This study ...
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Bach's music has made an indelible mark on all those who compose for the organ, and in the 19th century, Bach's music was revived, revered, and brought to life for a musical public. This study examines how four major composers of the 19th century—Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, and Johannes Brahms—responded to the model of Bach's organ music. Whether for keyboard, voice, orchestra, or chamber ensemble, these composers not only borrowed from Bach's organ works in creating their own masterpieces, but also reacted significantly to the music as performers, editors, theorists, and teachers. The book reveals how these four titans influenced one another as “receptors” of this repertory and how their mutual acquaintances—especially Clara Schumann—contributed as well. It also represents a significant contribution to the literature of the so-called Bach revival. The book considers biographical research as well as musical evidence to arrive at new and often startling conclusions about precisely which pieces served as compositional exemplars and which ones were especially valued as study and performance repertoire. Replete with intriguing anecdotes, this study includes detailed observations on how these composers annotated their personal copies of Bach's organ works. The book also features numerous musical examples, facsimile plates, and a comprehensive bibliography. Included in an appendix is Brahms's hitherto unpublished study score of the Fantasy in G Major, BWV 572.Less
Bach's music has made an indelible mark on all those who compose for the organ, and in the 19th century, Bach's music was revived, revered, and brought to life for a musical public. This study examines how four major composers of the 19th century—Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, and Johannes Brahms—responded to the model of Bach's organ music. Whether for keyboard, voice, orchestra, or chamber ensemble, these composers not only borrowed from Bach's organ works in creating their own masterpieces, but also reacted significantly to the music as performers, editors, theorists, and teachers. The book reveals how these four titans influenced one another as “receptors” of this repertory and how their mutual acquaintances—especially Clara Schumann—contributed as well. It also represents a significant contribution to the literature of the so-called Bach revival. The book considers biographical research as well as musical evidence to arrive at new and often startling conclusions about precisely which pieces served as compositional exemplars and which ones were especially valued as study and performance repertoire. Replete with intriguing anecdotes, this study includes detailed observations on how these composers annotated their personal copies of Bach's organ works. The book also features numerous musical examples, facsimile plates, and a comprehensive bibliography. Included in an appendix is Brahms's hitherto unpublished study score of the Fantasy in G Major, BWV 572.
Russell Stinson
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195171099
- eISBN:
- 9780199865239
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195171099.003.0004
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
This chapter begins by discussing how Franz Liszt came to know of Bachian music. It provides evidence that Liszt gained interest in the Six Great Preludes and Fugues for organ, and that he began to ...
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This chapter begins by discussing how Franz Liszt came to know of Bachian music. It provides evidence that Liszt gained interest in the Six Great Preludes and Fugues for organ, and that he began to play actual works by Bach on the organ. It narrates that 1839 was a milestone in Liszt's musical career, for it inaugurated an eight-year period during which he gained his reputation as the leading pianist in the world. It narrates that shortly after living in Weimar, Liszt's passion for Bach's music was stimulated. It then narrates that Liszt must notate and then publish his piano transcriptions of all half dozen of Bach's six Great Preludes and Fugues for organ. It also tells that the local organist, Alexander Wilhelm Gottschalg, have been closest to Liszt for the longest period. It highlights that teaching was central to Liszt's musical existence throughout his long career.Less
This chapter begins by discussing how Franz Liszt came to know of Bachian music. It provides evidence that Liszt gained interest in the Six Great Preludes and Fugues for organ, and that he began to play actual works by Bach on the organ. It narrates that 1839 was a milestone in Liszt's musical career, for it inaugurated an eight-year period during which he gained his reputation as the leading pianist in the world. It narrates that shortly after living in Weimar, Liszt's passion for Bach's music was stimulated. It then narrates that Liszt must notate and then publish his piano transcriptions of all half dozen of Bach's six Great Preludes and Fugues for organ. It also tells that the local organist, Alexander Wilhelm Gottschalg, have been closest to Liszt for the longest period. It highlights that teaching was central to Liszt's musical existence throughout his long career.
Peter Szendy
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780823267057
- eISBN:
- 9780823272303
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823267057.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
Three models for thinking the relation between interpreting bodies and the sound-producing body: 1. Virtuosity according to Liszt; 2. Glenn Steinway as described by Thomas Bernhard in a piece of ...
