26 Results for : fugal
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A Fugal Overture/A Somerset Rha
PO London, SO London, Sir Adrian Boult (Dir)- Shop: odax
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Bach, J: Toccaten & Passacaglia
Johann Sebastian Bach composed his most renowned organ works - the Toccatas, the Fantasia in G minor and the Passacaglia in C minor - in Weimar, in the stylus fantasticus so beloved of his Northern German masters Buxtehude and Reinken. Bach here follows in his predecessors' footsteps in all of these large-scale works: the freely inventive writing in the preludes is linked to the rigour of the fugal construction and so brings them to a majestic conclusion.- Shop: odax
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Late Beethoven
Late Beethoven It is well recognized that during his last years, especially from 1817 on, Beethoven's music underwent a transformation that redefined his legacy. Moreover, in a series of powerful masterstrokes the composer forever enlarged the sphere of human experience. There is disagreement as to when precisely the late style first appeared. There are differences over the extent to which it emerged from internal or external sources, and critics have struggled to describe it's characteristics in a coherent and meaningful way, but few have disagreed about the existence of the phase itself, let alone it's seismic character or it's chief examples: the late sonatas and string quartets, the 'Diabelli' Variations and the bagatelles, the Ninth Symphony and Missa solemmis Sonata Op.101, in A major. The Sonata in A major, op.101, published in Vienna by Steiner,in 1817, is the first of the 'final five' piano sonatas with which Beethoven brought his work on this genre to a close. The crux of this Sonata is contained not in the opening Allegretto ma non troppo, despite it's quiet, lyrical beginning in medias res on the dominant. The suspended quality of the music is enhanced by Beethoven's seamless lyricism, his placement of the exposition in the dominant key, and his avoidance throughout of strong tonic cadences. Following this short movement of yearning quality and the brusque, angular, contrapuntal march in F major which forms the second movement, a more fundamental level of feeling or state of being is uncovered in the slow introduction to the finale, marked Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll. Here the music is drawn progressively lower in pitch, collapsing onto a soft sustained chord that will serve as a turning-point and a new beginning. This soft chord, which represents the end of the descending progression and the termination of the Adagio, also embodies the a priori condition for the first movement, since it represents the exact sonority in the precise register out of which the opening of that movement has sprung. In view of this, the opening of the Sonata in medias res assumes a new and deeper significance. The importance of this original sound is confirmed by it's transformation, after a short cadenza-like passage, into the actual beginning of the opening movement. This reminiscence lasts a few bars before it dissolves into the emphatic beginning of the finale. The finale is in sonata form, with it's development assigned to a fugato. The fugal textures in the finale unfold with uncompromising determination and virtuosity. Op. 101 is among the most difficult of the sonatas. Beethoven himself once described it as 'hard to play' The A major Sonata marks a major transition in Beethoven's style, pointing unmistakably to the unique synthesis achieved in works of his last decade. Sonata Op. 111,in C minor Beethoven's last Sonata. Op. 111, in C minor, completed in 1822, defines with absolute assurance the two polarities within which his creative consciousness evolved. The two movements completely symbolize the two primary functions of the mind: analysis and synthesis of conflicting elements on the one hand, and transcendence of all oppositions on the other. It is literally and figuratively a lifetime away from the Op.2 group. The first movement of Op. 111 represents the last example of Beethoven's celebrated ' C minor mood', evidenced in a long line of works from the string Trio op.9 and 'Pathetique' Sonata to the Coriolan Overture and Fifth Symphony. The sonata begins with a Maestoso exposing left-hand plunges of the diminished seventh in a dramatic and tightly spaced rhythmic relationship. An effect of parenthetical enclosure is created not only through the sudden thematic and tonal contrast and slowing of tempo but also through the sudden return of the original tempo and agitated musical character. Consequently, the intervening lyrical utterance is isolated, like 'a soft glimpse of sunlight illuminating the dark, stormy heavens', to use imagery of Mann's Kretzschmar in