Classica Bitchute 2

Danse macabre in G minor, Op 40 by Camille Saint-Saëns

The composition was originally written for voice and piano in 1872 with words adapted from a poem by French poet Henri Cazalis. Saint-Saëns adapted the work into the orchestral version viewed here which premiered in 1875, causing audience members to express feelings of anxiety.

In 1871, Saint-Saëns served in the French national guard during the Franco-Prussian war. After the conclusion of the war, the resulting anti-German sentiment amongst French musicians may have contributed to the new direction of French music shown by composers such as Saint-Saëns, Berlioz and Debussy.

Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 by Ludwig van Beethoven

This work was composed in 1806 by the 36-year-old Beethoven while working in Vienna. At this point in his lifetime, Beethoven was gaining widespread recognition for his incredible skills as a pianist and composer. It is also during this year that he revealed to the general public that he was experiencing significant hearing difficulties, which would eventually lead to almost complete deafness by 1814.

The work is comprised of three movements:
I. Allegro ma non troppo (D major) 00:00
II. Larghetto (G major) 25:25
III. Rondo. Allegro (D major) 35:07

The piece was first performed on the 23rd of December 1806 in the Theatre an der Vien as part of a fund-raising concert for Franz Clement, a violinist and colleague of Beethoven. The performance was met with only mild success, leading to only minimal performances for the next few decades. The piece would be revived by Felix Mendelssohn in 1844 and is now considered one of the most notable of Beethoven’s compositions.

In 1806 Vienna was ostensibly under the control of Napoleon Bonaparte and the French Empire. After the Battle of Trafalgar the year before, British forces had essentially crippled the French navy - leading to Napoleon focusing on dominating the majority of Europe through land-based incursions.

To prevent Napoleon from taking the role of Holy Roman Emperor, the sixteen German Imperial states of the Empire dissolved the union in 1806 and formed their own ‘Confederation of the Rhine’. The Holy Roman Empire had stood for nearly over 1,000 years since the crowning of Charles the Great (Charlemagne) in the year 800 AD.

Flute Concerto No. 2 in D Major, K 314/285d by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

This work was originally an oboe concerto Mozart wrote in 1777 while touring western Europe. He adapted the concerto for flute on behalf of a commission from Dutch flautist Ferdinand de Jean in 1778.

Despite significant alterations from the original work to better suit the flute, Ferdinand de Jean refused to pay Mozart as the work was not wholly original, but rather based on an earlier oboe concerto.

This concerto is comprised of three movements:
I. Allegro aperto 00:00
II. Adagio non troppo 07:34
III. Rondo: Allegretto 14:38

String Quartet No. 2 by Alexander Borodin

Borodin composed this quartet in 1881 while working at the Medical-Surgical Academy in St Petersburg.

The piece has four movements:
I. Allegro moderato 00:06
II. Scherzo. Allegro 08:27
III. Notturno (Nocturne): Andante 13:20
IV. Finale: Andante — Vivace 22:05

Evidence suggests Borodin wrote the work as a 20th anniversary present for his wife Ekaterina Protopova.

