Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)

            Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27^th, 1756, in Salzburg.  Mozart began showing his musical excellence at an early age.  He could learn and perform music, played the clavier, and composed symphonies all before the age of ten.  His father was a violinist and vice-kapellmeister allowing Mozart the opportunity to travel across Europe and display his musical skills to various audiences.  After a short season as a court organist to the Archbishop in Salzburg, he embarked on a free-lance career.  He met the Webers in 1777 and lived with them for a time as he sought to make a career through his compositions.  Mozart eventually married Constanze Weber against the wishes of his father.  By 1782 he began to produce compositions in seemingly every form and genre.  He became a staple to the court of Emperor Joseph II, where Mozart produced some of his best known music.  Though producing well-loved serenades, dances, operas, string quartets, piano concertos, symphonies, and various other pieces, Mozart struggled to make a successful living due to his mismanagement of money and poor behavioral decisions.  Illness linked to his kidneys took his life and career at the early age of thirty-six. 

            Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute), is an opera by Mozart premiered in Vienna on September 30^th, 1791, only two months before Mozart’s death.  Mozart wrote the opera in two acts with a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder.  At its premier, Mozart himself conducted the orchestra and Schikaneder performed as Papageno (the Prince’s companion).  The show was an instant success.  The plot consists of the Queen of the Night persuading Prince Tamino to rescue her daughter from captivity.  The Prince seeks to save Pamina from the high priest Sarastro, yet learns the ideals of Sarastro’s community and seeks to join it.  Mozart uses imagery, folk idioms, and pantomime to elevate the idea of human wisdom above ignorance. 

The Magic Flute characteristically reflects opera’s style of sung text and spoken dialogue.  This opera mirrors standard sonata form, with the exposition in Act I and development and recapitulation in Act II.  This work reflects its time in generating ideals towards the Enlightenment.  It draws attention to moral truths pointed at middle and lower classes.  Mozart seeks to impart the idea that things are not always as they appear to be on the surface.  Its emotional contrast and value in Tamino’s logical reasoning all point toward these new ideals of the Enlightenment.  Mozart’s opera follows all the ‘rules’ from a technical standpoint and Mozart is famously known for his impact on Classical music.   

http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/theatre/533069/Mozart-Idomeneo-Royal-Opera-House

http://www.ipl.org/div/mushist/clas/mozart.html

http://www.classicfm.com/composers/mozart/guides/mozart-operas-10-best/

http://www.biography.com/people/wolfgang-mozart-9417115#later-years

Sonata in G minor, K.347 (Sonata a Quattro)

As with much of his music, Johann Joseph Flux wrote Sonata in G minor, K. 347 as a means to further the development of the eighteenth-century alto trombone. The reasoning of writing trombone parts is due to the abundance of good trombonists such as Leopold Christian Sr. and his sons. The date of the piece is unknown; however, it is a part of a collection of works compiled for publication in 1717 and 1718. Sonata in G minor is categorized under sonata de chiesa (church sonata) and as with the other sonatas the Organ serves as the continuo instrument. Fux’s Sonata differs from a normal sonata de chiesa because his work only has three movements and the normal amount is four. A fifteen-measure slow introduction begins movement one of the sonata and it is then ended with a perfect authentic cadence with a Picardy third alto trombone ornamentation. The first movement is a triple fugue with an introduction that serves to introduce the first subject. The second and third subjects enter in the allegro, and all three combine to end the movement.  Unlike some thirty-second note passages in the first movement the second consists mostly of half and whole notes. Two brief themes are introduced at the beginning and then developed throughout. The second movement begins in E flat major, moves through c minor, and ends in g minor. After the attacca from movement two to three we end up in a double fugue form which is one less fugue from the first movement. The first subject is stated and developed within nine measures and every entrance after move the tonality through all the keys proposed during the entire piece. Afterward the multitude of key changes we finally end on g minor with a perfect authentic cadence. A thing to remember when looking at all the keys is that in the baroque genre the last flat of the key signature was omitted so even though the sonata is in g minor, it is played as though it is in the key F major or d minor.

Sources:
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278148/m2/1/high_res_d/1002721165-babcock.pdf
http://imslp.org/wiki/Sonata_in_G_minor,_K.347_(Fux,_Johann_Joseph)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYmIZBbd3s8

Haydn Symphony No. 38 in C Major (The Echo Symphony)