DoktorFaustus. The lyrical passage reaches C major in the recapitulation and it seems to foreshadow the atmosphere of the Arietta finale. The transition to the ensuing Arietta is built into the coda. The rhythm and register of the last bars allude unmistakably to the diminished-seventh chords of the exposition. With the Arietta we enter a new world. In this case it seems offensive to reduce to conceptual analysis a musical experience which so transcends conceptual activity. The movement establishes a sense of immediacy in which the perception of sound creates a state of contemplation. As Claude Palisca said so simply, 'the Adagio molto - a long set of variations in an arietta is so eloquent and so complete that nothing further seems to be required'. 33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli Op.120 The 33 Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli. Op. 120 represent Beethoven's most extraordinary single achievement in the art of variation writing. In their originality and power of invention they stand with other late masterpieces such as the Ninth Symphony, the Missa Solemnis, and the last quartets. When Anton Diabelli invited selected composers to write a variation on one of his waltzes, to be published as a collection, Beethoven at first declined to participate but later offered to provide a set of variations on the Diabelli theme. The scope of the work grew and the 33 variations (started in 1819, completed in1823 and dedicated by Beethoven to Antonie Brentano ) were published in June 1823 under the title '33 Veränderungen über einer Walzer von A. Diabelli'. Beethoven used the term Veränderungen, following Bach's title for his 'Aria mit 30 Veränderungen ' ( Goldberg Variations). Together with the Bagatelles Op. 120 Published in 1825, the Variations Op. 120 represents Beethoven's final contribution to the piano literature. Parody lies at the heart of this composition. Beethoven expanded his draft of the work in 1822-3. He left his older variation order intact for the most part, but opened with two new variations (the present Vars. 1 and 2), added many more variations towards the end, and inserted one at the middle of the set. These added variations contribute substantially to the form of the work, imposing not a symmetrical but an asymmetrical plan, an overall progression culminating in the last five variations. The work as we know it is thus to a great extent the product of two conceptions: an original conception and a superimposed conception. The inserted variations added by Beethoven in 1823 contribute a subtle dimension to the set whose implications transcend the purely musical sphere. Most of them are, in one sense or another, parodistic variations, and while this is clear enough on close inspection, it is sufficiently subtle to be overlooked. This issue of parody in Op. 120 is complex. It is interesting that in Op. 120 the overall formal progression of the variations relies heavily on parody of the melody of Diabelli's theme, an idea that, though prominent in the finished piece, is not in evidence in the 1819 draft. Although it is possible to speak of the unity of the whole work, such as we find in other works of the composer, the variations are based on a trivial theme not of the composer's making,thus the complete work spans a tension from ironic caricature to sublime transformation of the waltz of DiabelIi. This extra-musical dimension of parody is essential to a full understanding of the piece, although by it's very nature it is not immediately obvious in the work itself. About the artist Concert pianist, musicologist and educator, Luisa Guembes-Buchanan was born in Lima, Peru, where she received her early musical education at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música. She holds degrees in Performance and Musicology from the Manhattan School of Music, C.W.Post College, New York University and Boston University. Ms. Guembes-Buchanan has given performances throughout the United States, Latin America a- Shop: odax
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Motets
Nick peros is an acclaimed classical composer with almost 200 works in his catalogue composed across a wide variety of genres, including solo instrumental, chamber, orchestral, choral and vocal works. His music has been performed across Canada, the US & Europe, and his music concerts have been recorded by CBC Radio for national broadcast. He has released two CD's of his music - 'Motets', featuring 20 a cappella choral compositions, 'Songs', featuring 31 songs for voice & piano. Both of these CD's have received wide critical and audience acclaim, as well as receiving excellent support on classical radio across North America. His music has also been recorded by Canadian pianist Linda Shumas, who featured five of Nick's 'Poemes' for solo piano on her CD 