Part I: For The 1st Day Of Christmas
Coro - Jauchzet, Frohlocket! 8:17
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Es Begab Sich Aber Zu Der Zeit 1:40
Recitativo (Alto) - Nun Wird Mein Liebster Bräutigam 1:07
Aria (Alto) - Bereite Dich, Zion 6:02
Choral - Wie Soll Ich Dich Empfangen 1:19
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Und Sie Gebar Ihren Ersten Sohn 0:30
Choral, Recitativo (Chor-Sopran, Basso) - Er Ist Auf Erden Kommen Arm 3:35
Aria (Basso) - Groβer Herr Und Starker König 5:38
Choral - Ach, Mein Herzliebes Jesulein! 1:28
Part II: For The 2nd Day Of Christmas
Sinfonia (Hirtenmusik) 7:12
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Und Es Waren Hirten In Derselben Gegend 1:01
Choral - Brich An, O Schönes Morgenlicht 1:07
Recitativo (Evangelist, Engel) - Und Der Engel Sprach Zu Ihnen 0:59
Recitativo (Basso) - Was Gott Dem Abraham Verheiβen 0:56
Aria (Tenor) - Frohe Hirten, Eilt, Ach Eilet 3:56
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Und Das Habt Zum Zeichen 0:28
Choral - Schaut Hin! Dort Liegt Im Finstern Stall 0:45
Recitativo (Basso) - So Geht Denn Hin, Ihr Hirten, Geht 0:59
Aria (Alto) - Schlafe, Mein Liebster, Genieβe Der Ruh 11:12
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Und Alsobald War Da Bei Dem Engel 0:18
Coro - Ehre Sei Gott In Der Höhe 2:42
Recitativo (Basso) - So Recht, Ihr Engel, Jauchzt Und Singet 0:35
Choral - Wir Singen Dir In Deinem Heer 1:34
Part III: For The 3rd Day Of Christmas
Coro - Herrscher Des Himmels, Erhöre Das Lallen 2:12
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Und Da Die Engel Von Ihnen Gen Himmel Fuhren 0:11
Coro - Lasset Uns Nun Gehen Gen Bethlehem 0:54
Recitativo (Basso) - Er Hat Sein Volk Getröst't 0:58
Choral - Dies Hat Er Alles Uns Getan 0:47
Duetto (Soprano, Basso) - Herr, Dein Mitleid, Dein Erbarmen 8:19
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Und Sie Kamen Eilend 1:24
Aria (Alto) - Schlieβe, Mein Herze, Dies Selige Wunder 6:11
Recitativo (Alto) - Ja, Ja! Mein Herz Soll Es Bewahren 0:30
Choral - Ich Will Dich Mit Fleiβ Bewahren 0:48
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Und Die Hirten Kehrten Wieder Um 0:35
Choral - Seid Froh, Dieweil Daβ Euer Heil 0:48
Da Capo - Herrscher Des Himmels, Erhöre Das Lallen 2:13
Part IV: For New Year's Day
Coro - Fallt Mit Danken, Fallt Mit Loben 5:54
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Und Da Acht Tage Um Waren 0:41
Recitativo, Arioso (Chor-Sopran, Basso) - Immanuel, O Süβes Wort 3:12
Aria (Soprano) - Flöβt, Mein Heiland, Flöβt Dein Name 5:41
Recitativo, Arioso (Chor-Sopran, Basso) - Wohlan! Dein Name Soll Allein 1:44
Aria (Tenor) - Ich Will Nur Dir Zu Ehren Leben 4:54
Choral - Jesus Richte Mein Beginnen 2:56
Part V: For The 1st Sunday In The New Year
Coro - Ehre Sei Dir, Gott, Gesungen 6:47
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Da Jesus Geboren War Zu Bethlehem 0:29
Coro, Recitativo (Soprano, Alto) - Wo Ist Der Neugeborne König Der Juden 2:29
Choral - Dein Glanz All' Finsternis Verzehrt 0:49
Aria (Basso) - Erleucht' Auch Meine Finstre Sinnen 4:22
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Da Das Der König Herodes Hörte 0:14
Recitativo (Alto) - Warum Wollt Ihr Erschrecken 0:37
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Und Lieβ Versammeln Alle Hohenpriester 1:36
Terzetto (Soprano, Alto, Tenor) - Ach! Wann Wird Die Zeit Erscheinen, Wann? 5:20
Recitativo (Alto) - Mein Liebster Herrschet Schon 0:35
Choral - Zwar Ist Solche Herzensstube 0:47
Part VI: For The Feast Of Epiphany
Coro - Herr, Wenn Sie Stolzen Feinde Schnauben 5:12
Recitativo (Evangelist, Herodes) - Da Berief Herodes Die Weisen Heimlich 1:09
Recitativo (Soprano) - Du Falscher, Suche Nur Den Herrn Zu Fällen 1:00
Aria (Soprano) - Nur Ein Wink Von Seinen Händen 4:04
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Als Sie Nun Den König Gehöret Hatten 1:31
Choral - Ich Steh' An Deiner Krippen Hier 1:12
Recitativo (Evangelist) - Und Gott Befahl Ihnen Im Traum 0:23
Recitativo (Tenor) - So Geht! Genug, Mein Schatz Geht Nicht Von Hier 2:01
Aria (Tenor) - Nun Mögt Ihr Stolzen Feinde Schrecken 4:09
Recitativo (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Basso) - Was Will Der Hölle Schrecken Nun 0:32
Choral - Nun Seid Ihr Wohl Gerochen 3:16
Gundula Janowitz, soprano
Christa Ludwig, alto
Fritz Wunderlich, tenor
Franz Crassbass
Munich Bach Choir and Orchestra, cond. Karl Richter

