Kirjahaku

This book aids the listener in getting beneath the surface of Beethoven's two beloved symphonies.Composers often write pieces in highly contrasting moods in very close proximity. But no composer took this process further than Beethoven. His famous "Fifth Symphony", with an opening familiar to anyone, became the standard for the Romantic, tragedy to triumph, 'victory symphony'. The sunny Sixth however represents a high-water mark of relaxed lyricism. On a superficial listening, they couldn't sound more different from one another. Yet by examining them more closely it is revealed that they have more in common than their emotional trajectories might suggest.This book aids the listener in getting beneath the surface of these two beloved symphonies, revealing that however disparate the expressive message, the language and style remain Beethoven's - a symphonic voice as powerful in struggle and victory as in relaxation and meditation."Magnum Opus" is a series for anyone seeking a greater familiarity with the cornerstones of Western Classical Music - operatic, choral and symphonic. Always passionate, down-to-earth, and authoritative on the works and their creators, "Magnum Opus" is an indispensable resource for anyone's musical library and the perfect gift for the music-lover in your life.

Though Brahms' symphonies are often treated somewhat like medicine, as something 'good for you', but otherwise lacking in purely sensual pleasure, David Hurwitz takes the reader beyond the jargon and pedantry and unlocks the mystery (and the joy) contained within Brahms' symphonies. In short, Brahms was a musician's musician, in some respects and 'academic' (which is not to say 'pedantic') composer, and so it's practically impossible for professional scholars and musicians to approach his music without wanting to demonstrate at some point that they are as smart as Brahms, and uniquely able to unravel the technical intricacies of his larger works. For the general reader, this obviously represents a problem; indeed, it's not exactly a joy for the music professional either. Indeed, there is a sense in which Brahms' own seriousness of purpose is mistaken for a uniform seriousness of expression, with the result that his music is often treated somewhat like medicine, as something 'good for you', but otherwise lacking in purely sensual pleasure. Brahms' well-known struggles with orchestration compound this impression, but since no less an authority than Ravel praised the orchestration of the Second Symphony, we know that this fact is, at best, a generalization only partially true. "Magnum Opus" is a series for anyone seeking a greater familiarity with the cornerstones of Western Classical Music - operatic, choral and symphonic. Always passionate, down-to-earth, and authoritative on the works and their creators, "Magnum Opus" is an indispensable resource for anyone's musical library and the perfect gift for the music-lover in your life.

Beethoven’s orchestral works include some of the most iconic and popular pieces of classical music ever written. In this book, author and music critic David Hurwitz surveys all of his symphonies, overtures, concertos, theatrical music, his single ballet and other music for the dance, and several short pieces worth getting to know. It offers chapters on Beethoven’s handling of the symphony orchestra and his contributions to its evolution, as well as his approach to musical form in creating large, multi-movement works. The musical descriptions provide helpful strategies for listening that invite both beginners and experienced enthusiasts to treat even the best known pieces as something fresh, new and relevant. In addition, Hurwitz provides extensive lists of recommended recordings of all of the music surveyed, highlighting the wide range of issues in Beethoven interpretation and performance, as well as the history of his music on disc. He encourages readers to listen actively and critically, as they build their own Beethoven discographies according to their personal tastes and preferences.

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788) has to be the most rewarding expressive and entertaining of all the composers whose work fell into obscurity in the years following his death. He was overshadowed both by the rediscovery of his father Johann Sebastian and by the rise of the classical composers Haydn Mozart and Beethoven in Vienna. In his lifetime however he was considered the great Bach a musician of astonishing originality and a true original genius. His contemporaries were right.ÞBecause modern editions of C. P. E. Bach's music were few and far between it has been difficult for performers and record collectors to assess and enjoy his achievement but over the past two decades the situation has begun to improve. His output was vast: 52 keyboard concertos a dozen and a half symphonies hundreds of keyboard sonatas and character pieces and a wealth of songs choral music and chamber works.ÞAccompanied by a full-length H¢nssler Classic CD of the composer's finest and most representative works this survey offers a comprehensive overview of this magnificent all-but-unknown body of music and makes the case for regarding C. P. E. as a true classic.

Of all the biggest-name composers, Handel probably wrote the most truly great music that no one knows about. This book takes the curious listener through his entire output, from his earliest works in Italy, through his more than 40 operas, and including the famous English oratorios on which his reputation largely rests. Along the way it examines his orchestral music, the pieces he wrote for England s lavish royal ceremonies, and his surprisingly limited production of sacred music. Just as important, the book surveys and recommends recordings of all of the music discussed, so that listeners can acquire a music collection of whatever depth suits them best, while the included CD features top-notch recordings from the Harmonia Mundi label of a wide range of Handel s music in all of the major media in which he worked, both vocal and instrumental. Few composers cared more than Handel about pleasing his listeners and creating a body of work that was both entertaining and fun. It s time to blow away the Victorian cobwebs that have dogged his reputation, and discover just how much there is to enjoy.

The greatest musical prodigy since Mozart (some would say he was even greater), Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) excelled in everything he did, musical or otherwise, and during his brief life became Europe’s most respected and beloved composer. Yet no musician suffered more drastic swings in his posthumous reputation, and as a result Mendelssohn’s music was obscured by a host of extra-musical factors: changes in taste, the rise of nationalism, anti-Semitism, and contempt for Victorian culture. This “owner’s manual” offers a guide to Mendelssohn’s musical output, major and minor, providing points of entry into a large body of work, much of which remains far too little known. There’s much more to Mendelssohn than the “Italian” Symphony and the “Midsummer Night’s Dream” Overture, and a whole creative world of vivid, expressive, and fantastical music is ready for exploration.

No composer has ever achieved the amazing progression that Haydn has. He invented the string quartet as we know it today became the Father of the Symphony and founded the greatest school in the history of music. His life was one of ceaseless experimentation and invention of problems surmounted and challenges met.ÞÞIn this book No. 6 in the Amadeus Press Unlocking the Masters series David Hurwitz acquaints readers with Haydn's innovative melodic creativity his revolutionary use of musical form and important characteristics of his personal style including his genius for writing in minor keys and creating comedy in his music. In addition to Haydn's principal instrumental works Hurwitz explores Haydn's vocal music and instrumental masterpieces that fall outside the mainstream. Four appendixes list all of his symphonies string quartets piano sonatas and piano trios. Over two and a half hours of music keyed to pieces described in the book are available online using the unique code in each book.

The life and music of Richard Strauss (1864-1949) span what was arguably the most turbulent period in human history, encompassing the Franco-Prussian War, the unification of Germany, and two world wars. He was one of the very last composers to have started his career in service to the old European aristocracy, but near the end of his life, the continent lay in shambles, and he faced financial ruin even as he remained Germany's greatest living composer. Virtually from the day they were written, Strauss's tone poems from the late nineteenth century – works such as Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel, Also Sprach Zarathustra, and Death and Transfiguration – have been repertory standards. So have the operas Salome, Elektra, and Der Rosenkavalier. And yet a tremendous quantity of very good music, both early and late, has only recently come to the attention of musicians and music lovers alike. This “owner's manual ” accompanied by a full-length CD, surveys all the major works with orchestra: symphonies, concertos, tone poems, operas, ballets, suites, and songs. Many of them will be new even to listeners familiar with the popular pieces, part of a vast legacy of immaculately crafted, beautiful music that deserves to be rediscovered and treasured.