         Symphony No. 38 in C major (also known as the “Echo Symphony”) is one of Franz Joseph Haydn’s 106 symphonies. The symphony was written sometime between 1765 and 1769, during Haydn’s employment with Prince Esterházy. Many of Haydn’s symphonies in C major correspond with some sort of festival, likely put on by Prince Esterházy. Because of this, these symphonies are sometimes referred to as “Festive Symphonies”. There is, to this date debate, on whether or not the symphony was originally composed using trumpets and drums. Due to this argument, two different versions are still played today (I have linked to a recording with trumpets).
The form of the symphony follows typical Haydn symphony structure, with the first and fourth moments being in sonata form. There are, however, two factors that set this work apart from more typical Haydn symphonies. Firstly, the symphony has a nickname. Like all other nicknames, Haydn did not call the symphony “Echo” himself, the name was come up with after its composition. The name comes from the second movement, Andante molto. In parts of this movement, Haydn has the first violins (un-muted) play a short motif, which is immediately followed by the second violins (muted) playing an identical response (this can be heard clearly at 5:24). In Haydn’s orchestra, the first and second violins would typically be sitting across from each other on opposite sides of the stage, giving this effect the illusion of a natural echo. The second distinguishing factor of the symphony is the oboe part. In the 3rd and 4th movements, Haydn wrote two extremely difficult and virtuosic oboe solo. It is suggested (and likely) that this sudden interest in oboe writing spawned from Esterhazy’s hiring of great oboist Vittorino Colombazzo on September 1768 (He went on lo leave the ensemble in December of the same year).


Sources:

http://www.allmusic.com/composition/symphony-no-38-in-c-major-h-1-38-mc0002366165

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._38_(Haydn)

Sonata in D major, Hob.XVI:37 - Haydn

Keyboard Sonata in D major, Hob.XVI:37 - Franz Joseph Haydn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-MdK4nZijk

Haydn – (1732-1809)

Haydn was employed by the powerful Austrian Esterházy family beginning in the year, and continued to serve them (in different capacities) for the rest of his life. In 1779, his contract with Esterházys was re-negotiated, allowing him to write & sell his compositions works to others outside the family. After this time, he began publishing some of his works through a Viennese publisher, Artaria. This sonata was published in a set of 6 piano sonatas in 1780.

A)     This piece was dedicated to the Viennese pianists, Katerina and Marianna von Auenbrugger, and the publication was eventually widespread in Germany. Piano sonatas during this time were not widely popular for “displaying virtuoso” in performance, however, and were thus performed privately.

B)      During the Classical period, sonatas were typically 3-4 movements long. The harpsichord was replaced by the piano during this period, and sonatas for this and other solo instruments were written mainly for private amateurs. In three movement sonatas like this one, the first movement was typically fast and in sonata form, the second slow, and the third fast. Haydn’s piano sonata follows this model: the first movement is allegro con brio, the second largo e sostenuto, and the third presto ma non troppo.

C)      Movement I of this sonata is in typical sonata form, Theme 1 beginning in D, modulating to A in the bridge, and repeating the A section (almost verbatim) in D in the recapitulation. Movement II is in the parallel minor, d, and is extremely short. Second movements were commonly in variation form, and Haydn employs this technique to contrast the lyrical second movement with the lively final movement. This final movement is in classic rondo form (A B A C A), beginning and ending back in D Major, with a brief modulation to G in the middle. Haydn’s sonata perfectly follows the standard forms of the Classical period.

D)     Aside from its Classical form, the sonata also follows the Classical style. Throughout this sonata, the melody remains simple, clear, and easy to follow. The melody is complimented with slow moving and transparent harmonies with balanced phrases and a number of cadences.  The brief lyrical contrast of the second movement even reflects the intellectual Enlightenment ideas, where the emotional expression is conveyed in a brief and controlled manner. The lively and comedic themes of the first and third movements also reflect the opera buffa “humor” that dominated the operatic style of this time.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/art/sonata

http://www.nonesuch.com/albums/joseph-haydn-piano-music-volume-ii

http://www.classicalconnect.com/Haydn/Sonata_in_D_Major/3762

Out of Time: Music and the Making of Modernity by Julian Johnson

Concerto in D Major No.1 John Stanley

John Stanley’s Concerto No. 1 in D Major

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-N9FOiSz44

 Biographical information:

            John Stanley lived from 1712 to 1786. He was born in London and had five siblings. At the age of two he had an accident that left him nearly blind. He began studying music at the age of seven. Maurice Greene served as his organ instructor and at the age of 11 he became the organist at All Hallows. At the age of 14 he was the organist at St. Andrews and at 17 received a BMus degree at Oxford University. He was the youngest person to do so. In 1734 he became the organist for the Society of the Inner Temple and he kept this job until his death. He was secretly married to Sarah Arlond in 1738. In 1770 he became the governor of the Founding Hospital. He wrote many pieces and many people seemed to like his work. He was known as an astounding organist.