1965

Stars: Cesare Siepi, Elisabeth Grümmer, Lisa della Casa, Erna Berger
Conductor: Wilhelm Furtwangler
Musicians: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Chorus
Director: Herbert Graf
Film Director: Paul Czinner

Review: http://www.paminasopera.com/dvd-review-don-giovanni-1954-salzburg-festival/

Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D by Sir Edward Elgar

Composed in 1901 by Elgar as was gaining fame across Europe and America as the artistic successor to composer such as Liszt and Wagner. The premiere at the Queens Hall in London was such a success the orchestra performed a double encore – the only time it has occurred in history.

The most famous section of the march is the Trio towards the end.

Montserrat Caballé, Renato Bruson, Giacomo Aragall, Grace Bumbry, Paolo Coni, Simon Estes from the Ancient Roman Theatre of Orange.

Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Librettist: Joseph Méry, and Camille du Locle. Translated into Italian by A. Ghislanzoni.
Premiere: French version in five acts: 11 March 1867, Paris
Language: Italian
Subtitles: English
l'Orchestra National de France
Conductor: Thoma Fulton

Don Carlos is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French language libretto by Camille du Locle and Joseph Méry, based on the dramatic play Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien ("Don Carlos, Infante of Spain") by Friedrich Schiller. The opera is most often performed in Italian translation, usually under the title Don Carlo. The story is based on conflicts in the life of Carlos, Prince of Asturias (1545-1568), after his betrothed Elisabeth of Valois was married instead to his father Philip II of Spain as part of the peace treaty ending the Italian War of 1551-1559 between the Houses of Habsburg and Valois. It was commissioned and produced by the Théâtre Impérial de l'Opéra (Paris Opera) and premiered at the company's theatre, the Salle Le Peletier, on 11 March 1867. Over the following twenty years, cuts and additions were made to the opera, resulting in a number of versions being available to directors and conductors. No other Verdi opera exists in so many versions. At its full-length (including the ballet and the cuts made before the first performance), it contains about four hours of music and is Verdi's longest opera.

Libretto: https://www.opera-arias.com/verdi/don-carlo/libretto/
Don Carlo Synopsis: https://www.opera-arias.com/verdi/don-carlo/synopsis/

Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Written in 1788 while Mozart and his wife Constanze were living in the suburb of Alsergrund outside Vienna.

The work is comprised of four sections:
I. Molto allegro 00:06
II. Andante 07:40
III. Menuetto – Allegretto 15:22
IV. Finale - Allegro assai 19:43

Work for musicians and artists was difficult at the time due to the Austro-Turkish war and the diversion of government funds towards defending against the invading Ottoman forces.

Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky (arr. by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov)

The first musical version of ‘Night on Bald Mountain’ was in the form of a tone poem, an orchestral work which evokes a specific poem, painting or landscape. Mussorgsky completed the tone poem in 1867, however due to pressure from his mentor Miliy Balakirev, Mussorgsky never organised a performance.

The more famous version of ‘Night on Bald Mountain’ was arranged by fellow composer and friend to Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1886.

Rigoletto: ‘La donna è mobile’ by Giuseppe Verdi

Verdi wrote Rigoletto in 1851, based on the play Le roi s'amuse by French playwright Victor Hugo. This canzone from the beginning of Act 3 is sung by the Duke of Mantua, and translates to ‘Woman is fickle’. The tune to this canzone was popular and several Venetian gondoliers would sing it during work.

Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 by Camille Saint-Saëns

Composed in 1886 for a commission on behalf of the Royal Philharmonic Society in England. The premiere at St James’s Hall in the same year was a success and the piece was performed in America the next year.

The piece is comprised of two sections:
I. Adagio 00:00 – Allegro moderato 00:59 – Poco adagio 10:28
II. Allegro moderato – Presto – Allegro moderato 20:07 - Maestoso – Allegro 27:22

The Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 314 by Johann Strauss II

This waltz was composed by Johann Strauss Junior in 1866, and premiered in 1867 at a concert by the Vienna Men’s Choral Association. The original version of the waltz had an accompanying choral section. Strauss arranged a new version of the original choral work into an orchestral version.

String Quintet in E major, Op. 11, No. 5 by Luigi Boccherini

Boccherini composed this quintet in 1775 while working in the Spanish province of Ávila.

The quintet is comprised of four movements:
I. Amoroso 00:00
II. Allegro e con spirito 04:48
III. Minuetto, Trio (A major) 12:54
IV. Rondeau, andante 16:07

The most recognised section of this quintet is the third movement which begins at the 12:54 mark, often performed separately from the other movements.

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky wrote this, his only violin concerto, in 1878 while on a recuperation trip to Clarens in Switzerland. The premiere took place in 1881 in Vienna, and was met with only moderate success.

The piece is comprised of three sections:
I. Allegro Moderato 00:00
II. Canzonetta: Andante 17:07
III. Finale: Allegro vivacissimo 23:25

Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 by Ludwig van Beethoven

Composed in 1824 on behalf of a commission for the Philharmonic Society of London, this was the last symphony Beethoven was to write. Beethoven had developed severe hearing difficulties by 1823 and as such needed assistance when conducting the premiere of the symphony at the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna.

The text of the choral section is taken from the “Ode to Joy“ poem written by Friedrich Schiller. The symphony is one of the most recognisable compositions of Beethoven, and indeed of all music ever composed and is regularly performed in several countries each year.

This symphony is comprised of four movements:
I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso 00:00
II. Molto vivace 16:05
III. Adagio molto e cantabile 25:56

IV. Finale 41:02
a. Finale: Main Theme 44:00
b. Finale: Recitative 47:46
c. Finale: Choral Main Theme 54:36

Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 ‘Pastoral Symphony’ by Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven composed his 6th symphony based on his experience the rural town of Heiligenstadt in 1802 as well as visits to other rural locations in Austria.

The work is meant to illustrate the countryside in five movements:
I. Awakening of cheerful feelings on arrival in the countryside 00:00
II. Scene by the brook 10:56
III. Merry gathering of country folk 24:09
IV. Thunder, storm 29:22
V. Sheperd’s song. Cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm 32:35

Beethoven drafted a letter to his brothers while in Heilingstadt, but it was never sent. The letter was discovered after Beethoven’s death in 1827. In this letter, he makes reference to his realisation that he was losing his hearing and how this had led to depression and thoughts of suicide.
Despite this hardship, Beethoven never lost his purpose. In later correspondence to his brother, Beethoven remarked he was determined to “seize Fate by the throat; it shall certainly not crush me completely”.

He would go on to compose three more symphonies after the Pastoral Symphony as well as several other pieces for chamber music and orchestra.

Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 by Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven completed his seventh symphony while on leave for a medical recuperation trip in 1812. The work was first premiered at a charity concert in 1813 for the benefit of Austrian and Prussian soldiers wounded at the battle of Hanau against the retreating French Empire.

The premiere was an immediate success, with the audience demanding an encore of the entire second movement. Beethoven conducted the premiere, but due to the increasing deafness his conducting was almost comically agitated, most likely due to Beethoven being unable to determine of the appropriate level of volume was being employed by the orchestra.

The work is comprised of four movements:
I. Poco sostenuto – Vivace 00:00
II. Allegretto 14:42
III. Presto – Assai meno presto 23:41
IV. Allegro con brio 32:57

Symphony No. 3 in E♭ major, Op. 55 ‘Eroica’ by Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven completed his third symphony in 1804, with the first public performance of the symphony occurring in April 1805 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna.