'Paradise Reborn'. In 1992, Nick Peros' project 'Isumataq', a collaboration with Canadian painter Ken Kirkby, was recognized by the Government of Canada at a special closed ceremony in the House of Commons/Ottawa, attended by the members of the house, the party leaders, the Speaker of the House and the Prime Minister, as a project important for Canada and for Canadian culture. In 2002, Nick composed 'Prayer of Consolation' - an a cappella choral work composed to commemorate the First Anniversary of 9-11. The work is a setting of scripture that addresses the events of 9-11 and received it's world premiere on September 10, 2002 at Washington National Cathedral, Washington DC as a key component in the official US state commemorations of 9-11. 'Prayer of Consolation' received worldwide media attention from press, radio & tv. Nick's music is characterized by harmonic invention, a strong melodic sense and original tonality. His choral works range from homophonic textures to vibrant and rhythmic polyphonic counterpoint, often incorporating fugal textures into the fabric of the work. As a producer, Nick Peros has also been awarded a Platinum award for his CD 'O Canada- A Canadian Celebration' (certified Platinum), while three other CD's - 'Home for Christmas', 'Homegrown' and 'Stories From Home' have all achieved Gold Record status.- Shop: odax
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Complete Works for Cello & Piano
Ludwig van Beethoven Complete Works for Piano and Cello Sonata in F Major, Op. 5 No. 1 Adagio sostenuto - Allegro RONDO: Allegro vivace Sonata in C Major, Op. 102 No. 1 Andante - Allegro vivace Adagio - Allegro vivace Variations on Mozart's "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen" from Die Zauberflöte, Op. 66 Sonata in A Major, Op. 69 Allegro ma non tanto SCHERZO: Allegro molto Adagio - Allegro vivace Variations on Handel's "See, the Conquering Hero Comes" from Judas Maccabeus, WoO 45 Sonata in G minor, Op. 5 No. 2 Adagio sostenuto e espressivo Allegro molto più tosto presto Rondo: Allegro Variations on Mozart's 'Bei Männern welche Liebe Fühlen' from Die Zauberflöte, WoO 46 Sonata in D Major, Op. 102 No. 2 Allegro con brio Adagio con molto sentimento d'affeto The Florestan Duo - Stefan Kartman, cello and Jeannie Yu, piano Stefan Kartman, cello, and Jeannie Yu, piano, are two brilliant soloists whose passion for chamber music brought them together in 1987 during their studies at the Juilliard School of Music. Like-minded musicians who share the same concept of an ideal sound, musical expressiveness, and excellence, they carry on a tra-dition whose lineage reaches directly back to the romantic period of Johannes Brahms. This tradition is the basis of inspiration for these shared ideals. Their first meeting occurred in the studio of violinist Joseph Fuchs as they studied Mendelssohn's Piano Trio in C minor. They continued to study chamber music with Fuchs and sonatas with cellist Harvey Shapiro and pia-nist Martin Canin until their graduation in 1989. Both members of the Florestan Duo have since earned their Doctor of Musical Arts degrees and have also worked with cellists Bernard Greenhouse and Zara Nelsova and pianists Susan Starr and Ann Schein, among others. Kartman and Yu have performed to critical acclaim in concert halls and educational institutions throughout the United States, Europe, and the Far East. Recordings of their performances have been aired on WQXR in New York, WFMT in Chicago, and WOI in Ames, Iowa. Most recently they have returned from critically acclaimed tours of Korea, Taiwan, Holland, Italy, and China, including solo performances with the Xiamen Symphony and recitals as a duo in Xiamen, Jinmei, Shanghai, Soest, and Verona. Both members of the Florestan Duo are accomplished teachers of chamber music and solo repertoire, having served on the faculties of Drake University, Illinois Wesleyan University, the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, the MidAmerica Chamber Music Institute at Ohio Wesleyan University, the Alfred University Summer Chamber Music Institute under the artistic directorship of Joseph Fuchs, the Milwaukee Chamber Music Festival, and the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival under the artistic directorship of Kevin Lawrence. Kartman is associate professor of cello and chamber music at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Yu freelances in the Milwaukee and Chicago metropolitan areas. Sonata No. 1 in F Major, Op. 5 No. 1 Beethoven's First Cello Sonata begins with a large slow introduction. While it wanders tonally somewhat, it fulfills the essential role of the introduction-to state the main key at the beginning, and to prepare for a return to that key as the Allegro begins. Scholars have pointed to Mozart's Violin Sonata in G major, K. 379, as a