 

            a. Concerto No.1 was first published in 1742. This piece was part of his Six Concertos in Seven Parts. This piece was recorded in St. Mary’s Church. It was performed a number of times, but I was unable to find the location.

            b. This piece is a concerto. There is always some type of solo instrument that is accompanied by an orchestra. Stanley’s piece is specifically for organ and strings. It could be said it is a little unusual that he uses just a string orchestra instead of a typical orchestra in which instruments are drawn from the four instrumental groups. This piece is also five movements. A typical concerto has only three.

            c. The first movement of this concerto is Largo. This is typically a slow movement. It is pretty typical of the time especially as a baroque piece. Usually the first movement in a concerto is fast and not slow. This seems different from most three movement concertos.

            d. This piece was more late-baroque. It did not vary that much and it had more or less the same musical qualities throughout the movement. It also had a slow harmonic rhythm that was well-balanced that could have signified the new styles coming in.

References

Prescott, John Richard. (2011). John Stanley, "A Miracle of Art and Nature": The Role of Disability in the Life and Career of a Blind Eighteenth-Century Musician. UC Berkeley: Music. Retrieved from: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6cn0h2r2

John Stanley. “ Eighteenth Century English Music.” Retrieved from http://rslade.co.uk/18th-century-music/composers/john-stanley/



Hadyn's Symphony No. 1

Franz Joseph Hadyn was one of the most influential composers of the late-eighteenth century. He is most well known for standardizing the symphony, and he also expanded its cultural significance by taking it out of the aristocracy and presenting it to the public. Nowadays we expect symphonies to be in 4 movements, but when Hadyn first began composing symphonies, he wrote them in 3. This was looking back to an older model, the sinfonia avanti l'opera. This symphony included a fast sonata-form movement, a slow movement, and a dance-like finale. His first symphony was based off of this model. Symphony No. 1 in D major was written in the time Hadyn worked as Kapellmeister for Count Morzin (1757-1761). There were about 5 other symphonies written in this period; No. 3 was the first in the format that would soon become the norm. It is uncertain if this was indeed his first symphony, as the composition years of the first few cannot be confirmed. Hadyn claims this to be his first, but there is question as to whether No. 2, No. 4, or even both were composed before No. 1. Either way, this symphony is a beautiful beginning to Hadyn's long and well-known career in the genre.

The movements in this symphony are in binary sonata form, as is the nature of countless of his other works. Movement 1 is a Presto and begins with a crescendo that was common in Italian opera overtures. It goes on to introduce many themes and intertwines the development into the exposition. He uses many techniques in dynamics, articulation, and tonality that would be staples of the Classical style. Movement 2 is an Andante, with dynamic and harmonic surprises. However, this movement nods to the Baroque era with its simple strings and pulsing bass line. The Presto finale is again in simple sonata form, with the secondary theme almost seeming like an embellishment of the primary. It is simple and short, and is a wonderful end to the beginning of the genre that Hadyn would soon monopolize.

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ug2Og6j4ag

http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/music/symphony-no-1-joseph-haydn

http://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.1_in_D_major,_Hob.I:1_(Haydn,_Joseph)

The Oxford History of Western Music pp. 418-420

Johann André

Johann André was born in 1741 and died in 1799. Three occupations he is known for is his work in German music, composition, and publishing. He was the leading male figure of a Protestant family. His publishing house was one of the first to not be connected to a bookstore. The three genres that André mostly composed in include operas, ballads, and songs. Some were performed at the Deutsches Theater which is located in Berlin.

Among the poets he knew, Goethe was a close friend of Johann André. They both lived in the same city Offenbach am Main. André composed music to accompany the words of Goethe.

Johann André's son, Johann Anton André, also was a musician. His occupations were a lot like his father's. In 1799, the publishing business became his own. Constanze, Mozart's widow, asked J. A. André to finish Don Giovanni.

Erwin und Elmire was written and performed for the first time in 1775 in Frankfurt, Germany. The first performance was private, but the second performance appeared at the Theater in der Behrenstraße for the public. It is the German version of an opera called a singspiel. In other words, dialogue is inserted between musical compositions such as ballads, songs, etc. Erwin und Elmire has two acts. There are four main roles which includes: Elmire, Erwin, Bernardo, and Olympia. The only two voice types needed are sopranos and tenors. The main plot of the singspiel is a strained love story between Elmire and Erwin. Elmire is afraid of pushing Erwin away, and after talking to Bernardo, she goes to meet a "hermit" in an alley. Much to her surprise it was Erwin. Erwin and Elmire is a Classical piece because of its simplistic and clear melodies and the use of an orchestra.

 The following video is the Overture to Erwin and Elmire.

This video is the aria "Sono sposa e sono amante". Johann André created a masterpiece when he composed this aria. The performers in the video do an excellent job bringing it to life. 

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Andr%C3%A9
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huguenot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Wolfgang_von_Goethe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_und_Elmire_(Andr%C3%A9)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singspiel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QisFyGk9XFo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lTbH348oSQ