The work is comprised of four movements:
I. Allegro con brio 00:02
II. Marcia funebre: Adagio assai 14:49
III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace 31:56
IV. Finale: Allegro molto 37:42

While Beethoven was composing the third symphony, Napoleon Bonaparte had been confirmed as First Consul of France – bringing stability to the ravaged nation. In the eyes of Beethoven, Napoleon embodied the positive principles of the French revolution, in particular the ideals of democracy and anti-centralised power. As such Beethoven dedicated the symphony to Napoleon Bonaparte.
Due to the possibility of losing the commission for the work, Beethoven decided to instead dedicate the symphony to an Austrian prince, but still titled the work ‘Bonaparte’.

Upon hearing that Napoleon had crowned himself emperor of France, Beethoven tore the title page of the symphony to pieces and exclaimed:

“So, he is no more than a common mortal! Now, too, he will tread under foot all the rights of Man, indulge only his ambition; now he will think himself superior to all men, become a tyrant!"

Beethoven then changed the title of the symphony for the final time to the ‘Eroica’ Symphony, simply meaning ‘Heroic’ symphony.

Symphony No. 9 in E minor “From the New World”, Op. 95 by Antonin Dvořák

Composed in 1893 while Dvořák was working as director of the National Conservatory of Music in America.

The work is in four movements:
I. Adagio 00:00 - Allegro molto 01:56
II. Largo 12:52
III. Molto vivace 25:23
IV. Allegro con fuoco 33:53

Vlatava - La Moldau by Bedrich Smetana 46:06

The Largo section has been adapted into the song “Goin’ Home” which is sometimes mistakenly believed to be a folk song, but is entirely the composition of Dvořák. Neil Armstrong took a recording of the symphony with him on the Apollo 11 mission.

Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 by Sir Edward Elgar

Elgar completed his cello concerto in 1919 and given its first performance by the London Symphony orchestra in October 1919 to a generally poor reception. This unfortunately led to the concerto not receiving many repeat performances until its return to popularity in the 1960’s. The work is comprised of four movements:
I. Adagio – Moderato
II. Lento – Allegro molto
III. Adagio
IV. Allegro – Moderato – Allegro, ma non-troppo – Poco più lento – Adagio

Scheherazade, Op. 35 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov completed his Scheherazade suite in 1888, with the premiere being given on in October 1888 in St Petersburg. Scheherazade is based on the collection of Middle Eastern folktales named ‘One Thousand and One Nights’. The work is comprised of four movements:
I. The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship
II. The Kalandar Prince
III. The Young Prince and the Young Princess
IV. Festival at Baghdad. The Sea. The Ship Breaks against a Cliff Surmounted by a Bronze Horseman

The orchestral work has since been adapted into a ballet and for solo piano.

Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 by Edvard Grieg

Grieg composed this piano concerto in 1868, with the premiere performance being given in Copenhagen in 1869 to positive reviews. The work is comprised of three movements:
I. Allegro molto moderato
II. Adagio
III. Allegro moderato molto e marcato – Quasi presto – Andante maestoso

Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor, ‘Für Elise’ by Ludwig van Beethoven

It is unclear the exact date when Beethoven began composing this solo piano work, and the finished piece was never published during his lifetime. The version we have today is based on a collection of manuscript documents found amongst Beethoven’s personal effects after his death.

The identify of who the ‘Elise’ is that this piece was dedicated to has not yet been confirmed, however some likely candidates have been proposed.

Il Trovatore, Act 2 ‘Anvil Chorus’ by Giuseppe Verdi

Verdi completed his opera ‘Il Trovatore’ in 1852, with the premiere performance taking place in January 1853 at the Teatro Apollo in Rome. The opera is based on the play El Trovador by the Spanish playwright Antonio García Gutiérrez. The opera was immediately successful.

The ‘Anvil Chorus’ is performed in the first half of act 2 and depicts the striking of anvils at dawn by the Spanish smiths.