Analysis Of Jean Sibelius's 7th Symphony

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 at the Berlin Philharmonie, gifted the audience with a masterful rendition of the movements within the symphony. The Symphony divides into three separate parts, in which the movements complement each other's characteristics. The symphony orchestra features a myriad of orchestral instruments featuring the Brass, Woodwinds, Strings, and Percussion families. Furthermore, the various movements throughout the performance utilize various musical concepts that bring the music to life. Albeit, the complexity of Mahler’s symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performed superbly throughout the performance.

As noted by Robert Hughes, "Beethoven was not only the embodiment of all that was before him, but also of that which was yet to come" (Hughes 486). The truth of this may be seen by comparing Beethoven's 5th Symphony in C Minor to Haydn, the father of Symphony, and his 95th in C Minor. While Haydn's symphony is both playful and dramatic, Beethoven's symphony is grander both in terms of scale and vision. He expands the size of the orchestra to incorporate the sounds swirling around, underlying, and depicting the arrival of Fate in a rhythm-driven, thematic symphony that takes Haydn's form and runs with it as though to the top of a mountain peak. This paper will analyze the symphonies by movement, according to form, size, structure, tonalities, melodies, orchestral sound and overall mood and effect.

Ludwig van Beethoven-Symphony No. 9 performed by the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra on May 9, 2016, was an amazing concert to view with the many pitches and ranges of the instruments and vocalists. I enjoyed the concert more than I thought would. As I am writing this report, I am listening to it once again. This concert report reveals what I saw and heard during the concert with any significant observations.

The development of symphonic music during the Classical Period is greatly responsible for shaping today’s orchestral music landscape. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is often considered to be the cornerstone of the symphony genre evolution. While his grand gem is somewhat revolutionary and unique to a certain extent, such as ‘expanding the brass section in the final movement.’ [1] On the other hand Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique is filled with minor references to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony

For the second and final concert report, I listened to the performance of Beethoven’s 9th symphony, as played by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven lived in Germany during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and was an influential figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in western music. The performance requires a large number of instruments, with woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings, and even a choir during the 4th movement.

Beethoven took a major turn in direction when he composed the Eroica. One oddity about the Eroica was the drastic change in its dedication. Originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, the dedication was erased and later changed to one of Beethoven’s patrons. The change was possibly due to Beethoven’s feelings about Bonaparte crowning himself emperor. The actual content of the Eroica was unique for its time, no composer before Beethoven had put as much emotional and psychological emphasis into one of their works. Beethoven’s unique innovations in his Third Symphony would prove inspiring for ages to come.

The symphony is less influenced by the surrounding environment. By looking at the CVF we see that the symphony takes its direction in a flexible and discretionary manner. As we discussed early this fact is represented that the employees (musicians) are empowered to make decisions about the operations of the symphony.

Born Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich on the 25th September, 1906, in St. Petersburg, Russia, the composer began his descent into classical music at the age of 9, before later moving on to study at the Petrograd conservatory. Throughout his life he compiled 15 symphonies, 15 string quartets and 36 film scores as well as many other compositions. Within his musical work and the course of his career Shostakovich managed to both adhere to traditions set within classical music as well as dissent from them, I will be exploring these.

The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain impressively rendered Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the 2012 BBC Proms. The Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim played the four played all four movements of Symphony no. 9. The performers brilliantly upgraded the symphony, fully respecting the brilliance of Beethoven. The performance utilized a large Orchestra and Choir, all of which displayed various musical concepts. Ultimately, this performance breathtaking performance, respectfully paid homage to one of the most revered symphonies of all time.

Beethoven contributed one of the most significant musical developments through his fifth and ninth symphonies. He used a musical motive as the basic of his entire piece. (Beethoven described the motive as “Fate knocks at the door”.) It was the first time in history that anyone had done such a thing for a multi-movement piece. Beethoven’s contribution has become a norm in the music world, even to this day.

The early piano sonatas of Beethoven deserve special mention. Although his first published examples of concertos and trios and the first two symphonies are beneath the masterpieces of Mozart and Haydn, the piano sonatas bear an unmistakably Beethovian stamp: grandiose in scope and length, and innovative in their range of expression. The sonatas were able to move expression from terrible rage to peals of laughter to deep depression so suddenly. Capturing this unpredictable style in his music, a new freedom of expression which broke the bounds of Classical ideals, was to position Beethoven as a disturbed man in the minds of some of his contemporaries. Furthermore, he was to be seen as the father of Romanticism and the single most important innovator of music in the minds of those after him. (Bookspan 27).

Who is the composer (full name and dates)? List three points about his life and environment.

The Seventh Symphony itself can and has been described in many words and fashions. It’s victorious, moving, energetic, powerful, and full of heart. The piece is known for its rhythmic devices (such as dotted rhythm and repeated rhythmic figures) and the celebratory emotion to it, in which makes listeners want to dance and burst into blissful joy. It involves four movements: 1. Poco sostenuto – Vivace, 2. Allegretto, 3. Presto – Assai meno presto (trio), and 4. Finale, Allegro con brio. The score includes two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, two drums (in which are tuned to A and E, except in the scherzo where they are in F and A), and basses. The first movement is in A major, with repeated modulations between C major and F major. The second movement also includes modulations (originally in A minor with switches to A major) and the third movement is in F major.

Felix Mendelssohn was one of the most famous composers during the 19th century. Although in his music he did show some features of romanticism, he was strongly influenced by traditional genres such as counterpoint etc. In this essay, the biography of the composer, background of the genre and analysis of the piece will be investigated

At the Salzburg Festival in 2005, Valery Gergiev conducted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in its performance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov‘s Scheherazade, Op. 35 (Classical Music db 1). He is a highly achieved, accomplished and revered conductor and is considered to have “attained a level of worldly power perhaps unmatched by any living classical musician” (qtd. by Alex Ross 1). All the wile, this orchestra is considered to be one of the premium orchestras in the World (Moderato 1). Between the two, a performance is created that instantly catches one’s attention with its gentle opening by trumpets, followed by a cello solo, and then the flutes follow with their soft, fluttering sound that makes the listener gently sway with the music. Images of a soft ocean breeze come to mind and its audience is mesmerized.