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Three models for thinking the relation between interpreting bodies and the sound-producing body: 1. Virtuosity according to Liszt; 2. Glenn Steinway as described by Thomas Bernhard in a piece of fiction (The Loser) inspired by Glenn Gould; and 3. Nietzsche, for whom it is already “the formation of an organ” that is itself “an interpretation.”Less
Three models for thinking the relation between interpreting bodies and the sound-producing body: 1. Virtuosity according to Liszt; 2. Glenn Steinway as described by Thomas Bernhard in a piece of fiction (The Loser) inspired by Glenn Gould; and 3. Nietzsche, for whom it is already “the formation of an organ” that is itself “an interpretation.”
Ian Bradley
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195327342
- eISBN:
- 9780199852727
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195327342.001.0001
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
Many of the most famous composers in classical music spent time in spa towns. At Baden bei Wein, Mozart wrote his Ave Verum Corpus, and Beethoven sketched out his Ninth Symphony. Johannes Brahms ...
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Many of the most famous composers in classical music spent time in spa towns. At Baden bei Wein, Mozart wrote his Ave Verum Corpus, and Beethoven sketched out his Ninth Symphony. Johannes Brahms spent 17 summers in Baden-Baden, where he stayed in his own specially built composing cavern. Berlioz conducted in Baden-Baden for nine seasons, writing Beatrice and Benedict for the town's casino manager. Chopin, Liszt, and Dvorak were each regular visitors to Carlsbad and Marienbad. And it was in Carlsbad that Beethoven met Goethe. To this day, these spa towns continue to host major music festivals. This book explores the music making that went on in the spas and watering places in Europe and the United States between the early eighteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Music was an important part of the experience of taking a spa cure. Bands played during the early morning and late afternoon while people took the waters and bathed. Spa orchestras and ensembles entertained those gathering socially or resting in assembly rooms, pump rooms, gardens, and parks. The author draws on original archival material and the diaries and letters of composers. The book begins with Bath in England and Baden near Vienna, which both flourished in the eighteenth century, continuing through Baden-Baden, the Bohemian spas, and Bad Ischl in the nineteenth century, and on to Buxton and Saratoga Springs in the early twentieth century. A concluding chapter features a review of the musical activities taking place in spa towns today.Less
Many of the most famous composers in classical music spent time in spa towns. At Baden bei Wein, Mozart wrote his Ave Verum Corpus, and Beethoven sketched out his Ninth Symphony. Johannes Brahms spent 17 summers in Baden-Baden, where he stayed in his own specially built composing cavern. Berlioz conducted in Baden-Baden for nine seasons, writing Beatrice and Benedict for the town's casino manager. Chopin, Liszt, and Dvorak were each regular visitors to Carlsbad and Marienbad. And it was in Carlsbad that Beethoven met Goethe. To this day, these spa towns continue to host major music festivals. This book explores the music making that went on in the spas and watering places in Europe and the United States between the early eighteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Music was an important part of the experience of taking a spa cure. Bands played during the early morning and late afternoon while people took the waters and bathed. Spa orchestras and ensembles entertained those gathering socially or resting in assembly rooms, pump rooms, gardens, and parks. The author draws on original archival material and the diaries and letters of composers. The book begins with Bath in England and Baden near Vienna, which both flourished in the eighteenth century, continuing through Baden-Baden, the Bohemian spas, and Bad Ischl in the nineteenth century, and on to Buxton and Saratoga Springs in the early twentieth century. A concluding chapter features a review of the musical activities taking place in spa towns today.
Kofi Agawu
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195370249
- eISBN:
- 9780199852161
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195370249.003.0007
- Subject:
- Music, Theory, Analysis, Composition
This chapter gives a semiotic analysis of Lizst's Orpheus. It begins by identifying the work's building blocks one after another. The second part of the analysis includes comments on the discourse of ...
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This chapter gives a semiotic analysis of Lizst's Orpheus. It begins by identifying the work's building blocks one after another. The second part of the analysis includes comments on the discourse of form and meaning that this particular disposition of blocks makes possible. The analysis is able to determine that although Orpheus resists a reading as a continuously illustrative work, certain features encourage speculation about its illustrative potential.Less
This chapter gives a semiotic analysis of Lizst's Orpheus. It begins by identifying the work's building blocks one after another. The second part of the analysis includes comments on the discourse of form and meaning that this particular disposition of blocks makes possible. The analysis is able to determine that although Orpheus resists a reading as a continuously illustrative work, certain features encourage speculation about its illustrative potential.
Roger Nichols
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195320169
- eISBN:
- 9780199852086
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195320169.003.0017
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
Franz Liszt began by incarnating on the piano the panache of Romanticism; then, leaving behind a style belonging to the Middle Ages that could no longer be found in France, despite all the efforts of ...