pos-sible model for this introduction. To be sure, Mozart's introduction is of similar breadth and tonal plan, and we must remember that Beethoven's principal models for writing cello sonatas-lacking earlier works for cello with a written-out (i.e., not basso continuo) keyboard part-were Mozart's sonatas for violin and piano, which number around twenty. Beethoven's Allegro begins with a long theme, reminiscent to the large theme in the same position in his Septet in E-flat, Op. 20, presented first by the piano and them taken up by the cello. The two sonatas of Op. 5 are vehicles for Beethoven as a young piano virtuoso, written during his stay in Berlin during a concert tour in the spring and summer of 1796. He has given himself, as well as the cellist with whom he was working, Jean Louis Duport, passages of considerable virtuosity. The astute listener will notice pas-sages strikingly similar to portions of Mozart's piano sonatas K. 333 and 570. The movement concludes with a substantial coda which, after the tempo slows to Adagio, turns to a cadenza-like passage, ending with the traditional trill, and reinforcing the virtuoso nature of the work. There is no slow movement. Perhaps the large slow introduction rendered one unnecessary, or perhaps Mozart's several two-movement violin sonatas served as models. The second and final movement, a rondo, begins without stating it's main key clearly, an approach Beethoven also utilized in both movements of the Second Sonata, Op. 5 No. 2 (and Mozart did similarly in the Violin Sonata in C, K. 303, first movement, in the Molto allegro). The writing, again, calls for virtuoso players, and there are marvelous passages in which the cello sustains an open fifth drone while the piano plays an arpeggiated idea. Slower tempos near the end lead to a brilliant conclusion. Sonata No. 4 in C Major, Op. 102 No. 1 "It is so original that no one can understand it on first hearing." So wrote Michael Frey, Hofkapellmeister at Mannheim, about Beethoven's Fourth Cello Sonata. The autograph manuscript of the sonata is dated "toward the end of July 1815," and he titled the work a "free sonata." That it is freer than it's companion, Op. 102 No. 2 (titled simply "sonata"), is evident in the respective layout of the sonatas' movements. While no. 2 is a conventional fast-slow-fast cycle, no. 1 is organized most distinctively. The sonata begins with the cello alone, like the Third Sonata, Op. 69, presenting an idea that comes to take on considerable significance in the totality of the work. The tempo is Andante, and the passage gives way to a concise Allegro vivace in sonata form. Yet the introduction is tonally very unconventional. It ostensibly begins in the home key, though the key of C is not stated explicitly at the beginning. And the introduction ends in the tonic, not the conventional dominant-but the Allegro vivace that follows is in A minor, not C major, and the structure that ensues is in keeping with the traditional treatment of A minor. The music that follows appears initially to be the slow movement. Marked Adagio, it is replete with ornamental gestures, and proves to be more an interlude than a full slow movement. (The only true slow movement in Beethoven's cello sonatas is in the Fifth Sonata, Op. 102 No. 2.) This Adagio, only nine measures long, gives way to a return of the material that began the sonata, a cyclic return of seven measures that leads to the finale, a lighthearted sonata form movement in the home key of C. It's fugal development section might be viewed as a counterpart to the fugal finale of Op. 102 No. 2. Further, the overall shape of the Fourth Sonata, including the cyclic return of it's opening idea, is also to be found in the Piano Sonata in A major, Op. 101, written in the same period, and it has been suggested that the works that comprise Beethoven's Opp. 101 and 102 comprise a trilogy. Variations on Mozart's "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen" from Die Zauberflöte, Op. 66 Beethoven composed this first of his two sets of variations on a theme from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte in 1796, in the same period when he wrote the two cello sonatas Op. 5, and it was published in Vienna in 1798. The passage from the opera that he selected appears late in the second and final act. It is a catchy, strophic song for Papageno, the bucolic and comic figure of a bird-catcher who is an amusing and gently annoying character during the opera, ever since his initial appearance in the second number of act I ("Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja"). In "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen," Papageno pines for a girlfriend-and it works, as Papagena enters just as the aria concludes, appearin- Shop: odax
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