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Franz Liszt began by incarnating on the piano the panache of Romanticism; then, leaving behind a style belonging to the Middle Ages that could no longer be found in France, despite all the efforts of poets to restore it. Most of the piano pieces he had published seemed unperformable by anyone except him, and were indeed so using the old-fashioned performing techniques that called for immobility, with the elbows tucked into the sides, limiting movement to the fingers and forearms. He had turned his back on his earlier successes and was engaged on works of serious composition, dreaming of a renovation of art. On their own, the memories left by Liszt's time in Paris provided ample material for suggestions of every kind. The truth, when it concerned him, no longer needed the support of likelihood.Less
Franz Liszt began by incarnating on the piano the panache of Romanticism; then, leaving behind a style belonging to the Middle Ages that could no longer be found in France, despite all the efforts of poets to restore it. Most of the piano pieces he had published seemed unperformable by anyone except him, and were indeed so using the old-fashioned performing techniques that called for immobility, with the elbows tucked into the sides, limiting movement to the fingers and forearms. He had turned his back on his earlier successes and was engaged on works of serious composition, dreaming of a renovation of art. On their own, the memories left by Liszt's time in Paris provided ample material for suggestions of every kind. The truth, when it concerned him, no longer needed the support of likelihood.
Alexander Rehding
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195385380
- eISBN:
- 9780199852499
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195385380.003.0003
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
Liszt’s “superhuman” contributions in Weimar consisted of “groundbreaking reforms” both as a conductor and in terms of keyboard pedagogy through his writings and his Beethoven-like legacies. Another ...
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Liszt’s “superhuman” contributions in Weimar consisted of “groundbreaking reforms” both as a conductor and in terms of keyboard pedagogy through his writings and his Beethoven-like legacies. Another important thing regarded as “superhuman” was the musical style Liszt employed in most of his compositions, since Wagner related music and life with the essence of artistic existence. Liszt employed a similar strategy in his works as these had similar endings, and this is what we refer to as “apotheosis.” This chapter points out that there exists an almost apparent linkage between the works and the biography of an artist, that this notion was one of the major discoveries of nineteenth-century criticism, and that this strategy perhaps entailed unrestrained amounts of Romanticism. Also, this chapter discusses “thematic transformation” and how certain techniques for apotheosis are used to accentuate the hero.Less
Liszt’s “superhuman” contributions in Weimar consisted of “groundbreaking reforms” both as a conductor and in terms of keyboard pedagogy through his writings and his Beethoven-like legacies. Another important thing regarded as “superhuman” was the musical style Liszt employed in most of his compositions, since Wagner related music and life with the essence of artistic existence. Liszt employed a similar strategy in his works as these had similar endings, and this is what we refer to as “apotheosis.” This chapter points out that there exists an almost apparent linkage between the works and the biography of an artist, that this notion was one of the major discoveries of nineteenth-century criticism, and that this strategy perhaps entailed unrestrained amounts of Romanticism. Also, this chapter discusses “thematic transformation” and how certain techniques for apotheosis are used to accentuate the hero.
Alexander Rehding
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195385380
- eISBN:
- 9780199852499
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195385380.003.0004
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
As the town of Weimar prepared to celebrate Goethe’s birthday, Franz Liszt came up with several new compositions that included Tasso, “Mehr Licht,” and other arrangements for a four-part male-choir, ...
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As the town of Weimar prepared to celebrate Goethe’s birthday, Franz Liszt came up with several new compositions that included Tasso, “Mehr Licht,” and other arrangements for a four-part male-choir, piano solos, and orchestras. The Leipziger Illustrirte Zeitung which covered the long string of events during the festivities reported that a gift was given away to commemorate the celebration. An album of Liszt’s compositions was also distributed as a souvenir for that occasion. The notated version of “Mehr Licht” published in the Illustrirte Zeitung, however, exemplified too many sublime themes. Because of the excessive use of different motives and symbols, this was considered Kitsch — a complex aesthetic phenomenon evident throughout mass culture in the nineteenth-century.Less
As the town of Weimar prepared to celebrate Goethe’s birthday, Franz Liszt came up with several new compositions that included Tasso, “Mehr Licht,” and other arrangements for a four-part male-choir, piano solos, and orchestras. The Leipziger Illustrirte Zeitung which covered the long string of events during the festivities reported that a gift was given away to commemorate the celebration. An album of Liszt’s compositions was also distributed as a souvenir for that occasion. The notated version of “Mehr Licht” published in the Illustrirte Zeitung, however, exemplified too many sublime themes. Because of the excessive use of different motives and symbols, this was considered Kitsch — a complex aesthetic phenomenon evident throughout mass culture in the nineteenth-century.
